Music and Drama.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXX, Issue XI, 14 March 1903, Page 746

Music and Drama.

There will be a lull in things drama tie this week. We have had such a host of good things lately that we can do with a “breather.” Next Monday, however, the round of gaiety will start afresh at His Majesty’s Theatre. We are reminded of the fact by the appearance of Mr R. Bentley Young, who has come to town to pave the way for “The Lady of Ostend,” a highly entertaining person who will be introduced by the Hawtrey Comedy Company, so pleasantly remembered upon the occasion of a former visit to Auckland when they came to deliver a certain “Message from Mars.” “The Lady of Ostend” is a creation of Sir Francis Bnrnard, the genial editor of London “Punch,” and that should be sufficient guarantee that it will quite come up to press paragraphs which pronounce it “crisp, clean and clever.” The company will, of course, revive “A Message from Mars,” and “Tom, Dick and Harry,” and Mr Young also speaks about Lumley’s “In the Soup,” and “Little Lord Fauntleroy” to follow.

Ernest Fitts and Johnnie Coleman are at Adelaide Opera House.

Lilian Wheeler, late of Australia, is playing a Boer girl in the curtain raiser at Wyndham’s Theatre.

Trinity College, London, has appointed Mr Charles Edwards visiting examiner for New Zealand and Tasmania,

Alma Grey, well remembered here as a child actress on the variety stage, is now appearing at the Empire Palace,

Among Zola’s papers were found the libretti of several operas, which have been placed in the hands of Bruneau, the FrenJh composer.

The hidden prima donna who sings in Melbourne prior to the raising of the curtain on “Zaza” is Mrs Tom Mann, wife of the labour agitator.

Mr Ernest Toy, the violinist, is to reLeeds, and her work is highly spoken of. visit New Zealand with a concert company.

Mr George Barnes left for Dunedin yesterday, where the Miss Nellie Stewart and the Sweet Nell of Old Drury Company, under the personal supervision of Mr George Musgrove, will open on April 11th. “Sweet Nell” was revived in Sydney last Saturday week, and has been drawing enormous business, notwithstanding the seven weeks’ season some three months ago in the same city.

Mr. J. C. Williamson has engaged Miss Ada Crossley for twenty-five concerts in Australasia, appearing in Melbourne in August or September next, a first-class English company accompanying her. Mr. Williamson accepts all responsibility for Miss Crossley’s relinquishing engagements. A highly successful tour of America is now proceeding.

That clever young American actor, Cuyler Hastings, and his company finished their season at His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday evening with “The Christian,” Melba being one of the audience. The season has been a source of pleasure to theatregoers, and, judging from the well-filled benches, the treasurer should have no reason to complain. The company play at Gisborne this week.

Miss Maud Beatty has been the recipient from Australia of many cables of congratulation on her success as principal boy at Drury-lane Theatre. The talented ladv has secured a pretty song, entitled “Violet Grav,” written and composed by Medley Barrett, the rising author, whose first song for Mr Harry Randall, *Tm not a bad sort, am IT” has turned out a triumph.—" Era.”

The troubles of Signor Mascagni are not confined to America. Some time •go a sneeial commission was annninted by the Italian Minister of Education to inquire into the affairs of the Rossini Conservatoire at Pesaro, of which Mascagni is director. The commission has unanimously advised the dismissal of

the director from his post, and all that now remains is for the Minister to give effect to this decision.

One specially noticeable feature of the Melba concerts in Auckland was the marked improvement in the voice and training of Mr. Walter Kirby. He has a singularly sweet and pure tenor voice, which he uses with considerable judgment. Further training should rid Mr. Kirby of some affectations or awkwardnesses of manner which at present somewhat detract from the pleasure his performances otherwise give. He goes to England and France to study, and his friends will wish him every possible success.

Prior to leaving Auckland, Madame Melba conveyed to Mr Barnes, manager for Mr Musgrove, her very warm appreciation of the business-like manner in which he has enginered the New Zealand tour. The work had been of quite exceptional severity, and had been crowned with complete success, and no one of her inter-colonial tours had, said Madame Melba, been better, more comfortably, or more felicitously conducted. All who have been brought into contact with Mr Barnes during the last few busy weeks will congratulate him on his well-deserved testimonial from the great diva, which, from sueh a source, is compliment indeed.

Mr Fred. Graham, the popular stage manager and comedian of the J. C. Williamson Musical Comedy Company, celebrated the third anniversary of his appearance on the Australian stage by giving a large supper and dance to his friends in Wellington. After the performance of “A Circus Girl,” the company and their guests sat down to supper, while the stage was being cleared and decorated. The M.C.’s were Messrs Bantock, Moutrie, Beck, Dudley, Bryer, and Hall. Each lady in the company had the privilege of inviting a man, and the lucky individuals who were thus favoured were the envy of all Wellington. During the evening a congratulatory cablegram was received from Mr J. C. Williamson, and at the conclusion of the proceedings three rousing cheers were given for Mr Graham followed by the singing of “Auld Lang Syne.”

Miss Ettie Maginnity, who left Wellington on Saturday with the Williamson Opera Company, will take with her the best wishes of all Wellingtonians, who will watch with interest the career of one of their most popular and pleasing amateurs. Miss Maginnity has received hundreds of telegrams and letters from all over the colony, wishing her “Kia Ora,” and, as she commences her new life fully equipped with health, voice, looks, and energy, her well-wishers may confidently expect to hear of her success in the profession she has chosen.

Mr J. C. Williamson intends producing “Tapu” in Australia. Probably it will be done by the Royal Comic Opera Company. If “Tapu” is a success Mr Williamson will try another one of his own, entitled, "Hinemoa,” which, although of the same name as Mr Alfred Hill’s successful cantata, must not be confounded with it, as the writing of it was begun before Mr Hill came forth as

a composer. “Hine-Moa” is a comic opera, with its scenes laid in England and Maoriland, the time being the period of Captain Cook. From the sketches of the characters made by Mr Barnes, who is now in America, the dressing should be quaint and picturesque. The sketches taken of the Maori subjects of Hinemoa were used in the recent production of “Tapu.”

Mr E. G. Meers, the famous English player, who is paying a short visit to New Zealand,, left for Rotorua and the Lakes district on Saturday morning, with a view ef making the ascent of Ruapehu and Tongariro for a third time. During the last year or two Air “Meers has to a large extent dropped out of tennis, and now devotes much of his spare time to the organ, having the advantage of a magnificent instrument in his own house. It is not generally known by his tennis friends that he is a player of pronounced ability, and is a Mus. Bac. of Oxford. As to tennis, “E.G.M.” says: “I haven’t even brought my racquet with me this time, so I’m afraid I shan’t have a ‘knockover’ at all before I leave. I hope, however, to pay a short visit to the Eden and Epsom grounds when I return from the mountains, as I wish to again see the many friends I met there on my previous visits.” Air Meers leaves by the Trisco steamer sailing on the 27 th.

Melba has come and gone, and those who were fortunate enough to hear her have the satisfaction of knowing that they have listened to what -has been described as the first voice in the world. Of course she added Auckland to her list of triumphs. Some people could not understand why opinions differed so much about her voice. Brown would go into raptures about her voice, and Jones would say he was disappointed. The explanation is to be found in the fact that the former probably knows something about music, and the latter does not. Melba has not that voice which draws tears from the eyes—it is not what Svengali would call “Un cri de coeur.” Hers is the perfectly trained, faultlessly finished voice, which to anyone with any .knowledge of music is a (source, (of wonder and delight. She appeals more to the intellect than to the heart, so to speak. Melba’s visit caused much interest in Auckland, and when she left on Monday by the Waikare for Sydney she was farewelled by a large crowd.

Mr Edward Lloyd, ths well-known English tenor, is a passenger to Australia by the P. and O. s.s. China. His programme will consist of 16 concerts in Australia and 10 in New Zealand, which will be extended if desired. Air Lloyd, who was born in 1845, may be said'to have inherited his voice, his father having been a vicar-choralist at Westminster Abbey, and his mother (before marriage, Aliss Hopkin) a popular vocalist. When seven years old he entered Westminster Abbey choir, where he remained until 1860. Afterwards he became solo tenor at the Chanel Royal, St James’ and St Andrew’s, Wells-street. Air Lloyd sang in Novello’s concerts in 1867, and at the Gloucester Musical Festival in 1871, where he attracted much attention by his part in Bach’s “Passion.” Since then he has sung at all the principal festivals, and has three times visited America. About twelve months ago it was announced that he had retired from the concert stage. He is coming to the colonies under the joint management of Messrs Williamson and Musgrove.