THE DRAMA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue IV, 28 July 1900, Page 153

THE DRAMA.

Two Auckland ladies have between them produced a patriotic song entitled "For Honour and Renown." The Walter Bentley Company inaugurated a farewell performance in Christchurch last week. The Christchurch papers speak very highly of Mr and Mrs Williams’ Shakespearean recitals. At the capping ceremony in Dunedin University recently a very clever sketch was given entitled "The Ciiine-e Question in a Nutshell." “Call-boy.” in the Dunedin "Star." understands that the “Grand Duke" cost the Wellington Amateurs £650 to stage, and although the average nightly receipts were very satisfactory. averaging altout £6O, the Society incurred a loss approximately of about £2OO. He adds: “Notwithstanding this loss the Society find themselves nowise embarrassed financially. as they still boast of a credit balance of about £l5O. ‘lolanthe’ is already spoken of as next season's production. I understand that any other amateur company wishing to stage ‘The Grand Duke* will be permitted to have the dressings and accessories at a low figure.”

Mr McAdoo, well known as the organiser of the Fisk Jubilee Singers Company, which visited this colony, died last week in Sydney. Miss Lottie Collins has been engaged by Mr Rickards for a season in Australia, and will be in Sydney in August.

Pasquin. in the Otago "Witness,” tells the following of backblocks theatricals' impudence:—A proprietor of one of the legion kinematograph companies called on Mr Reynolds, of the Princess Theatre, and asked for certain dates; on being told they were available, he said. “Let's see. The rent is £l5 a week, isn't it?” Mr Reynolds replied. “You have made a mistake; you’re not at Portobello!" “Ah. but I've been told others have had it. for £l5 a week. Would you mind showing me your books, so that I'll l>e sure?" Mr Reynolds indignantly ordered the would be “lessen of the Princess Theatre" out of bls office, and is still wondering whether he ought to laugh or be angry. Miss Gertie Campion, who was recently indisposed in Dunedin, wns ab'e to make her appearance again the other night in “Tambour Major." Fuller's Waxworks and Bijou Minstrel Company in the Auckland Agricultural Hall are doing gco.l btis'ncsS. The revival of “The Old Guard" at Her Majesty's theatre in Sydney was greeted with great enthusiasm. “The Absent-minded Beggar” has succeeded "Woman and Wine" iu Sydney. where Mr Bland Holt is meeting with his usual and wonderful success.

The new Comedie Francaise will be ready by July if the present plans of the architects are carried out. The walls of the building are still standing. and the interior of the new building. so far as its decorations are concerned. will be precisely like its predecessor. It is hoped that it will be more modern, however, in other particulars. The costumes and scenery used in the old theatre were saved. The company is to aet in the meantime at the Odeon. and will be seen there first in Beaumarchais' “The Marriage of Figaro."

Miss Isodora Duncan is the very latest in the way of artistic dancers (says “M.A.P.”) She does not undertake the terpsichorean art in the ordinary way, but illustrates poems or poetic ideas to music by means of what seem to be perfectly artless and natural dance movements. For instance. she dances Mendelssohn's musical poem. “A Welcome to Spring.” with a frolicsome, laughing grace that makes one think of flowers and birds and lambs at play. Her costume for this is appropriately copied from Botticelli's “Primavera.” Very Botticellilike is the long, dark hair, crowned with roses, and falling in small curls to the waist. Ropes of roses wind about the body, and the feet are shod with golden sandals. Not a single stock step is taken, and the whole dance seems like something that might have happened in ancient Greece. Mr. George Musgrove is searching for new attractions in the Old Country to tour Australia. Miss Nellie Borthwick, whose dancing was one of the attractions of the Pollards, has severed her connection with the company, and returned to her home in Australia. In spite of counter attractions Div's Gaiety Company continues to draw large houses in the Auckland City Hall. We learn that at the performance of "Paul Jones" in Dunedin considerable interest was evinced by the audience in the presence of some of the returned members of the New Zealand contingents.An immense audience was present, and the contingent men were cheered again and again. Mr. Pollard came before the curtain after the first aet. and announced that he had had the pleasure of seeing the boys at his theatre in Wellington, and of being the last person to entertain them, and now lie was the first to publicly welcome them back.

A Sydney “Bulletin" correspondent writes as follows; Respecting the statement in your columns some mouths ago that the deceased vocalist, Charles Harding, was "discovered" by Simonsen, 1 knew Harding intimately; ip fact, was his partner in a theatrical spec., and if anybody "discovered” him (which I question—believing that he “discovered” himself), it was Hurry Shepperson, manager of the Lydia Howarde Company, when touring Maoriland some twenty-two years ago. At any rate it was with him that Harding had his first engagement.

Harding came to Auckland as s seaman when about eighteen years old, ran away from his ship, and went gum-digging. latter on he owned a small schooner, with which he used to (ring firewood from the north of M.L. to Auckland. It was the wreck of this “nooker” which decided him for the “boards.” His voice—purely natural and untrained—was, as such, about the finest I ever heard. His first operatic appearance was as Sir Marmaduke, in "The Sorcerer" (Riccardi's company), at Auckland Royal in ‘79.

Wirth Brothers Australian circus is about to pay Australia another visit. It will probably reach Sydney about the month of September. Mr George Wirth, one of the proprietors with Mr Walter Price, a member of the circus staff, and Mr Harry Lyons, the advance agent, have arrived in Sydney. The circus is now on a voyage from Singapore to Cooktown. Just prior to the outbreak of the war it was making a tour of South Africa, its itinerary shows that it was at Mafeking at the end of September last, but as trouble between the Boers and the British was then brewing, marching orders on the part of the troupe became expedited. The circus was at Bulawayo—whence advices were recently had from the Bushmen's Contingent—on October 7, and at the Cape on October 11.

Theatrical matters have attracted (he attention of the House of Commons, where Mr S. Smith failed to carry a resolution regretting the demoralising character of many of the stage pieces of the day. and advising stricter supervision by the authorities. Mr Smith quoted one of Mr Pinero’s pieces, and an American musical comedy which has recently completed one of the longest of recorded runs, as calculated to corrupt the community, and read extracts from some of the London papers in support of his contention.

Applications in advance for seats for the first production in Australia af “The Rose of Persia" are so unprecedentedly numerous (says the Sydney “Morning Herald" of July 14th) that the management at Her Majesty’s Theatre is taking steps to stem the rush and assist a deserving charity at one and the same time. Mr J. C. Williamson's announcement is that the plan will open at Nicholson's next Tuesday, not for one night as usual, but both for Saturday and Monday. There will, however, be a booking fee of 2/fi extra upon every seat reserved for Saturday, and the additional sum thus realised will be handed over o the Indian Famine Fund. Sir Arthur Sullivan's new opera will he staged, with two beautiful tableaux by Mr John Gordon, showing “The Court of Hassans House” and "Audience Hall of the Sultan's Palace.” The Eastern costumes will be duplicates of those worn at the Savoy.