THE DRAMA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue XIV, 6 October 1900, Page 625

THE DRAMA.

Without doubt one of the most notable. as. well as one of the most enjoyable concerts ever given by the Auckland Liedertafel will be that fixed to take place on October 5 at the Choral Hall. Auckland. The stand-bye, or special attraction, for the evening will be two of Dudley Buck's compositions. with full orchestral accompaniment. The orchestra selected, if comparatively small in number, has never been excelled in Auckland in quality. Each player has l»een selected as the local master of his particular instrument. Besides these special numbers, the Liedertafel will give a series of Old English part-songs, and all who have heard sirai.ar items on former occasions will look forward to these with pleasure. The programme will be found in another column of this issue, but 1 might mention “Who Trusts in Ladies Fair." "The Village Blacksmith," and "Intergu Vitae," will be amongst the numbers. Mat Northeote is expected in New Zealand at the end of the present mouth with the newest kinematograph. • Air. (. R. Bailey, who is piloting the biograph through New Zealand, supplied a representative of the Lyttelton "Times" with some interesting information about the history of the new invention. Edison’s original kinematograph (the portrayer of motion) was accompanied by a painful flickering. By careful researches the great electrician remedied this defeet, and produced the biograph (portrayer of life). The kinematograph produced pictures taken only fifteen in a second. but the new machine produces pictures taken sixty in a second. This rapidity of motion obliterates the flickering. The patent rights oi the biograph were secured by the Mutoscopie Company, which sent out a staff of twenty-five experts to South Africa at the outbreak of the war. They had elaborate apparatus —traction engines, field tents, etc. The working expenses were £6OO a week. Detachments accompanied (Jenera Is Roberts and Buller throughout the campaign, set up machines on suitable kopjes, and secured bona fide pictures of various engagements. Messrs Wykl and Friedman purchased the Australian rights of exhibiting the company's films at a rental of £ll2 10/ per week, from the day they left London. These improved films produce life-size pictures. The Theatre Royal lias a stage opening of only 24 feet by ISJ feet. The biograph pictures require a space 30 feet square, and this is provided by hanging the screen from a beam outside the proscenium down over the footlights. The twelve principal singers in Mr G. Musgrove's new company, which opens in Melbourne on October 13th, include, says the Sydney “Bulletin,” the famous Salvi and another tenor of “star" rank, three young sopranos, each with prima donna successes to her name, two first-class contraltos—one of whom. Miss Agnes Jansen, has appeared with Melba and the De Reskes—and baritones and bassos of a a quality said to be fine till round, and undoubtedly very expensive in several cases. The Christchurch Amateur Operatic Society stage H.M.S. Pinafore tonight (Wednesday) and on Thursday and Friday. A great success is anticipated for the piece. “What Happened to Jones" is as popular as ever in Sydney. Full houses welcoming every performance. Messrs Fitzgerald Brothers' Circus and Menagerie is one of the great sights of Sydney at. present. The performances of the Dunbar trio. Jandaschevsky family, Wingate sisters, Guillaume and Aogouste. Mlle. Katie Montgomery, Mlle. Rosie Aguinaldo, Mlle. Rhodesia, and the other artists arouse a furore, while the equestrian feats are thrilling in the Mr A. B. Patterson (Banjo), the Australian journalist, whose letters on the war have taken a first rank in war correspondent literature, is now on the lecture path, and doing well. At his second lecture in Sydney he had the patronage of the vice-regal party. Mr P. R. Dix completed his 18th month at the Auckland City Hall last week. Miss Zoe Karkeek, who severed her connection with the Pollard Company some time ago. intends, it is reported, to rejoiu the organisation.

Batey Liliput mn Opera Company has set out from Melbourne on an extended Australasian tour. Ihe Pollards intend to appear in Sydney on Boxing night. The piece will probably be the ever popular “Djin-Djin.** Last week terminated the Sydney season of Williamson’s Opera Company. The ’’Gondoliers” was the opera staged. An esjiecially interesting feature in the revival was the appearance of Mr If. J. Ward as the Duke, the most genuinely comical character which has been allotted to him since he joined the combination. Mr George Lauri, who has invariably played the Duke, was seen in Mr Howard Vernon’s old part of the Inquisitor. Miss Nance () Neil opened her return season in Sydney on Saturday last, when ’Tngomar” was staged. Half of the failures or moderate successes on the stage are due. says ( lenient Scott, to inefficient and ill-organised rehearsals, and the deliberate misdeeds of the artists are fastened on to the shoulders of those who are appointed to judge a finished work, but as a rule, find it a scamped daub at the best. I must give the American stage. at least, the credit for this fact, that 1 have never yet seen an actor or actress take kucTi a liberty with an audience as to be imperfect when the play is actually produced. Nervous They must be— that is human nature —but they are aware of the responsibility of their calling. In England, on the other hand, there are scores of actors and actresses who are habitually imperfect in their words, who not only “stick” themselves, but cause others who are let-ter-perfect to stick also, who ruin the scenes in which they an* engaged and jeopardise the prospects of the wretched author. Such splendid firstnight performances, in regard to symmetry, order, smoothness, and system, as those I have seen in America would be almost impossible on a first night in Loudon to-day. And why? Because in America you never produce a play before* it is readv.

NOVEL JUGGLING

One of Ihe novelties of the c nn ng theatrical season will be the appearance of the Agoust family a French company of pantomimists and jugglers. Their performance is described thus: “The scene is the cabinet or private supper-room of a restaurant. The staging is elaborate, the appointments, from china and silver to the wine coolers, correct. A handsome head waiter superintends the setting of the table by a dignified and welltrained assistant. Plates, cup-, saucers, knives, forks, ornamental Imps, napkins, and all the table paraphernalia are flung by one man to the other, each being correctly pl iced with incredible rapidity. Then enters the couple who are to dim -a distingue old gallant, wearing the medal of the Legion of Honor, and upon his arm a piquant and pretty little brunette. The servants are as well bred and discreet. Every course is juggled by the waiters. Rolls are fired, like riHc balls, from hand to hand across the room. A huge tureen revolves over and over again in the air, while the waiter balances the ladle upon his nose. Suddenly’ it is uncovered upon the table and found to be full of steaming soup. TJie lady is at first vexed and then amused by the unconventional service. Suddenly a caprice seizes her and she begins to juggle her fan. her napkin ring, the knives and spoons, whatever comes within reach. Iler escort's annoyance gradually melts away. His dignity relaxes and in a languid matter-of-fact way, as if it was the most natural thing to do when supping privately with a lady, he, too. leisurely’ proceeds to the. deft manipulation of anything he can lay his hands on. A striking incident is the juggling of four or.mgw by each member of the nimble-fingered quartet. The sixteen oranges perfo m th? most intricate aerial movements and seem mixed in hopeless cenfusi n. As the spirit of the frolic increases the fun grows wilder and w : lder. The air is full of table utensils, champagne bottles, baskets, lamps, chairs, bric-a-brac, flower lots everv’h'iig in fact, large :»r-' a’l that ♦he hun<| can seize oprer. .•» d is a sen.- tin I finish, two of (ho m tiirow plates across ilia room at the third.*’