Music and Drama.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue XXII, 31 May 1902, Page 1098

Music and Drama.

His Excellency the Governor, Lady Ranfurly and suite will attend the 'Auckland Banjo, Guitar and Mandolin Club’s grand concert to be held at the Opera House on Friday next. Among the performers will be Misses Maud McGuire and Lily Barker, Messrs Hamilton Hodges, W. Aspinall, J. Lawrence, F. Garter, H. Absolum, and H. Fountain. The Club’s playing members now number eighteen, and will contribute four choice selections during the performance.

Mademoiselle Antoinette Dolores concluded her brilliant New Zealand tour with a matinee in Auckland on Friday afternoon, and has now left for Australia, where a series of concerts has been arranged. There was a large and brilliant audience, which listened in rapt, attention to the marvellous vocalisation of the great aopranio. It is the universal opinion here that no more finished or artistic singer has ever visited the colonies. Whether Mademoiselle will re-visit New Zealand seems doubtful, but to that, hoped-for event thousands of lovops of music in all the cities where she has sung, Will look forward with the greatest delight.

We often boast of the high standard of taste in this colony in the way of entertainments, and Auckland in particular prides itself on its affection for high class music, and patted itself on the back very conaiderably over the splendid reception given to the Musgrove Opera Company. But after all, what class of entertainment draws vaster audiences nowadays,than a variety show, provinding—and the proviso is important—that it is a good one. The audiences which packed the Opera House, Auckland, night after night during the Cinquevalli season were larger than the present writer ever remembers to have seen on any nine consecutive nights, and on Saturday last literally hundreds were turned from the doors, not even able to secure standing room. Of course, Cinquevalli and Madame Titus were the attractions, the rest of the company were padding, and occasionally the house got very tired of them, and the pitites were not above voicing- their [weariness. We cannot often hope to see such stars as the two principals, but the extraordinarily lavish support accorded to Mr Rickards’ company will probably result in his sending Bandow and other expensive star artists over here. As for theatregoers in the South, the “Graphic” strongly urges no one who has an opportunity of seeing Cinquevalli to imiss doing so. He is a genuine wonder. and w-ell deserves his cognomen of the Incomparable.

Amateur musical societies all over the. colony are now getting into full tewing. Amongst other recent events the Rcmuera Musical Society held their first concert of the season on •Monday. Fart first consisted of ‘‘May Day” (McFarren), and the second portion was composed of miscellaneous items. The affair was eminently successful, and much enoyed by those present.

The last six nights of Wirth’s circus in Auckland uro announced. This would seem to indicate that the negotiations for a permanent building have not yet reached a satisfactory conclusion. The wintering of the circus in Auckland means the expenditure of a large amount of money there., and the money drawn in performances circulates freely in the town, so it is difficult to understand the attitude of those who have opposed the granting of several sites desired by Wirth Bros. The circus itself has been attracting very large audiences- On Saturday afternoon a tremendous concourse of children filled the huge tent to overflowing. A kindly-hearted man can scarcely fail to extract the keenest pleasure from attending one of these matinees, the intense delight, the beaming appreciation of the children, and their boundless enthusiasm would rouse the most blase or misanthropic individual to a sense that- there are some things in life worth living for. The show itself is an excellent one, and the trained animals—the tigers especially—are as good as anything to be seen in any part of the world whatever.

Comedian Percy, of the Pollard Opera Company, was married yesterday (Tuesday) to Miss Ramsay, formerly of the same troupe. The “Graphic” once again wishes Mr. and Mrs. Percy all possible health and prosperity in their life, both on and off the stage. Accounts of the marriage are not yet to hand, of course, but will no doubt be available for our next issue.

Mr Dix's variety shows in Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington continue to do very good business. In Auckland, the Company suffered somewhat last week from the immensely strong counter attraction of Cinquevalli and the Harry Rickards’ 1 ariety Show, but business recovered last evening, when the Allisons (song sketch artists), just put from England, and who come with a big reputation, made their first appearance. In Christchurch Lizzie Kirk has scored a great success, being vociferously encored five and six times nightly. Mr Frank Leon also did well for Mr Dix in the City of the Plains.

Rehearsals of “The Yeomen of the Guard” by tire Wellington Amateur Opera Club are exceedingly satisfactory, and it is hoped that all previous records will be beaten in the matter of artistic—and, indeed—financial success. From a musical point of view, “The Yeomen” is by far the finest of all the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and will probably live the longest.

The Auckland Amateur Opera Club are putting into rehearsal Mr Alf. Hill’s opera, “Hinemoa.” It will be remembered that in Sydney this work created great enthusiasm, and was likewise very warmly received in Auckland itself some, years ago, when produced on the occasion of the tour of the Ovide Musin Co. Owing to the alterations at the Opera House the Club have not been able to secure elates for an operatic performance this year, so “Hinemoa” is to be given in concert form. Every effort is to be made to make the affair a success, and it is hopol the rehearsals will keep the Club members well together, when it is probable “Lady Dolly” will be produced on a scale hitherto undreamed of even in the history of the Auckland Amateur Opera Club, which has never erred on the side of parsimony in staging its productions.

The William Anderson Co. commence the season of the adventures of bold bad men and beautiful and ■virtuous heroines at Auckland on June 9. The ultra-sensational type of melodrama which this Company serves up. “hot and has tickled the palates of theatregoers in -every city where the Anderson Co. have ah yet appeared, as, as the vast bulk of

playgoers in Auckland prefer dramas of this lurid and well-spiced description to drawing-room comedy of the Brough order, or even faree, big runs may be predicted in the Northern capital. If not. Auckland*will be an exception to every other town of note in this colony. “The Down Express” and “The Ladder of Life" are certain to prove big draws. Mr. Musgrove’s new comic opera company, which visits New Zealand shortly, commenced its Australian season on Saturday in “The Thirty Thieves.” Herr Slapoffski conducted, a»<l, according to a cable received in town yesterday, the production was a tremendous success. Details concerning the success of "The Thirty Thieves” in Melbourne, last Saturday night will be awaited with additional interest in New Zealand, as Miss May Beatty, so long a favourite here, was to take a leading part. Miss May Beatty will also play lead in “The Chinese Honeymoon,"” and several other novelties which are included in the company’s repertoire. Since her arrival in Australia Miss Beatty has been studying under M. Slapoffski, and has done remarkably well. As was recorded in these columns a few weeks ago. her voice, is said to have recovered all its freshness and beauty of tone. After a successful season in Dunedin the World’s Entertainers opened in Christchurch on Monday, and. according to private wires received both in Wellington and Auckland, were enthusiastically welcomed. The show is stated to be one of altogether exceptional merit in vaudeville. The Orpheus Liedertafel, Wellington. gave the first concert of the present season on Monday last, when a very successful rendering of Dudley Buck's beautiful work, “Spirits and Hours,” was given. There were other very successful items of a mis sellaneous order. Mr. Maughan Barnett and Herr Mix Hoppe are giving a series of highclass chamber concerts in Wellington, the first of which eventuated last week. It is to be doubted if finer performances than these—judging by the first—are to be secured in the colony. The concert included a trio by Rheinberger, for violin, ’cello and piano, and Hauber’s “Sonata” tn. B flat, for violin and piano; besides violin solos of exceptional interest by Herr Hoppe, so it will be seen that these chamber concerts are quite out of the Way in the matter of musical and artistic excellence.