MUSIC AND DRAMA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIII, Issue XVII, 22 October 1904, Page 24

MUSIC AND DRAMA.

Owing to the fact that the “Graphic 1 ” went to press on Monday evening last instead of on Tuesday (the cause being Labour Day complications), it was not possible to notice the Amateur performance of ••'Sweet Lavender” in Auckland in last week's issue, and as the affair is now over criticism at length would lx*, flat, stalo and unprofitable. The show was a very creditable one on the whole. Those who went to see and laugh at a fiasco were deservedly disappointed. “I .wont to laugh and remained to yawn,” observed one <dd playgoer wittily but rather unjustly. Air. A. Eaglet on was really excellent in the difficult role of Dick Phenyl. lie bad devoted an immensity of work into the part, and his impersonation was highly creditable and interesting. Miss (iladyf; Leigh was excellent as Mrs. Giliillan. Miss Winifred Smith fair as Ruth, and .Miss (‘lance Campbell painstaking as Lavender (a part in which nobody but. Miss Norreys has ever really succeeded) ; and the other parts Avert* well filled, that veteran amateur player, Mr. T. Gresham, taking the part of Wedderburn, and importing thereto all that facial play of which the Auckland Coroner is .so fond.

Apropos of the above, amateur theatricals. which many “Graphic” readers have doubtless perpetrated some time in the ♦lays of their adolescence, are regarded by the majority as one of the innocent follies, or, rather. perhaps, the pleasurable prerogatives of youth, and most of us. after passing a certain ago. -would no more dream of continuing the pranks, the posing* and the posturings of our early •lays t han wo would think of returning io a game of "dressing up” that greatest delight of one's childhood. This is not, however, the opinion of all. though, to be sure, it is not often we find a man so well advanced in years as Air. T. Gresham, and occupying such a position as he does as Coroner of Auckland, still dauntless in persistent endeavour to win fame as an amateur actor. Not that Mr. Gresham

"Jags superfluous” upon the stage. Despite his age he is more enthusiastic in the hobby than many a youngster in the.

twenties, and is always ready and willing to give his services to amateur entertainments The veteran, who must cosily be ‘■doyen" of amateur actors in the colonies, has played many roles in his time. He has been seen in farce, in comic opera, in •comedy and tragedy, and his imimrsonations are usually remembered. Given even a chance in pantomime he would probably exeel, but his predilection is towards melodrama; he wants to “innke your flesh creep” as did the immortal fat boy in Pickwick, and with this intent staged that good old-fash-iened hair-raiser, ‘‘Ticket of Leave Alan”, some time Lack. Few who saw his impersonation of Melter Moss, will forget -Mr Gresham in the flare.

What the management claims to ba the strongest combination which Mr Harry Rieka.rds has ever sent through the four chief centres of New Zealand will commence a tour at His Majesty’s Theatre, Auckland, on Saturday, October 22. for a season in the Northern capital of eight nights only. The principal attraction will be the firslappearance in New Zealand of Madame -Marzella, with her wonderfully trained collection of birds, comprising eagles, ravens, cockatoos, pigeons, macaws, etc. Madame Marzelia has caused a great: sensation in the principal cities of Europe and America, where press and public alike were, enthusiastic in their praise. The acts performed by the birds have never been excelled by human acrobats. Madnnc Marzella has just arrived in Auckland direct from San Francisco per B.M.s. Sonoma, under a brief engagement to Mr Harry Rickards. Mr Mill Van Allen, "the Mns’cal Train])," comes to New Zealand with the highest credentials. As a performer on every conee’vable instrument Mr Van Allen is stated to have no superior. Miss May ’Moore Duprez. who is described as "the Jolly Dutch Girl,” is said to be one <jf the most, popular successes as a comedienne and dancer that ever came to Australia. Mr J. W. Winton and bis fr ond ‘‘McGinty,” of ventriloquial fame, will make a welcome reappearance in the colony. Since last touring New Zealand, Mr Winton has visited the <>hl t'ountiy, where the latest and most up-todste novelties have been secured. Miss Maud Beatty, the popular New Zealand operatic and burlesque artiste, w : i] vi-it New Zealand after an absence of three years. During her stay in London Miss Maud Beatty was specially engaged as principal boy at Drury Lane pantomine. One of the most interesting items oa the programme will be the very latest series

of animated pictures, showing "Canadian Salmon-fishing,” "A Trip up the River Thames,” "Daring Daylight Burglary and Police Capture.” etc. These wore seemed from the Palace Theatre. London, during Mr Rickards’ last visit to the Old Country. Among the old favourites will lie found Miss Maud Fanning, in the brilliant dramatic seena, “J May be Crazy." rendered famous in England by Air Eugene Stratton, by whose permission it is now produced in Australasian by Mr Rickards. Air Jim Bell, Aliss Ada Delroy. Miss Maggie Fraser, Mr Arthur Fl ioi t, Air Edward Ford, the Smith Sisters, Air George Bentley ami a number of other artists will also appear. The following towns

only w : H be vVited: —Opera House, Wellington, November 5 to 15; Canterbury Hall, Christ chores, November 17 to 24; His Majesty's Theatre, Dunedin, November 26 to December 3.

The Bio-tablean, or glorified Bioscope, which Mr J. C. Williamson shortly sends to New Zealand, is, one hears, unquestionably the finest affair of its sort in the world. According to the Adelaide "Critic” the star attraction is the collection of Rnsso-Jap. war films, but these fade away into insignificance when compared with the pictures of the t'niver-al Winter Sports and the fine films illustrative of the Toronto fire. The Toronto fire films are really fine, und it. is quite certain that no pictures more in-tractive and interesting than those illustrating the ice sports have been seen in the colonies. The Gordon-B?nnctt motor race eaters for another section of the audience. In the "fake" pictures, such as the Convict’s Escape from Da if n oor. the show is strong, anil those respon-ible for the films evidently secured artists of the highest talent to net whilst- the machine was doing its work. A domestic drama in seven acts, entitle I "Driven from Home,” is given with splendid melodramatic effect, mid the sight of tie small eheeild silently attempting to pawn her doll to buy food for her pjverty-strieken mother is certainly more pathetic than the same thing would l;c in an ordinary melodrama. The Bioscope, shows some remarkable character studies of London street hawkers, and after a picture, entitled “A Day in the Country-’’ is exhibited. the audience becomes cathusi’.stie. In this film a tramp humourist upsets two girls and a 'bide off a form, and the result looks like a mutosrepr show that has bicn prohibited bv the AV.C.T.U.

Miss Nell e Stewart, after her trip to England, returned, to the Australian stage on the Sth iasf., when she appeared at Melbourne in "Pretty Peggy,” which, with that passion for specialisation affected by playwrights, is classed as n costume comedy drama. It deals with an incident in the life of Peg. Woffington, antecedent to the Masks and Faces period. Miss Stewart is supported by a company which includes Mr Harcourt Beatty. Mrs Micsmere Alonis, Misses Nannie Bennet <. Willard. Singleton and Davenport, and Messrs Malcolm Dunn, D. Clinton, IL Parker and J. Izndsay. Apropos of the return of this Australian ■favourite. the "Bulletin” remarks:—"An atmosphere of unrealism pervades the story. The leading characters carry interesting names and floridly de orat vo costumes, ami some of them are armed with tall walk-ing-sticks, but they don’t appear to be living in any time save the present, or to be taking part in anything but. a stage-play. One is reminded of Bunthorne, tapping his pall’d brow and crying, ‘Hollow! hollow! hollow.’ The first scene of ‘Pretty Peggy’ professes io represent a circus haoih in Dublin, 150 years ago. Sometimes the inexplicable booth is full of ‘motley gatherers’ who arrive with a rush and commit fitful bursts of unnatural animation: at other times, it is a quite meeting-place for lovers. Peggy Woffington enters the booth on a donkey, obviously for the sake of stage effect. She isn’t sup-

posed to be doing a cireus turn. Look* iug at the mumm Wothagton, seated oa the donkey and followed by a crowd of wildly enthusiastic supers, yoa are confronted by the fact that she is really the leading lady of Musgrove’s Dramatic Co., making a new form of first appearance after h«r retina from Europe. Subsequently, David Garrick offers Peggy a Irnndon theatrical engagement. It is an unexpectwl offer, but as soon us it is made somebodycrowns I’cggy with a rose-wreath, and the lunatic supers rush in wish garlands nowers and a hau l-cart, and wheel the smilmg heroine triumphantly away. Peggy’s alleged love for Garrick and jealousy of the other woman are as void of human interest as the donkey and the triumphant hand-cart. The play carries no conviction with it. It is Andersonian melodrama boiled in rosewater, and served with powder and patches.” ...

"Bill Sykes ami Nancy." a one-act adaptation from Dickens’ "Oliver Twist, ' is being played as “a sketch in a variety < nte.rtainment iu laverpooi. The incident of the murder of Nancy was used in a twenty-minutes’ ‘'curtain-raiser.” The act was taken with only slight changes from the novel. Noah (’'laypole watches Nancy during her interview with Mr Brownlow and Bose Maylie, and reports the affair to Fagin, who in turn carries the tale to Sykes. The notorious burglar, convinced that his panions, kills her, the brutal erime being enacted in full view of the audience.