MUSIC AND DRAMA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIV, Issue 24, 17 June 1905, Page 22

MUSIC AND DRAMA.

<hi thi* Wedne*4ay and Thursday evening* “Camille” i* to be given. and >Hi* Rgss * Id play-goer* exportation is «u tip-ice to mtt how Mi** Stewart will jupaie with T ’« arti*t* of repute wh«. have the great part in the*e «ol< me*. “Music” writes to «s to say that a very old ami popular musician in Au«-k--)s< r.d is by an illness «»f ever ten week* placed in very *traightem<l eireumMan es. This is "Mr < has. Wand, who h;i* on numerous oevasions given his assistance to charities ami benefits. It i* now the «x-e3sion to give him some assistance in return. Mr A. Eady will l« pleased to a* kn>»wledge any lu’ien <r other assistance. NUda r.’.c M* ■. received a benefit of a remarkable nature at the Metrepuhtan < *j* ra House. New York. recently, when Mr*. Patrick Campbell. Miss Ada Rehan. Madame F.h.c Ru**eU ami M. Vladimir «*e Fachmanr. were ai, **ng th#- contributor* to the performance, while Mi** Loftus *oid \ .it exorbitant price* in the lobi-ir*. Before the bvx-«><fice* opened «’\er ad ern received. Mr. l*a*ierewsku who was among the first t«* offer hi* *erxi,-»-*. *eut a sympathetic letter declaring himself IwreaveJ and humiliated by his inability to attend. From V -• find _ _ - - er as a piani-t.

Mr XV. <. Gilbert |<oved himself om-e again a Solomon in judgment at the Edgware Court. London, when a chauffeur. charged with travelling at excessive -peexi. pleaded he was not aware lie was driving at 2t* miles an hour. “If the driver of a motor-car.” said Mr Gilbert. “does not know the difference l«e--tween going at ill and 2t» miles au hour, he is not justified in being a driver.” The defendant was fined 4<» and costs. The grave of the late Ihtn I>euo. the Kings Jester, in Lambeth Cemetery, Tooting, is now marked by a handsome monument. It i* in the form of a white marble cross.- entwined with ivy. ami I •ear- the following i>t*criptiou: “In loving memory of my dear ltir<hand. George Galvin. *Dan Leno.’ who fell asleep < Vt«*ber 31. HMM. aged 43. Here dtcjs the King of laughter Makers. Sleep well, dear heart, until the King of tilery awakens thee.” The Auckland Shakespeare Society will give their reading «-f the present *ea'“»n on Thursday evening. ±2nd instant, when “Othello’' will Ik prr-sented by a carefully *e>vtcd ca*t. Mr. -I. M. Clark, of Welling*, n. will a'**i'*t the >O- - «>n this occasion, and will read the Among others taking part will l»e Mr. McVeagh i“lago . Mr. Jellie “la—ia" . Mr. Singer rig**" '. Mis-* Bruce “Emilia”-, Mr*. Kckwick “IXpsdamona” •. “Blind Man's Buff” Isas proved more to the ta**te of Aucklanders than “I‘nHtty which, though a pretty play, has little stability in it. Its fir*t scent' is frankly ludicrou*. and absrud. and it is really only Mis* ''tewart herself who redeems the other* from conimonplacelu "Blind Man's Ruff” we have a g*M*d wholr*ome play, with striking dramatie point*, of which Mi** Stewart takes the fusle*t advantage. The fir*r art i* perhap* a little spun out. but thereafter inlt nr*i hol'd* the audience ab*oriM<i to end. <hi Friday a double bill w ill l*e pre-cut-ed at His Majesty*?. Theatre. Auckland, wlv-ii Mis* Stewart ami her company will produce “Op o’ Me Thumb.” and “Tire Marquis of Trtville.” The ?’«>rmer play is a London success. purvha*cd by Mr. Mu*grove at the height of it* popularity. “Hie Manpii* «»f Treville” has nev. r yet been played on any *tage. That shrewd and capable judge of play*, the late Mr. Charles. Asuold. *ubmittej it to Mis* Stewart al t’.e author’* re«|urst. Very great curiosity «.nd inter*-*! n. rurally surround th? producti« n. Kleacbna” i* a '“‘safe * *- *ays the L«nd«-n “Era." It combines all the strong, dose construction, and tense -ensatiotialfcsiu - f a melodrama with the deep human intere*t « f a ?m*iern ~*oeial rvg»reraii< n” play. The unmn i* irre*E*:ib?e. At the end of the fourth act you <vukl have alm«**t heard a pin drop. Cynical •theori*t*. scornful of mere melodrama. held, their breath for a while: ami even the rank* of Tuscany—that i* to *ay. the jaded, hack fir*t-nighier*. in whose breast* every spark of enthu*ia*iu - - to cheer. As f- r rise 1- -»u";ir parts of the house, they shouted at the conclusion till they must have been almost hoarse, and remained for mam getting curt Air up again an * again on the three leading artists, and gonq? home reIv ‘K. at r>4 having seen th* author. The play-going public will very soon be given the opportunity of seeing the much-talked-of Hill-Birch roi?ii opera. “A M<«<ri*h Maid.” The premiere is fixed fir -I i> 2il. and the season -.till ’«»** for *ix night*. 1 hear m«»*t f;.voural4t accounts from weli-iiiforiirted quarter* • f the way in which the new work is developing at rehearsal. The cast <»f princspal* alone *h«»ttld go a long way to in*p : ring onfi •n-c in rhe result of rhe production. Madame Ulian Tree «ba«-kcd by an op»ratir career a! Covent Garden. L»ndon». Fred H. Graham <a grote-wjue comedian, as well-known here as in Au*tialia and Loudon). Mr Archdale Tayler tour ni l friend of the amateur opera days).

Mis*es Marion Mitchell and Sissie Sandford. Lucie Ebrenfried, Mr M. Hamilton Hodges, and Mr H. B. Coney —the*e constitute, surely, as strong a cast of |<iiici|<al* as the colony could well )<oduce. A striking feature in “A Moorish Maid” will lie the introduction into the l-eginuing of the *e» • nd act of a M«kntish «arpct *?ance. pas *eul by Miss Rose lx'nn a rd and au auxiliary pas de deux by Mi**c* Clarke. This dance, which has the acconijmiiiment in Mix-hestra ami chorus of. a remarkable Arabic musical number, has been taught by Mr* Mateohnscm Boult, who has the stage direst ion of the opera. It i< said of it that it gives that peculiar Oriental atmosphere to the work that is so suitable to it. other features 1 hear spoken of as very likely to catch on are a double sextet, a topical trio by the two comeelians and soubrette. and. amongst others, a musical sketch written for Mr Graham and Miss Uissie Mr Birch's lyric* by no means su«p at the humorous kind, there being several of a ight sentimental type. As for Alfred Hill's music. 1 am told that for variety and *weet melody he has net er excelled it. Throughout not only Auckland, but the whole colony. “A M* j <»rish Maid” is being awaited with quite remarkable interest. Mr. Bea Greet, win* ■* at pre*ent engages! in a *erie* off Shakespearean revival* in Americ*. has been offered the Chair «»f Dramatic Literature in the Vniver*ity of California. This is probably the fir*i time that an actor Iras bee?2 aired in thi* |«anicular way in America. It is not an infrequent thing for prominent player* to !<■ called u|>on to addre** clas*e* at • e great universities, and I* th in America and England the » :*-.» m • f inviting member* of the theatrical profession to lecture ugwni llie drama lia* long been a part of the programme* of the leading institution* of learning. Sir Henry Irving fir*i delivered hi* famou* lecture on “The An of Acting” to the *tudeui* of Harvard in LSh5. and he ha* l*een heard on various occa*i«»n* in other American colleges. Mr. Greet i* generally recognised as an authority * n early an.? Elizabethan drama, and when hi* company was in California the university people insisted upon a return appearance of himself and meinler* at the university theatre. In all lie was three months on the Western coast. The Uriterhm Sydney was packed in every |«arl when Mr. George Stephenson's brilliant jnusieal comedy c«.'-m|tany appeared in “Bi'l Adan:*.'' or ”TTw Bloke \\\< XX'ou Waterloo"—a musical and ter|»*ichorial extravaganza of the most I*-pillar order. Mr. Edward Lauri. as Rill, eauxsl -brick* of merriment. May Beatty Marg**t looked good enough to eat a* Bingo Barr. Miss Roland Wan*-Phillip* wa* a strong pillar of power; while Cliaries McNaughton was cxee-sesn a* Major Brussels Sproul*. Arthur Lissant. Harold Reeves. W. ami CB*oi*. R«y spiiw-y ami Sutton fillet! the various parts ably: and May Garstang and Alice Nixon did good work. In his **>ngs. “I Am Mr. William Adams” and “The Fighting Thinga-my-bobs.” and dances.- Lauri was grote*<piely funny. Mi** Ib-atty ha* n«* les.* than six chances to air her splendid voice and style: both airi*t* being repeatedly recalled. Miss (Garstang was immense in her s*«:?g*. “H« ::ev.»rn'' and “Honeysuckle Island.’ “Rill A«!am*." whether be won the battle • f Waterloo . r nor certainly won Sydney outwork*, ramparts and citadel. It was an unconditional surrender! “Bill Adam* ' o-me* to New Zealand an* n. The Mi** R- *e Yates. who*e portrait on i*«gv- two » f thi* i**ue under the mistaken liile of Mis* Maud Yale*, i* a daughter of Mr. R. Y’ai*-*. one of the “old lin\-” niu*ician* of the e»»lony. 31 r. Yale* i* a mo-i admirable violinist, and ha- proved a m*M valuable meinl«er oi •••al orchestra-* for many year* j«a*t. having taken the important position of leader •«! l*oth fir*t and *crond violins in — .* * of the Ha«M notable concrrt'* and • -;<-rotir performances giyn in Auckland. He ha* a genuine love of music, and i* perhap* a* shrewd a judge « f or<bestial work a*' could n*»w-aslay* be An -Ider *i*t»-r of Mi—wirn»r •>( the Trinity College Senior Exhibition . Mi** Ada Yale*, i- also very well kimwti in inu-ical circles. b*»th a teacher, pianoforte soloist, and an « able a*con:pani*t. In the l<»liMy days of Auckland Amateur Opera Uluh. Mi** Y'ate-* invariably acted a- aceompanHl. and in that capacity brought an amount of enthusiasm and

hard work to bear, am! a gosd nature jnd temper uuder difficultie*. which earned th- hearty goodwill and respect of all brought into contact with her, and contributed not a little to the many *uece— *cvr»d by the club years ag<'. Miss R-se Yate*. who was taught entirely by lier *i*ter. i* evidently endowed with the -family talent for music. and her early suece— as recorded on page will bring many congratulation* and good wishes for further advancement.