ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7677, 29 January 1904, Page 2

ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS.

[By " Fra Diavolo."J

TOWN HALL BOOKINGS.

Show Week—A. and P. Association. February 21 and 22 -J. C. Williamson. February 26 and 27 -M. B. Curtis. March 17—Hibernian Concert. February 11—Band Concert.

On Fobruary 21st and 22nd the Masterton Town Hall will be occupied by the J. C. Williamson Dramatic Company, headed by Mr Cuyler Hastings, ~ and Miss May Chevalier. It is some 4 time now since this talented combination last appeared here, but local play, goes remember with pleasure the treats afforded by it in " Sherlock Holmes" and "If I Were King." The opening production will in all probability be J. M. Barrio's " The Admirable Crichton," which recently received its Australasian premiere in Dunedin. On the second night of the season a dramatisation of Kipling's "The Light that Failed," which is highly praised by all tho critics, will be staged. The many friends of Miss May Beatty, at one time a great favourite with Pollard's Opera Company, will regret to learn that she has been seriously indisposed of late. Her place as principal boy in the Williamson pantomine at Sydney (" The Beauty and the Beast") has been filled by Miss Hyman, Mias Beatty's understudy.

Mr Percy L. Brady, touring manager for Montgomery's Entertainers, was recently the recipient of several handsome presents from friends in different parts of New Zealand on the occasion of his 21st birthday. An actor some years ago advertised in London Stage : " Wanted an engagement. Will some manager kindly take compassion on these bones before they are removed to the cemetery ?" A provincial manager wired as follows:— " Delay funeral. Send lowest terms." Fortunately this led to a good engagement, through the manager being struck with the humour of the advertisement.

Miss Ada Crossley has become an honorary member of the Musical Society of Victoria. In asking her to accept the position, Mr George Peake, president of the society, wrote :—" It is the highest distinction that we can confer, and we ask you to accept it as a mark of our sincere appreciation of your great artistic gifts and splendid career. Our list of honorary membership includes Madame Melba, Herr Mark Hamburg, Herr Kruse, aud three others."

A prominent member of the Walter Sanford Dramatic Company, now appearing in Auckland to big business, and which will be seen in Masterton on February 26tb, is Mr George Kunkel, last through hero with the Josephine St-inton Opera Company. During the opera company's local season Mr Kunkel was seen as Lord Allcash in " Fra Diavolo," Wang in the opera of that name, and Devil's Hoof in " The Bohemian Girl."

Mr Joe Morris, " dummy" of Fitzgerald's Circus, was last in New Zealand with Ashby's American Entertainers. All of the properties and costumes of Nance O'Neil and Mr M'Kec Rankin were attached on December 9th by William S. Cleveland, manager of the Cleveland Theatre, Chicago, where Miss O'Neil and Rankin were then fulfilling an engagement. Affidavit was made by Cleveland that the actress and Rankin were, in his belief about to conceal or dispose of their property, leave the State, and defraud him of several hundred dollars advance expenses. Cleveland alleged that the two jointly and severally violated their contract, and M'Kee Rankin alleged that Cleveland owed him more money than the advance expenses amounted to. The case was called once but after the testimony of Cleveland had been heard the further hearing of the case was postponed.

The performace in Vienna of a drama called " Draga," founded upon the recent assassination of the King and Queen of Servia, has been forbidden by the local censor.

Mons. Ponsel, the gentleman who trains the animals at Wirth's Circus, got married the other day to a Melbourne girl. It is not every day that a liontamer gets married, consequently the Messrs Wirth wanted to seize the opportunity for a nuptial ceremony in the caged arena, with all the animals stalking round. Mons. Ponsel offered no objection to this arrangement, but the lady would not hear of it. Consequently the " Wedding in the Lion's Cage " didn't come off.

Miss Mabel Lane, who has just terminated her engagement with Mr J. C. Williamson, has btien secured by Mr W. F. Hawtrey for his forthcoming Sydney season, It will be remembered that Miss Lane appeared as the adventuress Madge Larrabee in the production in Masterton of "Sherlock Holmes" by the Williamson Dramatic Company. Miss Olga Beatty-Kingston, last through here with the " Are You a Mason?" Company, fills the vacancy in the former combination.

Charlie Faning writes from Blackpool, England, under date November 30th, 1903 : " You will be pleased to hear that I am getting on splendidly— booked up for months ahead. When we came over last winter I received a terrible shaking up, and in consequence had to cancel a lot of engagements. Despite that I am booked up to 1906. If one does well over here they book you up quickly with the ' return' dates. I nave been one of the lucky ones. Some bustle for months before they get an opening. lam getting ;£ls to i.lB a week for myself, and on the Linemore-Graydon-Barrasford tour __25 for two acts —my single one and a double with the wife. We do our same old gags; they seem to go 50 per cent, better than the new ones. We do the one act ovQfc here all the time. I work in the ' as a tramp, and the wife in long train eveniug gowns. No more short dresses or tights. Lennon, Hyrnan, and Lennon have done fine, but they are giving this country best to return to Australia aud New Zealand in March. They are talking about taking out a, show of their own. Florrie Forde, Albert Whelan, Anderson Sisters, Leslie Bros., Bovis Bros., Florrie Esdaile, Ada Colley, Hamilton Hill, Beanie Gellately, Dunedin Troupe, and Hayes Bros, are all doing well. The Sivronis are doing fair. The ono great drawback to this place is the climate. We haven't had any summer sinca we left Launceston. So long as it isn't raining in torrents the authorities tell us it is a ' fine, day'! If the sun should happen to mako a mistake and come out, that youngster of ours goes ruai with delight I"

Montgomery's Entertainers arc now touring the North Island. By the way, «' Monty " is now the father of a bouncing boy. Congratulations. "The Country Girl" is eclipsing all records at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, the latest of the Gaiety musical plays having evidently secured a firm hold on Melbourne playgoers. The death occurred in London of Miss Julia St. George, who in the early days was one of the idols of the London stago. Sad to relate, the lady died in poverty .and utter loneliness. ■ '--••A more talented young lady than _Jiss Olive Evans has not been seen here." is the comment of a Sydney paper on the leading lady of George Stephenson's American Comedy Company. , „ Mr Albert Clark will manage the New Zealand tour of the Acuericau vaudeville company which is coming to New Zealand under the direction of Mr Bial, of the World's Entertainers. Clippings.—Majeroni Company are in Tasmania.—Harry Bickards and family have returned 'to Australia.—Hugh Ward is in the Drury Lane panto. "Humpty Dumpty."— Ben Fuller sails for Auttialia ot the end of the present month.—Carl Hertz, the well-known conjurer, was at latest at the London Empire.—Johnny Sheridan's Company sailed lor Melbourne, via Hobart. — Wirth's Circus commenced a New Zealand tour at Auckland on the 19th inst. The matinee hat is the subject of much discussion in Loudon newspaperdom.—Florence St. John, a bright theatrical light of other days, has returned to the stage.—Comic singer Austin Budd was, when the mail left, at Birmingham Empire Palace.—Neilson and Ivmnaird are appearing with Bain's Gaiety Entertainers at Launceston.— Howard Vernon, late of the Boyal Comics, is doing Tasmania with a company of his own.—Bain's Gaiety Company are in their forty-second week at the' Temperance Hall, Hobart.—Hoiloway's Dramatic Company due in New Zealand next month, opening at Auckland on the 6th.—Ben Fuller's " Bobinson Crusoe" panto, at Dunedin Alhambra is drawing crowded housos nightly.—The death is announced in London of Arthur Elwood, one time of Brough and Boucicauit Company.—Len. Monk, of the Hawtrey Comedy Company, is at present staying with his people iv Duoedm. —Mrs Sims Beeves, the widow of tho late English tenor, is with Rickard's Company at Sydney Tivoli.—J. F. Sheridan has definitely decided to visit South Africa at »he conclusion of his Australian tour.