Music and Drama.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXX, Issue XV, 11 April 1903, Page 1025

Music and Drama.

The Anderson Dramatic Company open their Easter campaign in Auckland on Saturday, April 11th, and are pretty well assured of a. capital season. Melodrama is all the rage nowadays, and the overpopular F. Duval has worked up expectancy to just, the right height. Duval is one of the old school of advance agents, and knows precisely the value of the command, ‘’Thus far shalt thou go, and no further.” He gives his show all the possible puli’ an even moderate show can require, but he never makes the egregious blunder, even when he has something very first class, of stuffiing it willy-nilly down your throat that it’s the only show of its kind ever seen in New Zealand. That sort of advertising and puffing simply annoys theatre-goers. With the Andersons Mr. Duval assures us that Auckland will get good hot. and strong melodrama, well staged and well served. All who have seen the Anderson Company down South say they are really good, and endorse Duval’s recommendation. The opening attraction in Auckland will be “The Worst Woman in London,” which is a title to conjure with.

Easter dales at Wanganui are held by the Hawtrey Comedy Company, who open on April 11.

The Sherlock Holmes Company, who have done good business in Christchurch, were to close their season there on Thursday night.

Mr and Mrs Hamilton Hodges, accom panied by Mr Chas. McFarlane, man dolinist, are to make a tour of the eoun try districts during Easter.

Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland’’ has been turned into a ipusical play, ft met with much success when produced in London just before last mail left.

F. Marion Crawford is another novelist who is now devoting himself to the stage. A modern play from bis pen is nearly completed.

“The Vikings” of Ibsen is to l>e produced in London by Ellen Terry, the staging to be under the direction of her gon, Gordon Craig, the scenic reformer.

Fitzgerald’s Circus did enormous business in Auckland, and deserved well < i the public, for they put on a most excellent show. They are now touring the larger provincial towns of the North.

’ Miss Fitzniauriee Gill has been doing most admirable business in the small towns, and fair in the larger centres. At present writing she is in Wellington, where the season closes on Thursday. Shu then opens in Christchurch on April 11.

In connection with the production of Ibsen’s play, •’When We Dead Awaken,” the “Morning Post” says: “Mr George Titheradge gave a very life-like and human presentation of Rubck. The honours of the performance were with Miss Henrietta Watson, whose portrayal of the visionary Irene was a remarkable and uncommonlv successful effort.”

We are to have a visit in June from Mark Hambourg, the celebrated pianist. He is now in America, where, according to late advices, he has had an enormous success, carrying everything before him. In New Zealand he will visit the four centres, giving four concerts in each place. He will be accompanied by his brother, a ’eellist, and by Mr John Lemmone, the well-known flautist.

Miss Lily Dampier, the well known actress, was recently lying dangerously ill at Broken Hill. For a couple of days the worst was looked for, but she rallied, and is now on the road to recovery. The theatre was closed for two nights, as no one in the com. could play her parts in "East Lynne” and “The Merchant of \ eniee,” and the management wasn t prepared with any other pieces.

'J he veteran Signor Luigi Arditi, the well-known conductor and composer of ”11 Bacio,” the “Arditi Valse,’’ and many other familiar pieces, though now in his eighty-third year, has lately recovered from an illness so severe that at one time the worst was feared, and the hist ministration of the Church was profered to him. He is still confined to his room, but in spite of a good deal of weakness he is at work upon the score of a new song-valse. At present he is living at Hove.

Mr F. YY. Duval is in Auckland making preparations for the appearance here of Mr YY’. Anderson’s Dramatic Company, which opens here in His Majesty’s Theatre on Easter Saturday. Mr Duval has got a commission which will take him to America when he has finished bis engagement with Mr Anderson. This is the organisation of a company to tour the colonies from among the States’ artists. Very probably the company will be filter the fashion of the popular “Trip to (.'hiuatown” combination, but the financier of the scheme, Mr George Stephenson (of football fame), lias given him practically carte blanche hi the matter of choice.

A most, extraordinary incident took place just before the fall of the curtain at the Comedy Theatre during the representation of “Beaueaire” in London last month. A lady in the stalls was suddenly and unexpectedly confined of a stillborn child. It speaks volumes for the attractiveness of Mr Lewis Waller’s acting, says the "Era,” that ladies will, in order to witness it, run the risk of the most unpleasant accidents. Well, that’s one way of looking at it, but. there is another more humorous, if less complimc’itarv. to the actor.

Mr Edwin H. Lemarc. the famous English organist, is to give a series of recitals on the Sydney Town Halt organ. It is hoped that not only will he extend his visit to the other cities of the Commonwealth, but that: lie may come to New Zealand as well. Mr Lemare, though comparatively a young man. has the reputation of being one of the best organists heard in England. Not long since he took a position at Bitt.-burg, in the United States.

Mr Allan Hamilton describes the farce, "Are You a Mason?” which lias been staged by the Broughs at Calcutta with great success, as a "-ercamer.” which eclipses "Charley’s Aunt.” J. C. Williamson holds the Australian rights of the piece, and intends producing it at the Palace Theatre. Sydney, at Easter. George Giddens, who made a hit in the piece on its first performance, in London, at the. Shaftesbury Theatre, will be the principal. The leading lady will be Ethel Knight Mvlfison, a Cana-

*iiau lady, who is desehibe*! as a great beauty. Cecil Ward will also he in the east.

Madame Sarah Bernhardt has completed a tolerably varied round of human experiences by the exceedingly odd sensation of being hissed in her own theatre at the zenith of her fame by the audieaee of the Parisians who are supposed to adore her., The leaders of the demonstration give a singular explanation. Madame Bernhardt is playing “Andromache,” and feeling that her Hermione is not the Hermione of Racine, and still less oi classic tradition, they felt bound to protest against excess of modern realism. The students of the Quartier Latin are simply indignant and vent their rage really more in sorrow than in anger!

Florence Seymour, who is “on dit” io be leading lady in the company which Harry I’lininier is to form to play the best pieces of the Brough repertoire, is a bold woman to step, or attempt to step, into Mrs Brough’s shoes, but no one .who saw her years ago (fourteen about) in Haddon Chambers’great plat’,. .“Captain Swift,” will doubt her ability in characters of an emotional ’ order. Hers was a truly magnificent performance, and so, by the way was the Hadzfelt of poor Kennedy . (long since dead), and the. Captain Swift of that accomplished actor, but.amazingly casual customer, Harry St. Maur, of whom, or from whom, one.has not heard, by the way, this half score of years.

The Earl of Yarmouth, who has appeared on many occasions as an amateur, and who, when stopping at Government House, Sydney, created some amusement as a skirt dancer, lias figured of late years as a professional actor in London and New York. It is now announced he is to marry Miss Alice Thaw, of Pittsburg. Miss Thaw’s mother is a widow, whose husband left her several millions. Four children, of whom Miss Thaw is one, have equal portions < f £2,000,000 in their own right left them by their father. The Earl's marriage is expected io take place in the early spring, when the stage, except as an amateur, will know him no more.

Miss May Pollard, who is at presan*. on a visit from South Africa, has brought with her some very interesting photos of the places brought, so prominently before the public during the recent war; also some excellent views of the Peace Celebrations. Miss Pollard has also some autographed photos of many of the famous generals, who gave them to the actress in recognition of her services as an entertainer of sick and wounded soldiers. Miss Pollard speaks of South Africa in the highest terms, the country affording much scope for business, both mercantile and theatrical. The climate is not. any-worse than the Victorian. Five months is the length of Miss Pollard’s intended stay in Melbourne, after which she returns to South Africa, where she intends to make her permanent home.

Mr John Philip Sousa is apparently the victim of an unsatisfactory state of the law that is still, in spite of the new Act, pressing very heavily on our own music publishers (says the “Era”). He writes:—“YVe have a tradition in America that. English law is a model to be emulated by all people. You can imagine my astonishment therefore, on arriving in London, to find that pirated editions of my compositions were being sold

broadcast in your city. I have bee?! labouring under the delusion that, an I have complied with the requirements of the International Copyright laws, your Government would assume the responsibility of finding a way to protect my property. Apparently no sueh responsibility exists. Surely there must be » remedy to protect a composer from such a deplorable injustice?”

English managers are, perhaps, at times inclined to envy the subventioned theatres of Paris; but it should be remembered that. to balance the Govern ment subsidy, the Paris manager has to give 10 per cent, of his gross receipts to the poor, and 15 per cent, of the receipts to the dramatist whose piece is being performed. So that 25 per cent, of his receipts is carried off “at one fell swoop.” Tn England there is no droit des pauvres, and even famous British playwrights rarely demand more than 10 per cent. As for the beginners, they have to take what they ean get.

The German Emperor is certainly n man of attainments. YVe all know Hint lie is a capable musician and « linguist ; we .now have the word of Leoncavallo that he is composing an opera, for which the Emperor has provided the libretto. Says Leoncavallo: “I can only tell you that I am working hard on it. and with enthusiasm, My Paris visit, has distracted me somewhat, but. 1 am now about to make up for lost time. I leave Rome shortly for Milan, where 1 shall settle- down in the repose of mv own rooms to finish the new opera which I hope to place in his Majesty’s hands in the spring.” The new piece, which is called ‘Roland,’ is to be done. al. th« Imperial Theatre, Berlin, in (he autumn.”

The su cessful appearance of Miss Nellie Stewari, supported by an English comedy company, organised by Mr. iJccrgc Musgrove some twelve months ago, in one of the latest stage stories of the favourite historic scries, ‘‘Nell Gwynne,” has been enthusiastically heralded to New Zealand, where Mr. G. Barnes is working the show in adv:;>,o for all ho is worth. The mi press’. >n ••reated elsewhere by Miss Nellie Siew-.nf. on her first entrance int > a higher main of her profession has aroused a feeling of expectancy, curiosity, and interest among playgoers here After all. why should (here lie so much surprise nt Miss Stewart’s undoubted success? Reflection should have convincingly satisfied that the player had already revealed in a long career all (lie qualities necessary for her success as the “Pretty. Witty Nell.” Have not her past triumphs in

"La Maseotte,” “Dorothy.” “Ma Mie Rosette" ami other exhibitions of her

“infinite variety” as a comedienne proved the possession of (hat vivaciousness, ten derness and underlying charm that have succeeded in making “Sweet Nell’ the big gest success ever put on an Australian stage? The company open this week in Dunedin, and go then to Christchurch, where. “Sweet Nell” commences operations on April 27. after which Auckland. May 12th, mid YY’cllington. June 17th.