Music and Drama.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue IV, 25 July 1903, Page 365

Music and Drama.

ZT HAROLD IJARDET, PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, Organist St. David's Presbyterian Church. Best "Up-to-date” Music Supplied for all Sorts of Social Functions. Address— LERWICK HOUSE, MANUKAU RD.. PARNELL.

The stupendous success of the Mark Hanibourg concerts in Auckland easily eclipsed all previous records, and the unbounded enthusiasm of the vast audiences must have gratified the young genius immensely. Three concerts were at first announced, but so keen were the public for more that a fourth was arranged for, and given on .Saturday, and two further recitals are now to be given (this Wednesday) and on Friday evening, at which crowded houses are already assured. There is no describing, far less criticising, Mark Hanibourg—nothing approaching his marvellous technique and magnetic power has everbeen heard in the colonies, and there can be no doubt about his absolute genius. Never has the writer seen any artist so impress himself on even the most careless and casual of his audience. He has held hundreds of listeners spellbound night after night, half of whom perhaps have never properly comprehended the possibilities of the pianoforte before. Bis brother Boris has, too, won much admiration, and, indeed, the company is voted equal if not superior to the famous Camilla. Urso Concert Company which played here some eight or nine years ago, but which, alas! met with but sorry support. The playing of Mark Hanibourg seems to compel people to return for another treat, and it lias been noticeable that scores have been there at every single concert, and sonic Of these have been persons who usually do not figure at concerts of the higher class. Mr John Lemmone lias repeated the triumphs of former visits, and it is not too much to say that there has seldom if ever visited this colony so supremely satisfactory an accompanist as Mr G. F. Boyle, who is really in his own line something of a true genius also. It any readers in Auckland have not yet attended these concerts they are most earnestly assured by the writer hereof that they are missing an intellectual and musical treat of the highest order, a treat which cannot be without its lasting influence, and which it is almost a crime to neglect to take advantage of.

The musical and dramatic evening entertainment to be given under the auspices of the Atom Club, Auckland, on Monday next, promises to be one of the very best amateur performances given in the northern capital for some considerable time. Two sparkling comediettas have been carefully rehearsed, and should prove exceedingly enjoyable. The first, “A Secret,” will be played by Miss May Oswald and Miss Doris Boult, the latter being acknowledged as one of the best lady amateurs in the colony. That most excellent little curtain-raiser, “A Pair of Lunatics,” will also be staged, the two capital parts being sustained by that clever young comedian, Mr Herbert, and Miss May Henderson. This comedietta was an enormous success in London, where it was played by Seymour Huks and Miss Emmeline Terris for nearly two years. The comedy scene between Portia and Nerissa, from “The Merchant of Venice,” will be given by Miss M. Peacocke and Miss Holland and Mr amt Mrs Abel Rowe, Miss Lewis and others will contribute items. The club, which was inaugurated by Miss Dora Moor, is a most worthy and estimable one. and does a really good and useful work, in encouraging a taste for all things beautiful in art, literature and music. Its vitality and existence are due mainly to the tireless hard work and unbounded enthusiasm of its founder, and it is our hope a bumper house will greet the club on Monday next. The entertainment is at the Federal Hall, and electric cars from all parts will stop al the door. x

The Majeroni Dramatic Company opened a season at the Auckland Opera House on July 20, with “A Woman’s Power.” There was a good house, and the piece met with the reception that always greets melodrama, in Auckland such plays are always sure of a welcome. .As a play “A Woman's Power” is not strikingly different from many others of its kind, and has a good plot. The first and last acts are full of interest, but in Act 2 the pruning kurle could be used with great advantage. The chief honours were carried off by Mr .Mario Majeroni as Cyril Staker, Miss .Nellie Ogden as Bell Conquest, Mr George Majeroni as Banjit Singh, and -Mr Harry Douglas as the rollicking sailor, Jack Flynn. The other parts were sustained with much merit. The season will last till September 12th. Perth (Westralia) is to have a new £50,000 theatre. The stalls will seat 1500. Hill and Silvainy, the daring trick riders, joined Mr. Dix at Wellington at the close of the Rickards Company tour. They say that all the companies—and there are some good ones—now showing in Melbourne are playing at a loss. Maggie Moore and her company open at Dunedin on July 23rd. The Irish drama, “Kilhtrney,” is to be one of the features of the tour. The "Are You a Mason?” Company are having a profitable season in Wellington. Christchurch will be visited next week. The Pollard's continue to write cheerfully from South Africa, where business all round in the theatrical line would appear to be very brisk. Eileen Boyd, who will be remembered at Dix’s, has been ordered by her medical adviser to take rest, as the heavy work she has been doing lately was telling on her. Mr. Claude Whaite, who was manager for Mr. P. 11. Dix at Wellington for a long while, and recently went Home, is getting together a band of artists for a tour of the East. The colonies will be visited afterwards. Miss Daisy Davies, a pretty girl, who was in the Pollard chorus, and subsequently joined Williamson in Australia, has gone to London with her mother and sister. Miss Julie, who will study musie on the Continent. A concert company, headed by Miss Beatrice Vartha. the pianist, will shortly make a tour of New Zealand. The other artists will be Miss Florence Naretle (mezzo-soprano), Miss Ada Royolle (elocutionist), Miss Edith Gowen (operatic soprano), Mr James Francis (baritone), and Herr Lehamann (violinist). Miss Violet Mount’s Auckland friends will be glad to hear that she is getting on very successfully in Australia. Next month she appears with Miss Dalrymple and Messrs Weir and Robyns in a production at the Sydniy Town Hall of Liza Lehman’s “In a Persian Garden” (Omar Khayamo verses). Mr Percy Alyiner, the tenor, who went to South Africa- with Mr Tom Pollard’s Royal Australian Opera Company, is now acting as an insurance agent in Capetown. One wonders is “Everybody awfully good to me” nowadavs.

After farewell seasons in Australia, the Musgrove Company is to disband, and Miss Nellie Stewart will go to London —probably by way of the States—as she has a tempting offer to play “Sweet Nell” through America.

Hugh Ward, the clever character actor who came to Australia with Harry Conor’s “Trip to Chinatown” Company, and has remained in -the colonies ever since, has severed his connection with

J. C. Williamson Companies, and left for Loudon, in order to accept an important engagement. The “Xew Zealand Mail” is responsible for the statement that Mr. Harry Rickards will not send any more vaudeville companies to New Zealand, his previous experiences, especially the last one, not being of un entirely satisfactory nature. It is announced in the Australian papers that Mr. Robert Watkin Mills, a well-known English baritone, and Mr. Eduard Parlovitx, the Polish pianist, have arranged a concert tour through Australia and New Zealand. They will open in Sydney in May next. The Hawtrey Coiliedy Company, who have been doing remarkably well in the South with a good repertoire, including “Little Lord Fauntleroy,” have booked His Majesty’s Theatre, Auckland, from July 27th to August sth. Miss Addie Lorking, who is a native of this city, takes the part of Fauntleroy, and has been receiving much praise from Southern critics. Mr. John Prouse, of Wellington, who, with his daughter, Miss Florence Prouse, accompanied Dolores on her American and Canadian tour, has achieved a notable success across the water. The critics speak in the warmest terms of his voice and method, and acknowledge him as a worthy foil to Mlle. Dolores, who. needless to remark, is capturing all hearts. The little company would seem to be having a first-class lime, and to be enjoying themselves vastly, besides making money. A neat pictorial postcard, with views of the Golden Gate, received by the last mail from Mr. Fred W. Duval, reminds us that, the company of comedy stars which that genial advance agent has been picking up in America for Mr. Geo. Stephenson, of Dunedin, is now on its way out to New Zealand. Vaudeville is not a high-priced stock in this colony just now, but if any man can pick the right class of play and people to suit colonial tastes he is Mr. Duval, whose long experience with the Pollards and other companies gave him such an insight into his business. His friends will be very pleased to see him back again, and theatre-goers will generally feel interested in the combination he has selected. Ono often hears the expression. “1 laughed till my sides ached,” but ■, that state of hilarity pales into insignificance when compared with the amusement enjoyed by. a lady. up. Grey Lyijn way, who "laughed till her licit broke,” vide the following letter received by Mr Harold Ashton, the advance (with a genius for advertising) of the “Are You a Mason?” Company, now in Wellington:—“Grey : . 30th, 1903. Dear Sir, — .While attending that. most amusing play, 'Are You a Mason?’ which your company was performing at Auckland recently at His Majesty’s Theatre. I had the mjsfortune to laugh off . and lose a. good silver belt. Inasmuch as the misfortune is to lie attributed . to the mirth-provoking quali-

ties of the performance, I think I am fairly entitled to have my loss made good at the expense of your coni|>any. You may use this incident for advertising purposes, provided (1) that you give me as good a silver belt as 1 lost; (2) that my name or anything to disclose mv identity- is withheld. —1 am, yours truly.—M.F.”

Miss May Beatty distresses some of her admirers by her hideous “slavey" get-up iu “The Chinese Honeymoon." They put a silly sentiment before the sacrifice of grand art which requires the chosen to offer up heart and soul and identity very often as holocaust. That Fi-Fi of Miss Beatty is one of the rare instances within the recollection of the fair playgoer, that a pretty favourite has distorted her beauty out of all recognition in a spirit of devotion to the ruling of Roseius. It is a beauty butchered for a theatrical holiday. But on Saturday night the irresistible May removed the smut and smudges, curl jwipers and horse combs of Fi-Fi for .the delicious flesh tints and sweet frocks of the Channing daughter of the Tx>rd Mayor in the “Thirty Thieves,” and henceforth Melbourne will not only enjoy her clever acting, but will feast its eyes on her lovely little face. Miss Beatty is a whole bundle of attractions on and off the boards. Thus the "Critic.'’ Evidently “May” has struck them over in Melbourne, especially the “Critic" young man. The members of the N.Z. Band are being treated royally at Home. Thev played before the Prine? and Princess of Wales at Jxrrd Onslow’s country seat, and since then have been playing in various parts of England and seeing the sights. Writing to a Southern paper a correspondent with the band says: “Our vocalists (Princess Te Rang! Pai. Chief tain Rangiuia and Mr Bantock Pierpoint) are ‘taking on’ immensely. The Princess’ songs include ‘The Only Days.’ ‘When the Heart is Young,’ 'Ma Curly-headed Baby,’ ‘Still Wie Die Nach-t,' ‘All Souls’ Day,’ and Tosti's ‘Good-bye.’ Rangiuia’s best successes are ‘Home, Sweet Home’ (in Maori). ‘Dublin Bay,’ ‘Annie Laurie,’ ‘Killarney.’ and ‘The Flight of Ages.’ While Mr Bantock Pierpoint's fine bass voice ‘scores every time’ in ‘The Union .Tack in Town’ (new song), ‘His M j-sty,' ‘Kelson’s Gone A-sailing,’ and ‘The Jolly Sailor’ (new song). All the meiuare well, and we have been particularly fortunate as regards fine weather. The playing is also still improving. I wish New Zea landers could heir us play ‘William Tell’ now. At almost every town-some-one front New Zealand has -turned up. Kia-ora.’’ - The fact that Madame Patti is to make another song tour, says an Engliw contemporary, has filled ' musie,-loving people with wonder, and regarding it they are retelling the following story: She was out walking one day, and, feeling thirsty, called at a cottage by the wayside to ask for a glass of milk, and when she offered to pay the peasant woman raised her hand in gentle remonstrance, saying: “There is nothing to

Py fur the milk, but will madame kindsing to us one of her sweet songs T" Patti entered the humble home, and sang in her most superb style “Home, Sweet Home!" Z'he astonished and delighted cottagers listened in raptures, and tendered their distinguished visitor warmest thanks. Then, from an inner apartment, came a feeble voice: “Please sing that again; it was so beautiful!” “That is my daughter, who is dying of consumption,” said the cottager; “she is so fond of singing.” Patti visited the sick girl, sang the song to her, and gave her a sympathetic word. The milk had been paid for by melody for which the world would have gladly paid thousands of dollars. What memories does not the name of Dot Boueicault recall! The finest Cayle Druminle ever seen either here or in the Old Country, the inimitable Frenchman in the “Amazons,” and half a score of impersonations, one remembers affectionately. Well, he has been interviewed by. an Australian at Horne. He says: — “Yes, it’s seven years since I left Australia. It was in ’96. I’d like to go back for n tour there immensely. Begin with Adelaide and Melbourne, go on to Sydney, and work up to Queensland. I’m very fond of Australia, very fond. I think Australian audiences are the quickest, most receptive, the pleasantest—yes. I mean it—they’re the most enthusiastic in the world, especially Melbourne. An Australian audience is the quickest to recognise good work, much quicker than London, much —but then it’s natural in a comparatively small community.” “Don’t you miss the climate, the sun, the warmth?'’ This mid-May afternoon is drearv, chillv, and wrapt in pale grey fog “I do, 1 do : one can’t live ten years in a climate like yours without missing it. They were happy days then when we were all working together. Do you know that some of those productions I've never seen surpassed anywhere, not as regards completeness, as all round performances. And there was such a spirit of ‘camaraderie.’ splendid in this sort of work. I’m trying to bring about the same state of things here.” New Zealand playgoers have probably a great theatrical treat in store for them. Mr. G. Musgrove advised me ot Iris having received a cable message from London, intimating that the new production of “Mr Dahomey” at Shaftsbury Theatre was proving a great success. The artists are all coloured people, the composer, who also fills the role of conductor, being a negro from the States, while the chorus girls, who were brought from America and specially chosen for their beauty, are either quadroons or octoroons. Previous messages received by Mr Musgrove stated that these young ladies had been a centre of attraction in the big city of smoke. The composer is a born musician. and studied under the best masters at Vienna since he was 14. “Is there any chance of this company being seen in Australia and New Zealand?” queried your reporter. “I certainly think so,” was Mr. Musgrove’s emphatic reply. Mr Musgrove comes before the Stipendiary Magistrate next week to answer a charge of overcrowding at the Opera House during a recent performance of “Sweet Nell,” writes our Wellington correspondent.