Music and Drama.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue XV, 11 October 1902, Page 938

Music and Drama.

The inaugural night of the Musgrove Comic Opera Company in Auckland, when Mr Abbott’s beautiful new theatre in Wellesley-street was opened, with all due eclat, before a vast and excited audience, will live long in the memory of all those present on that memorable occasion Not in the history of stage matters in the Northern city has a theatrical or Of eratic entertainment drawn together such an audience as assembled partly to do honour to the new building, partly to enjoy the fare provided, and unquestionably partly to welcome bach Miss May Beatty, fresh from triumphs won on the other side, triumphs which, in their own line, are unquestionably such as might have turned the head of a far older and more experienced artist than the clever girl whom we have seen grow up amongst us, improving with every production, gaining a firmer hold on her art, and holding out fresh promise on each occasion she has appeared before us. But of this more anon. From a very early hour in the evening a crowd began to assemble in front of the early doors to the stalls and amphitheatre, for which the management made an extra charge of one shilling, and by the time the ordinary doors were opened there was practically room for on one in the theatre. Extra rows of orchestra stalls had also been taken from the ordinary stalls and reserved, and those who had paid the extra shilling and waited a long time in full confidende of getting seats next or near the usual barrier were considerably indignant at the action of the management, and a good deal of growling on this score was heard.' But ill-temper soon vanished in the pleasure of examining the new surroundings, which met with the most unstinted praise on every side. The new scheme of decoration in delicate apple and reseda greens, with just enough gL< and cream to make an effective contrast, aroused unbounded admiration, and many were the tributes to Mr Wilson's (the architect) tastes in this matter. The new square proscenium, and the handsome private boxes, filled with gaily dressed occupants, all demanded interested attention, but it was to the amphitheatre, with its vast sea of faces, that most eyes were glued, this second circle being a complete innovation in Auckland. With so much that was fresh to examine, the usually dreary wait before the rise of the curtain, and the somewhat protracted interval passed very quickly. Touching the performance itself. ■‘A Chinese Honeymoon” is very gorgeous. and it maintains about the same level of tuneful and catchy music and grotesque comedy, to which we have become accustomed in a score or so of musical comedies and musical farces of the last few years. It makes no pretence to rise above the average, save in the spctacular, and a public which likes familiar things done in a new fashion enjoys “A Chinese Honeymoon” as it has enjoyed several twin-brothers and sisters thereto in the past, and as it will doubtless enjoy many more variations on the same sort of storv and the same style of music in the future. To attempt a story of the plot would be but to recapitulate the stories of the many comic operas. There is the inevitable Eastern potentate; sometimes he is of Persia, sometimes Morocco, occasionally an uncrowned k : ng of a sea-girt isle, more frequently of Japan or of China, as on the present occasion—and he always wants an English wife. Then there are always the inevitable consequences, and the same bevy of beautiful girls amid the same gorgeous surroundings, only that, the gorgeousness is rather more gorgeous than usual. There is much to catch the passing fancy, much to gratify the eye, much to set the springs of laughter loose in “A Chinese Honeymoon,” and if there is nothing startlingly meritorious or novel. there is little that is a bore, and ■othlng that is objectionable.

As for Miss May Beatty, when so admirable, experienced, and wary a judge as Mr. Williamson has pronounced her “Fi Fi,” one of the best low comedy sketches he has ever seen, what praise is there other critics can add? All that has been said by the Sydney and Melbourne papers in lauuation of Miss Beatty was amply justified, and if we mistake not it must have been with a full heart ehe bowed to the frantic ovations which she received several times during- the evening. Mr. Lauri created a very favourable impression, and so did Mr Piddock. and our old friend Miss Josephine Stanton. On Friday “The Thirty Thieves” replaces the “Honeymoon.” Madame Melba has donated £ 10G to the Melbourne. Hospital. Mr. Qix has engaged the Florence troupe of acrobats for a tour round his New Zealand theatres. They are spoken of as the. only rivals of the Craggs. Could higher praise be given? Mr Wilson Barrett has, as is his wont, been lecturing the people of South Africa, besides acting to them, and is hurt at the unsympathetic manner in which the “Transvaal Leader” received his suggestions. After a lengthy argument in that journal, he concludes:—“You further imply that the Tank peripatetic outsider’ has no right to interfere in your affairs, or even make suggestions concerning them. From your point of view this may. seem just, but when that ‘rank peripatetic outsider’ happens to be one of those unhappy British taxpayers, who, by their money’, and the blood and lives of those nearest and dearest to them, had the Inestimable privilege of helping you out of the calamities that your inertness and errors in the past tumbled you into, you really ought not to feel hurt if he dares to raise a mild protest against your making it. possible for him to have a renewal of that privilege in the future.” “Mice and Men," which Miss Stewart is to bring over to N.Z. “later on,” is (says a writer from Melbourne) having a fairly' quiet time at the Princess. The Madeline Ryley play has not provoked anything like the interest Sweet Nell excited, although resembling it in some respects. “Mice and Men” is rather too slender for its length. In drawing her idea out to make a four act drama of it Madeline Lucette Ryley drew it very thin in parts. The third act lacks fibre, and the final act is a decided tail. And yet “Mice and Men” has good points enough to be a success if it caught the public in the right humour. But the Melbourne public is very capricious, and doesn’t seem to be in a favourable mood for quiet semi-comedy just now. Beerbohm Tree, undoubtedly' boss “swell” in London theatrical world since Irving lost his position, contrived to engage Mrs. Kendal and Ellen Terry for a recent revival of the “Merry Wives of Windsor.” The distinguished rivals had not previously played together in one and the same production since they were children, though they' must sometimes have been fellow contributors to a benefit matinee programme. Tree got them for the parts of Mistress Page and Mistress Ford, and presumably they arranged the precedence difficulty by each drawing the name of her character from the Beerbohmic hat. What else could a manager do with two “star” ladies, both of them tall, shapely, fair and 55. or thereabouts? When Mme. Melba was passing through Vancouver the Pollard Lilliputian Opera Company was playing there. The famous singer and three friends went to the Opera House,

and remained to the end. During the intermission, at her special request, Mme. Melba was conducted behind the scenes and introduced to the company. She shook hands with each member, and asked for photographs of Daphne and Willie Pollard as souvenirs. Mme Melba warmly praised the performance. The company, all of whom are Australians or New Zealanders, now consists of: Mr and Mrs C. A. Pollard. G. H. Pollard, Mrs Ohester, Louis Leay, Alf. Goulding. E. A. Wolff, C. S. Thurston.. Misses Ivy Pollard, Myrtle Pollard, Connie Pollard.. Alice Pollard, Daphne Pollard, Bella Thompson, Irene Loftus, Irene Finlay, M. Carmen, Emma Thomas, Lucy Lingard, Lily Thompson. Irene Goulding. Ethel Lavis, Ethel Bennetto, Minnie Topping, May Topping. Kate Twight, E. Poebble, C. Poebble, F. Sharpe, A. Wray, Masters Jack Pollard, Fred Pollard, Willie Pollard, and Willie Thomas.

Miss Stewart’s greeting touched Melba very much. It was a blue satin stave of music with the sign of the treble clef, and the notes of “Home, Sweet Home.” in primroses. An Australian magpie bore in its beak a sprig of wattle, and the message “Welcome.” In the streamers were the words: “To Nellie Melba. Nellie Stewart’s homage.”

A writer in the “Leisure Hour” makes some interesting comments on the most satisfactory biography of SchuberF which has yet appeared, and has just been published in Berlin. Its author is the well-known Schubert scholar, Richard Heuberger. “We have here quite a different view of the wonderful composer to that usually held. Even as early as his sixteenth year Schubert was methodic in the manner in which he polished his work. As he grew older he seemed to grow more fastidious. He would write and rewrite his pieces until his table was covered with versions of one and the same theme. Two of his famous songs, ‘Der Erlkonig,’ and the ‘Forelle,’ exist'in four different forms, and each of them perfect in itself. Schubert first of all wrote the melody in a sort of musical stenography of his own. and then the harmonious and thematic parts of the accompaniment. This he did in a minute or two. Then he sat down to work it all out, painstakingly, and with the most careful method. His rapidity of composition was astonishing. For instance, on October 15th, 1815, he wrote eight songs,each of them gems. Four days later he wrote seven equally faultless, w-ithout a trace of haste or superficiality. His industry knew no bounds, and he was always hunting among the works of song-writers for words to set to music, x Altogether he has laid 85 poets under contribution; 72 of his songs are to the words of Goethe, 48 by Schiller, 44 by Wilhelm Muller. It is perhaps characteristic. of Schubert that he set only nine of Heine’s songs to music.”

My Christchurch correspondent writes: Christchurch has been exceedingly quiet for some months past in “matters theatrical,” and until the arrival of Montgomery’s Entertainers two weeks ago the old “Royal” had stood dark and silent for quite a while. The Entertainers finished a fairly successful season of ten nights

last Wednesday, and intend returning to our city for “Carnival” week early in November. One of the chief features of their entertainments has been a really good biogranh, with some remarkably fine pictures.

Dix’s Gaiety Company finished their present programme at the Opera House on Saturday night, and went South to-dav in order to make room for Rickards’ No. 2 Vaudeville Company, which opens here to-night. Good audiences greeted the former company nightly last week, the chief attraction being an Irish playlet entitled “In the Old Neighbourhood,” played by Messrs Callahan and Mack. It is certainly one of the prettiest turns seen here for a very long time. These two gentlemen are exceedingly clever in their respective impersonations, introducing selections on the Irish pipes and flute. Their whole performance is very refreshing.

A complimentary “farewell concert” was tendered ,to Miss Christabel Wells on Thursday'last in the Choral Hall. The affair was in the hands of a powerful committee, and was a distinct success. Miss Weils, who is proceeding to Germany to continue her musical studies, proved that she was already advanced as a violinist and pianist. The young ladv was assisted by several local vocalists, and the Musical Union Orchestra, conducted by Mr F. M. Wallace.

The Theatre Royal was crowded to the doors on Thursday and Saturday nights, when the New Zealand Amateur Boxing Championships were decided. Great interest was taken in the contests. _

From a private letter received I learn that Miss Nance O'Neill was to have commenced her London season at the Adelphi on September Ist, and a cable which appeared in the local press this week announces that the season terminated abruptly. Miss O’Neill’s apparent non-success in London was not unexpected by many here.