ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7724, 25 March 1904, Page 7

ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS.

[By " Fra Diavolo."J

TOWN HALL BOOKINGS. March 31 and April 2—P. R. Dix. April 3—Sunday School Sacred Con cert.

April 4 —Dannevirke Dramatic Co. April B—Miss Rosina Buckmann. April 14 and 15—Macdermott. May 19 to 21— J. C. Williamson (pencilled)

May 25 and 2G—Abbott

I have received from tho composer, Madame Pinn, of Perth, Western Australia, a copy of her " Boronia " waltz. The melody is delightful, and the composition is likely to become very popular for the ball-room. Ido not think it can yet be obtained in New Zealand, but .those of a good waltz could not do bet_Btthan send to Nicholson's Music Wareholte, Perth, for the "Boronia." Madame Pinn is also the composer of a number of patriotic songs, and I have to .thank her for a book of the same. They are all inspiriting compositions, and most ot them relate to the New Zealand contingents in South Africa. One, entitled "The Hero of Mafeking," is dedicated to Major-General Baden-Powell, from whom Madame Pinn received the following letter in acknowledgment: — " South African Constabulary. Johannesburg, June 24th, 1901. Madame Pinn. Dear Madame,—l beg to thank you for the honour you have done me in composing and dedicating to me your spirited song on Mafeking. I shall prize much this copy you have sent me as a souvenir.—Believe me, yours truly, R. S. Baden-Powell."

Next Monday evening Mr J. C. Williamson's Royal Comic Opera Company inaugurate their New Zealand tour at Dunedin with •' A Country Girl." The company appear in Masterton in May. It is stated that Will Percy, of Pollard's Opera Company, has been taken into the management, and that consequently he has for the present abandoned his proposed visit to London. Thus " Pasquin," in the Otago Wit.ness: —Few Maorilanders who laughed at the emaciated " second husband " in Grace Emmett's farce of that name, with Harry Rickards's Company through jSfew "Zealand some time ago, realised that the young actor Leroy Wimmer, who played the chief character, was actually dying of consumption. Playgoers will regret to hear of young Wimlaer's death, which took place in St. Louis the day before Christmas. I am indebted to a friend for a newspaper account of his sad end :—" Grace, I'm going home. I have seen Naples, and lam going to die." It was in a London playhouse, that Walter Wimmer, a St. Louis boy, a month ago turned to Grace Emmett, the vaudeville actress, with whom he was playing, and told her he knew he was going to die, and that .he wanted to get home before the end. .He knew he had consumption. He suffered from the disease a long time. J3ut he had borne up while the Emmett Company travelled from Australia to the ■Continent and to London. ' I'm going home,' said Wimmer, and took the first .steamer. In five days he was in New York. He took the first train for St, Louis. At the home he left four years beiore he was welcomed by his father and mother. " I was afraid I would die on the way," he told the anxious parents. " Now I have but one more wish. I •want to live until Christmas. I .want to lie in my own room where the Christinas candies used to burn when I was a boy. I want to hear the church bells chime." To the doctor he said: "For God's sake, keep me alive until Chribtmas." That was three weeks ago. Wimmer grew weaker, but he did not know .the end was corning. They kept it from Jriua. He dreamed of Christmas, and -thought he heard the church bells' chime. Wednesday night he sank into a gentle sleep and the loved ones knew he would never waken, but as consciousness flickered he murmured: " Merry Christmas, mother." At 11 a.m. Thursday he died. Envious death denied him just one more day of life. Wimmer wa3 22 years old. Though of a family of business men, he early showed his Thespian bent. Four years ago he joined the Emrnetc Company, a vaudeville troupe. He displayed much promise as a character .actor. Stated that an agreement ha 3 been ar.rived at between the Wellington municipal authorities and Mr P. R. Dix, and the work of effecting alterations to the Theatre Royal, Wellington, will be put .in hand immediately with a view to its re-opening at Easter. In the meantime Mr Dix is running a Company at the Exchange Hall, the principal members of which are the Williams Quartette, Tod Calloway, Carleton and Sutton, and •Carl Collier. Ida Holbein and Jim Mooney, through Masterton with the Valdares, were " resting " in New York, when the mail left, prior to going out on tour again. The talented couple are booked up to some considerable time ahead. The Beerbohm Tree Company, headed by Miss Maud Jeffries and Mr Julius Knight, recently revived " The Sign of the Cross," at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney. " The Growing of a Rata " is the title of a New Zealand drama shortly to be produced by Mr Alfred Dampier. It is the work of a young New Zealander, Mr ■ Charles Owen, in collaboration with Mr Dampier. The symbolical title refers to .a noted native tree, which, germinating from a seed blown into iae fork of another tree, sends aeri;_ roots to the earth, and ultimately str»ngles its host. A young half-caste, who endeavours to attain success aud prosperity by the •destruction of others, is the " rata " of the piece. The play, which is emotional rather than spectacular, is designed to present a faithful picture of the life of a settler, with its temptations and its struggles. The piece, which is now in active rehearsal, is to be produced for the first time during Mr Dampier's .season in Auckland next month. Mr and Mrß M. Hamilton Hodges proceed to Wellington shortly, where ..they will give a series of recitals. Mr Hodge-'As, by the way, accepted an engagecßnt to sing tho solo parts in ■" Elijah" and " Faust " in Christ•church. Mr Hodges' singing was the main feature of the recent Musical .Festival held in Wellington. The Cuyler Hastings Dramatic Company conclude their Auckland season tomorrow night with a special performance of " The Lady of Lyons." Tbe London Lyceum Theatre is to be pulled down, and on the site is to be erected a music hall, with a "winter a restaurant, and a promenade .attached.

Mr J. C. Williamson arrived in Auckland by the last 'Frisco mail boat. Mr Clement Wragge, meteorologist, is lecturing in the South Island. Mr Williamson, who sent out to Australia last week Mr Haigh Jackson, the popular Carl Rosa Company baritone, is in negotiation for musical talent wherewith to form a concert company for touring purposes in the Antipodes, but the project is at present only in the chrysalis stage.

When Nat Goodwin recently left New York after his short season in " A Midsummer Night's Dream," which was a frost, he left a note pinned to the wall of his dressing-room for his wife, Maxine Elliott, who was to be the succeeding attraction. It ran: "Be good, dear, and save your money, for remember you are the bread-winner now. —Nat."

One of the most up-to-date and notable achievements of Consul, the intelligent chimpanzee, whose death was announced the other day, was his drive through the West End of London in a motor-car. He made his way, amid the more or less respectful salutations of the crowd, into his car (says the Era) and, grasping the drivingwheel with his long brown hand was about to start when ho recollected that he had forgotten his goggles. He was too impatient to return for them, and so, setting the car in motion, he dashed off towards Picadilly. Bondstreet, Oxford-street, Holborn, Cheapside, Victoria-street, Fleet-street, and the Strand witnessed tbe strange spectacle of the chimpanzee chaffeur ere he returned to the Hippodrome for luncheon. Clippings. —The new theatre in Perth has been started. —Harry Baxter is at the Gaiety Theatre, Melbourne.—Johnny Coleman is still at Manila Orpheum. —Wilson Barrett is to re-visit South Africa next year Company disband in Adelaide in June. —Stated that talented Carrie Moore is returning to Australia.—A movement is on foot to start a Shakespeare Club in Alexandra. —The Dashing Elmores are with Bain's Entertainers in Hobart. — Geach-Willoughby Co.'s opening night in Melbourne realised over £800.—Miss Maud Lita joins Abbott's Opera Company for the New Zealand tour.