Music and Drama

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue XIX, 12 May 1900, Page 880

Music and Drama

The Pollards have been as fortunate in their revivals in Auckland as they were in “The Geisha.” “The Gay I’arisienne” and “The French Maid” ran last week to good houses, and on Monday and Tuesday “Olivette,” Audran’s popular work was successfully produced. To-night (Wednesday) and to-morrow “Paul Jones,” always a favourite with Aucklanders, will be given, and on Friday“ The Geisha” will again be staged for the last time. Saturday will be the final night of the season, and to celebrate it a grand matinee performance will take place. It took only twenty weeks to build the new Tivoli in Sydney. Considering the size of the place and the high-class finish the building was probably put up, as was claimed, in record time. Mr Walter Bentley intends touring the United States with an American Company. The Auckland Liedertafel give the first concert of the present season in the Choral Hall on Friday next. The following ladies and gentlemen will appear for the first time in connection with the Liedertafel:—Miss Annie Taylor, Miss Mary Laing, Mr T. St, L. Tonar and Mr P. Denton. An attractive programme, including many new songs, is announced. Miss Florence Young, who used to be with Williamson and Musgrove’s Royal Comic Opera Company, intends. to take a year’s tuition from Marchesi. Air Ben Fuller is going Home in search of novelties for the colony, and vvill probably visit the Paris Exhibition to see what wonders he can pick up for Maoriland. Mr P. 11. Dix, of the Auckland Gaiety Company, is giving a benefit next Friday in aid of the fund now being raised to send Mr E. Reynolds to represent New Zealand at the World’s Cycling ('hampionships, which take place in Paris in August next. Experienced critics report that Mr Hill’s opera, “Lady Dolly,” recently produced in Sydney, would, with a better libretto, have a big future before it in capable hands. The Rev. Chas. Clark gave a return season in Christchurch last week, being assisted by Miss Amy Murphy and Mrs Fanny Howie. Carl Hertz is contemplating another Australasian tour under Mr Edwin Geach’s management. Mr Walter Bentley and his company opened in Wellington on Monday, the initial piece being the famous and evergreen “Silver King.” Turning the performance of “Dr. Bill” at the Theatre Royal on Saturday evening, says the Christchurch “Times,” one of the actors had a narrow escape from poisoning. In the second act, where Mr De Chateau, who pourtrayed the character of Firman, is supposed to faint, the lady who took the part of Firman's wife endeavoured to administer smelling salts to him while he was lying on the sofa. Unfortunately Mr De Chateau’s mouth was open, and as the stopper was out of the bottle he swallowed a portion of the contents. He immediately sprang from the sofa and left the stage, much to the surprise of the audience, who were unaware of what hud happened. The curtain was quickly dropped, and in a few seconds Mr Bentley went io the front and asked if there was a doctor among the audience, stating that Mr De. Chateau was in agony. After remedies had been used, how-

ever, the actor speedily recovered, and was able to go on to Wellington with the company. The opera season at Covent Garden, London, begins on the 14th May this year, and will close on July. 30th. Herr Mottl has arranged to conduct two special cycles of “Der Ring des Nibelungen,” which will be a feature of the season. At a meeting of the shareholders of the Wellington Opera House Company, Mr Martin Kennedy took exception to the balance-sheet, and said that he found that the proposal to pay a dividend was, on the balancesheet, distinctly against the law. They were only allowed to pay dividends out of profits, and they were paying it out of capital. If anything went wrong later on they would be liable to be prosecuted for that. They were still £4368 short of their capital, and until that was restored, in his opinion they would find they could not pay a dividend. The chairman said that the question had been submitted to solicitors, and the form of balance-sheet altered to meet the ease. What was being done was done on the advice of their solicitors. If the income exceeded the expenditure they were justified in disposing of the amount of the year’s surplus in the shape of a dividend. They at one time attempted to extinguish the debit balance by reducing the value of the shares. Preliminary steps were taken by the company, but afterwards they were advised that it would require some dealings in the Supreme Court, and they were advised to alter the balance-sheet to the form in which it now is. The “New Zealand Times,” speaking of the ' new cyclorama in Wellington which depicts the relief of Ladysmith, says:—“The foreground of this large model is occupied by the camp of General White's army on the outskirts of Ladysmith, with here and there ugly-looking kopjes, an occasional farm-house, and at the back of all the hills in the occupation of the Boer forces. The enemy have . just re-commenced shelling with their ‘Long Tom,’ and a ‘call to arms’ having been sounded, the British troops may be seen in all directions running to join their various companies. Some have taken up their positions on and behind the neighbouring hillocks. The two naval guns from H.M.s. Powerful are seen in action in the foreground, while on one side is a line of ambulance waggons wending their way from the line of fife to the hospital, which, by the way, it will be remembered; was shelled by the Boers. The cyclorama is the work of that' wellknown scenic artist, Mr Claude Whaite, assisted by Mr H. Fitzherbert. Both deserve credit for the enterprise and skill they have exhibited. Clement Scott and Ellen Terry have both found the severities of the American winter too much for them and been very ill. The truth is English folk over forty run a great risk in spending January- and February in the States. So do elderly Australians facing an English winter like this has been. To tell the honest truth no colonial visitor “globe-trot-ting” should reach England before the 30th of April, nor remain beyond October Ist. This applies specially to those afflicted with weak throa s or chests - ' ■