MUSIC AND DRAMA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9, 4 March 1905, Page 23

MUSIC AND DRAMA.

I ho Auckland Choral Society are busy rchear-diig “The Martyr of Antioch’ for their next conceit. Much eniln.isiij.sm is being .shown by the performers, who greatly enjoy the music. There «s ahsohilely nothing new to report with regard to drama in this colony. All present an t coming fe-t--tiires have formed the subject of former paragraphs, and no fresh developments have taken place. Lady Bancroft celebrated her birthday last month. It is for-y-eight years and three months since the capHvaHng .Alarm Wilton made her first bow to a London audience. She \v:n married to Sir Squire , then Mr, Bancroft. a year Inter. Their qiiaiutly-writ-ten, interesting book of rciniuisccuces was published in 1888. Blandolt’s comedy part in “The Best of l-riends’* has been specially manufactured for him, like the majority of other parts he has been seen in. In ’the original London production I he greater part nf his business was done by Airs John Wwd (who played th? fat woman of th? circus). Bland has killed the fat woman and stolen her fat part, and makes it one of the finest comedy parts h? hna ever taken. Air Welkin Mills, th? great English lasso, is Lo revisit this colony in a. month or two, and Mr W. Spencer Jones was to ’eave San Francisco to-day in the Sentura for Auckland to make the arrangement s. Mr Al ills’ party is a quartette of voices Miss Edith Kirkwood (soprano), Miss Gertrude Lonsdale (<*oll traltul, Mr Harold Wilde (tenor) and Mr Walk in Mills (basso). AL Parlovitz will be the accompanist, and Mr V.'. Spencer Jones will be manager. Jack Ralston, erstwhile of Pollard’s, made an amusing slip in the dialogue of “lolanthe” on the opening night of the piece at Sydney. He was talking of Phyllis’ many lovers, and said, “Why do 25 lords come here every spring to fish in the forest and shoot in the brook?” He tried hard to cover up his mistake, but the gallery saw it, and roared, and Ralston and Dolly Castles had to walk to the back of the stage to laugh a smothered laugh. A curious incident recently occurred in connection with the pantomime of “Little Red Riding Hood,” at the Grand Theatre, Darby. A little brown terrier conceived a great admiration for the pantomime, and insisted on coming to see it nightly. He managed to elude the vigilance of I ho doorkeepers, and got in regularly, only to he ejected when discovered. One day last week it. appeared iu the galicrj and joined in one

of the choruses. The whole slaff pursued it. hut to i?o purpose, and at the conclusion of 4 It.-* performance ihe dog quietly went out with the other members of iiio aiitiicucc. Wluu nr.y high digni ary r>f L.r < iiur.h of Liigiao.l refers a! all io ihe variety v. arl !, ii m? ; y plume itsell' o : the lai-j, but Dean Pigou, of Bristol - a broad-miiidud and kindly clevis lias done much more than t : i-. Hu referred in Ids sermon on Nev. Year’< Day at Brislot cathedra! Io the k ssr-; sustained by ihe .age. mrr.i io.-ing among clhris Mr ( Mules Mcrto:i, Mr John I';)! I: ug.-s he a jI, am! Miss XetHeFarrcn. He eum-l tided hi* remark-* with a paMog.vrie of ihe l::mn.:<d Dau Leno, in whom he said was exempli lied a wonderful instance of remarknb’e power, given to (me intiividual lo brighten th? live* of Hmucuiof oi hers. Air Bohrrl. Brough and Mr Herbert I*lemming a?k the London “Kra ’ to state that Mr George S. Th he radge has no! been engaged by them for their forthcoming Vntralian tour. Much as they would hive liked to have secured that clever artist, their presen I. scheme of plays does not ohm- any adequate opening for Mr h • beradgi*. whose London engagement would also preclude the possibility of his accepting any offer that might have been mad? io him. Negotiations are, however, panding which, if brougb.t to a successful issue, will enable Australian play goers to renew their aequaintan e v, ilh their old favourite under Messrs Brough and Flcmiumg’s management. Aline. Adelina. Patti gave a conceit at St. Petersburg last 7 month for the limicCd of the Red Cross Society, under the auspices of Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna. Thn concert was a briliiant success, netting over .£74Ud. Seats sold at fabulous prices. 'I he Czar, members of the linpc-rhd Family, and all the wealth and rank of Ihe Russian capital worn present. The diplomatic corps was represented by Mr Spencer Eddy, the American Charge d’AHairs. Patti received a wonderful ovation, ami at the conelusicii of t.’ue concert announced thait that was her final farewell to the coneert stage, adding that, as her first success was achieved in St. Petersburg, it was lilting that Mie should close her public career there. A painful incident was witnessed recently in the Rotunda Theatre, Liverpool. A young man named Alfred Williams, of Huiiibor-street. was seated in Hie pit enjoying the pantomime ‘‘Aladdin,” when suddenly, pointing lo one of the artistes on the stage, he exclaimed to iiia mother-in-law, who sat

besM? him, “Why, Hint’s my wife,” and fell t<» the floor unconscious. The man was carried into Ihe of the llicalr?, and medical aid was sought, hut he soon expired. He had previously suffered from heart disease. At the

(■quest it transpired that the deceased had made a mistake. One of the ladies of the ballet bore a strong resemblance to bis wife, who now came forward and declared that she had never been on the stage.

Concerning "The Broken Melody,” which comes to New Zealand shortly, the "Bulletin” critic remarks: “A curiosity in theatrical entertainment, the performance has, moreover, a certain magnetic power. For all purposes of effect (Van Biene is an impressive actor. His strange appearance and foreign accent come natural to the character. He realises the popular notion of a musical genius. In delivering his stereotyped lines his strong Jewish voice has the true ring of passion and path&s. The audience took Van Biene seriously even when they laughed at the mechanical Russian agent who was trying to act up to him in a quarrel scene. "To-mor-row 1 will kill you.” said Van, and he ought to have killed the gentleman for bis acting. Other people are satisfactory. Miss Marie Rignold, as the Duchess, tall and mellow-toiied, is every inch the daughter of her late father. Hie niece of Uncle George, and the sister of Dora Rignold.”

Mrs Brown Potter was one of the guests at a large party at the Savoy Restaurant on New’ Year’s Eve. It included the Sultan of Johore, the Earl of Kimberley, the Earl of Kilmorey, Lord Crichton. Lord Dalmeny, I.ord DaJhousio, the Due De la Rouehefoucauld, Lord R. Innes-Ker, Sir Thomas Lipton, Baron and Baroness De Clay, the Due and Duchess Briune, Lord Brackley, Lord Kintore, Count and Countess Szapary, and the Marquis Spillallo.' As midnight came on the picture of a huge clock face, with the big hands moving slowly towards 12 o’clock, was thrown on a screen, and ■when the hour had struck all rose and sang “Auld Lang Syne.” Mrs Brown Potter, attired in silver-grey velvet and bearing in her hand a large silver tray, anade her appearance at the head of the crimson-carpeted stairs leading to the hall. By her side was a small table on which were large cards conveying the New Year’s greeting, and bearing the words, ‘’Remember the starving men, women and children of Tottenham.” Mrs Brown Potter then eaid: ”1 have been requested to ask you to drop a few pennies in this plate ns you pass out for the starving men, women, and children of Tottenham. It will bring you good luck in the New Year.” The first man to pass up the staircase put three pence, in the plate, and underneath the third penny was a sovereign. When the Savoy Restaurnit was empty. £53 2/3 had been collected for the "Daily Express” food fund. ~