Music and Drama.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXII, Issue XVI, 22 April 1899, Page 526

Music and Drama.

The Maggie Moore and H. R. Roberts Company concluded its Auckland season on Saturday last. The Gaiety, Specialty and Comedy Company continues to do good business in Auckland.

The Wellington Amateurs are with their preparations for "The Gondoliers,’ which will be produced next month.

Mrs Brough is said to be at her very best as Catherine in ‘Madame Sans Gene,’ now running at the Theatre Royal, Sydney. Mr Rignold’s Othello continues to win encomiums from the Sydney press.

Dan Godfrey’s Band is now in America and may be expected in Australia some time next August. The Wanganui Borough Council has decided to expend £4597 on the erection of the new Opera House. It is said that over the production of ‘Dorothy’ the Christchurch New Zealand Natives’ Association’s Operatic Society lost £2O. The piece cost a little over £5OO to stage. The Christchurch Musical Union will produce ‘Samson’ at the elose of the present month.

The Wellington musical people have been joining in the cry for a good town hall worthy of the Empire City, in which, in addition to civic functions, high-class concerts could be given.

The Pollards, in addition to their usual pieces with which they are drawing good houses in Wellington, have been playing ‘Saucy Susie.’ We learn from the Canterbury ‘Times’ that Dante’s real name is Oscar Eliason.

The ‘Geisha’ is now in the tenth week of its production at Her Majesty’s, Sydney. Elton, well known in these colonies, was, when last heard of, included in the cast of ‘Little Miss Nobody’ on a provincial tour in England Fitzgerald’s Circus is booming in Sydney. Packed houses are the order or the evening*. Mr Walter Bentley is much praised , hl . s Production of the ‘Passion I lay m Sydney. Nellie Stewart has been engaged for the next two pantomimes at the Royal Drury Lane. W ? T lea '. Fn from the Sydney ‘Evening News that ‘the Greenwood family have returned to Sydney after an absence of several years. Since their first appearance here they have travelled With unvarying success throughout the Australian colonies, playing standard dramas and musical come- . Lately they have been residing m New Zealand, owing to the lengthened illness of their father, Mr R C Greenwood, whom they had the misfortune to lose some months ago. It is the intention of the Greenwoods to inaugurate a tour through Queensland shortly with some good plays, which afford equal opportunities for the display of acting and vocalism of these talented young ladies.' China has produced a female dramatist by name Wion-wen. She is 28 years of age, and has written many plays. One of these was recently produced in San Francisco with success. The Melbourne ‘Age’ says of the first performance of Messrs Williamson and Musgrove’s new musical comedy, ‘The Belle of New York,’ which is running at the Princess Theaftre, Melbourne:—‘The Belle of New York,’ though in no sense a “frost,” had at best scored only an equivocal success, and it now remains to be seen whether judicious excisions and alterations will serve to make the play fulfil in Melbourne the destiny which has been its unvarying lot in other places.’ The ‘Argus’’ writes of the performance as follows: —‘The Belle of New York,’ produced on Saturday to a phenomenally large and keenly expectant audience, is a reversion to musical comedy of the distinctly American type —American in idea, in structure, in speech, in setting, and in interpretation. It resembles very little the musical comedies associated with the Gaiety companies. which smacked strongly of their London manufacture, and very

much those medleys of extravagance and nonsensical antics, ‘The Trip to Chinatown,’ and ‘The Milk White Flag.’ With whimsicalities of this flavour a hit is scored now and again, but, frankly, we think it problematical how far they ean be relied upon to divert Australian audiences.

On Wednesday last the Christchurch Amateur Oeratic Society made their first appearance in the ‘Pirates of I'enzance.’ The Pollards are due in Christchurch on the 24th inst., when they open with ‘Black-eyed Susan.’ The dispute between Dante and his manager was settled out of court. Dante will be back in this colony next summer.

Tom Fitzgerald sails for Europe shortlv in search of novelties.