STAGELAND.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLVII, Issue 12272, 5 September 1904, Page 8

STAGELAND.

Miss Nellie Stewart sailed from Loudon by the Oroya to enter upon a second great comedy tour of Australia. Mr. Ernast H. Colliins is making arrangements on 'behailf of Sir. George Musgrove for 'Miss Stewart's Sydney season, whidh will op&n at Christmas. The management Hias again engaged Mr. Harcourt Beatty. who wit arrive 111 Melbourne on 21st September. Daring her absence Miss Stewart has secured a new play, entitled "Pretty iPeggy," The new comedy embraces incidents in thelife of Peg Woffington from the days of her fir.s:fc tentative appearance at the Dublin 'booth to the time- of her. popularity and success at Oovent Garden. It is probable ateo that another costume piece entitled "Madame Dv Barry" will b9 dncluded in the n&w repertoire. Ac. cording to latest adv-ices Mr. Musgrove is also returning to Australia.

Israel Zangwill has written a. new oomecly in four acte in which Llaude Adams is to play the prinaipal Character. The soenc of the story lies in rural England. • • Captain Basil Hodd, who has been ill, is 'wall again and at work upon a new musical piece to b© called ''The Golden Girl."

Wagner's only comic opera, "Die Meis. tersinger/'-had its one hundred and fif. tieth performance at Dr-eeden iast month. It was at the saan« tdme its hundredth performance under Conductor yon Schuch, and S'cheidemantel sang the part'of Hens Sachs for the. seveiityes'Ventn time. The- first performance was given in 1869. Clement Scott never attended a rehearsal. He would see the play for the first tim© on th© opening night, an ordinary member of, the pu'biiic. Speaking of pHaySj he once confessed that lie considered1 ■Falconer's "Oonagh" to be. tho most extraordhiafy $lay he had ever witnessed. "I rem«aiiber the play start. Ed a-o 8 o'clock,"' he said, "and it was all talk, talk, talk —no incident to speak of —until! 12 o'clock arrived. Then the audience began to! (inquire into things, when was the play likely to hsi over!? and the like. These queries presently devdloped into an uproar, and at two o'cllock in the morning the stage carpenters, consumed ivitli a feverish thirst, laid hold of tihe carpeti on th« stage and dragged 'it from under the feet, of the last six loquacious characters, and down they all went on their 'backs, followed by the curtain. 'That was the end of 'Oonagh.' " With regai'd to th© famous critic's story of "Oonagh," a similar ex. perienoa 'happened inr Dun&din many years ago (says a Sydne-y v.'rit^r). A drama caliled "The Last Link in the Chain" began, but it was. never finished. At 2 a.m. there was tstill"a;:;liar.ge part of the drama waiting to:Jbe.'^presented, but by common consent and'.tih.d need of isusit©nano9 the' hardy avidHienca; and actors agreed to adjourn and leave'the remaining links unravelled.- ••.:.

Frank Thornton is at present touring the English proviridete' witli "Facing the Music." . ■

Fullers are-doing Tjuaoieise on a fairly extensive scale. .Last Saturday they had seventy .artists appearing at their vari omsi halls. . : ■

Leo De iChateau has 'jointed-the Sanford Company.