Music and Drama.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXII, Issue I, 2 January 1904, Page 41

Music and Drama.

Both pantomimes running in Wellington, are well spoken of by loeal critics. Mr. Dix’s show is specially highly praised, and is said to he well an to the standard of imported shows of the same class. Mr Geo. Musgrove and Miss Nellie Stewart passed through Auckland on the Sonoma, bound for America and Europe. They will be away for about eight months, returning via Suez probably. Mr Lawrence Hanray, who was a prominent member of the “Are Yon a Mason?” Company, will join the Wil-loughby-Geaeh Company in “A Boy from Buffalo” on New Year’s night. Howard Chambers, the Auckland baritone, so long with Harry Rickards, is now starring as Romero in “The Serenade” at New York with the Bostonians. He made his first success with them as Friar Tuck in Robin Hood. “Pinafore,” always popular, was exceedingly well done at North Shore last week by the Devonport amateurs. The whole performance was above the amateur average, but it was noticeable above this for the really exceptionally good work of Miss Ivy Alison as Josephine. Her impersonation was really capable, both vocally and histrionically, and the unstinted applause she gained was well deserved. Moreover, the opera was well staged, and a capital orchestra and chorus, under Mr. Alf. Bartley, gave an excellent account of themselves. Space will not in this issue permit of a longer notice, but those concerned in the production have every reason to be satisfied, and may rest assured of warm support on their next appearance. “Mistakes Will Happen,” produced by the Willoughby Geach Company at His Majesty’s Theatre, Auckland, on Boxing Night, hit the vast holiday audience where it lived, as the Yankees say, and the farce was received with uproarious and unbridled laughter and applause. The play is now so wellknown throughout New Zealand that it is needless to go further into details, or to say much more than the enormous success of the farce in the South was more than repeated in the Northern capital. The capital work of Mr Willoughby and Miss Roxy Barton met with the warmest approbation; as well it might, for nothing better of its class lias been done in New Zealand. Miss Watts-Phillips, as usual. scored a triumph, and unquestionably her Mrs Hunter Chase is as fine a piece of comedy character acting as one could hope to see in any part of the world. Miss Watts-Phillips is perhaps the best and most finished comedy actress we have at present in the colonies, and her impersonation of this cleverly-con-ceived character is worthy of her reputation in this respect. That “Mistakes Will Happen” will draw huge audiences for just as long as the very astute management keep it on the boards there can be little doubt. _

The paaaion for melodrunia in Auckland, always strong, rose to an unprecedented height in Auckland on Boxing Night, when that clever actress and manager, Miss Fitzmauriee Gill, produced a highly exciting play, yclept “The Bank of England,” which kept one of the vastest audiences ever gathered into the Opera House hugely interested for upwards of three hours. The situations in the melodrama are novel, and are neither more nor less improbable or ultrasensational than one is accustomed to in this always and deservedly popular form of entertainment. After all, why should one go to the theatre fo v probabilities? One gets a surfeit of that outside, and it is often overlooked that the unprobabilities of melodrama are never greater than those of farce. There is plenty of opportunity for forceful acting in “The Bank of England,” and the leading members of Miss Gill’s company take lull advantage of it. The Sherlock Holmes of Mr. Blake is an excellent piece of work, and Miss Gill herself, cs an expansive and explosive American lady, has not been seen to greater advantage. The plot of the melodrama is original in many of its ideas, and it has an abundance of good and telling situations. Theatre-goers in Auckland and elsewhere—for the company go South after Auckland—who are fond of stirring melodrama, will find “The Bank of England” very much to their taste. An interesting experiment in the direction of fostering and furthering a taste for Shakespeare, and the highest class of modern drama, is to be inaugurated in Auckland on January 13th at the Federal Hall. Mr Kaber Harrison, of the Haymarket, Theatre, London, with Miss Faith Garnett, another well-known London and provincial performer, will give a series of recitals from “Romeo and Juliet,” “King John,” “Hamlet,” “Julius Caesar,” and also from such masterpieces of modern drama as “The Hunchback” and the more recent but still brilliant “Pair of Spectacles.” They will be assisted by Miss Large, a songstress of repute, who, it will be remembered, sang in Auckland during the Exhibition. Mr Harold Large, for years with Mr Benson's famous Shakespearian Company, as manager, is in Auckland arranging preliminaries. It may be said at once, and with all emphasis, that the concerts given by the Slapoflski Concert Company will prove amongst the most enjoyable of any highclass musical entertainments that have ever visited this colony. Madame “Slap,” if one may give her the familiar Short name by which she is known wherever the Grand Opera Co. appeared in New Zealand is too well-known to music lovers to need any praise from this or any other journal. It may be. said, however, that Madame is in magnificent voice, and is as successful on the concert platform as she was on the operatic stage. So what can one say more save that the first concert of the tour given in Auckland on Christmas night proved that Madame has brought with her a company of remarkable excellence. There is really no spot that one can point out as weak, there is no “tail” as they say in cricket, and the principals are of quite exceptional merit. The performances on the Stroh violin, a- picture of which appears in another part of this issue were certainly a feature of the first concert, and will be eagerly looked forward to in future. Mr Stevenson is a player of marked ability, and it was amply and incontestably proved by him that the “Stroh” is no mere freak in the manufacture of musical instruments, but of an orchestral value, hard to over-estimate. A picture and short description of the instrument appears elsewhere, and ft may safely be said that the Stroh violin is destined to take a leading position both for solos and orchestras. The resonance and volume of sound produced are extraordinary, and the richness of tone is more that of a ’cello than a violin.

Fitzgerald’s Circus is doing exeecdingly big business in Dunedin, where it remain* over the New Year holidays. The big show arrives in Wellington about the end of .January, and then works gradually, and one need scarcely add, profitably northwards, to Auckland, where the children are already beginning to talk of it as one of the last bust best treats of the long summer holidays. There has been a big run on beautiful ladies, and stalwart supers for the holiday weeks productions in Dunedin. The following ‘‘ads” were in one issue of the “Otago Daily Times’’:—Ten young ladies and ten gentlemen wanted for Mr. J. G. Williginson’s forthcoming dramatic season. Fitzgerald, Bros.* Circus.—Wanted, ten tall, handsome young ladies, for ring doors. Wanted 100 young ladies and gentlemen for Cinderella pantomime. “Pasquin” ungallantly doubts if Dunedin could cope with this demand. One of the member of the Daniel Frawley American Dramatic Company which toured New Zealand is responsible for the following contribution to the “San Francisco Dramatic Review” of November 7:—“The Frawley Company, after giving Sydney playgoers a glimpse of Arizona, Mizzoura and Paradise, has gone to Queensland. Some critics object to the ‘American twang’ where English gentlemen, as in ‘Brother Officers’ are represented. It is difficult to see, however, how the situation could be improved by substituting the mongrel cockney accent and twang of the colonies, which prevails on both sides of the footlights. and chills the marrow of every well-bred American when he finds himself in the company of equally well-bred but lamentably un-English Australians.” From “genial George” Tallis comes a packet of Ada Crossley post cards, with compliments for the season. The season able wishes are reciprocated, both to Mr Tallis and Mr Willamson and all the members of his advance and business staff. They make the duties of the press both agreeable and interesting, and are ever courteous in the way of information. One wonders, by the way. what Tallis’ nickname would have beer, had his Christian name been anything but George. “Genial George” is alliterative, and trips as easily off the pencil as from the tongue, and it fits the man to a marvel, but had his name been Ebenezer, or Theophilus, or even Ethelbert, what Would one have dubbed him? Doubtless the name might have killed the geniality, for names have more to do than we wot of with success in life; but somehow one imagines th spontaneity and charm of Tallis’ manner, his absence of over-effu-sion—the curse of so many of his profession —would have triumphed over even Ebenezer; but he would have had to go without an adjective, complimentary or otherwise. Allan Hamilton is another charming personality, to whom one’s thoughts turn very naturally at this season, for it has been at Christmas or thereabouts when one has usually come across him with the Broughs. It seemed strange this year to meet him in other company, for it seemed as if Brough, with his quick, nervous utterance and slight characteristic

twitch of feature, must be somewhere nl»out, and presently walk into the office, while that most incomparable servant of liis. Mr. Hards, who took so magnificently the serxants’ parts for many years, brought in the iced soda. Well, Brough is gone, and Hamilton is piloting comic opera. it seems incongruous to uu of the older generation of play-goers and play critics, but Hamilton finds it all right evidently, for he grows no thinner on it. And yet, and yet, one would like to see him on the rounds with our old friends again. Brough, Dot Boucicault, Anson, Tithcridge, Ward, Miss Romer, Emma Temple, Brenda Gibson, Miss Noble —what memories do they not recall, and shall we ever see such a comedy company again rs the “B. and B.” was at its best, before troubles, disunions ami other secessions followed? k fear not: life runs on apace, and T fear not. Nor, when recalling the advance guard, at this season, must one forget little Gris Simonsin, faitbfullest of henchmen, to Bland Holt, and urbane Harry Ashton. Who. having known the keen bespectacled eyes and keen humour of “Gris,” or the maculate get up and fragrant cigar of Ashton, could leave them out ? May both have a full measure <»f success, likewise. Joe St. Clair, not to men tion the booming Barnes, who is. however, never likely to be forgotten in New’ Zealand, since lie is never long away, ami is always busily to the front wherever he may be. THE BREAD-BASKET COMEDY. Two men -one a well-known artist, and the other a critic who is celebrated for his seriousness—were discussing J. M. Barrie's enormously successful Londun comedy “Little Mary” between the acts. “It’s a jolly embarrassing subject,” said the artist- “Yes,” agreed o-rnnarfry rmfrlvolmir'. critic: aJ. M-Barrie-sing subject.” Tbis Little pun from so sober a source meant a great deal—not as a pun. but a sign. It showed how quickly and how thorough ly the writer of the “bread-basket” comedy had won his audience over fn liis own larky mood. At any other time and under any other circumstances the critic would have scorned to play about with a name- But so far from scorning to commit the offence, he didn’t even blush to do it. Hr had completely caught the joking spirit of the author of the new name for stuinach —“Little Mary”—and there was no stopping him- Asked by his friend if he intended to have a smack at “Little Mary,” he at once answered twinklingly, “Dear me. no! That would be hitting below the belt!” The play had left him in a perfectly light ami irresponsible humour, and all the men and women around him were the same. They had had a joke sprung upon them by a serious author—not a mere comic writer— and they were elated at his condescension. And they were agreeably surprised, too. like the people in the famous Bab Ballad who cried, in enthusiastic acknowledgment of a notable achievement, “A tune fra’ the bagpipes! Beat that if ye can! Hurrah for Clonglocketty Angus Me < la n! ” ,