MUSIC AND DRAMA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXV, Issue 9, 2 September 1905, Page 21

MUSIC AND DRAMA.

Mr Percy Denton’s second ‘'.Monday Pop’’ takes place at. the ( limal Hall. Auckland, on September 4th. A good programme is promised. -J* Contrary to the opinion of Melbourne playgoers, who voted for “Tom Moore,” Sydneysiders fixed on ’’Jack Shannon” as the best of Mr Andrew Mack’s repertoire— that is, if box office receipts go for anything. Dining its run matinee audiences were very nearly as numerous as evening ones. Mr Mack finishes bis Australian tour with a visit to Brisbane. c.* * The long illness of Miss Rose Musgrove is not yet over, though 11n* patient has reached the convalescent stage and is now regaining her health and strength in the Blur Mountains, N.S.W. But recovery is a slow process with her. and playgoers will not have the opportunity of welcoming her back to the stage for some time yet. A comic picture post-card, representing an infant on the verge of convulsion, reaches us from George Baines, and announces that "The J.P..” from the Gaiety Theatre, London, is "a howling success.” “The J.P.” presides for the first time on September 0 in Melbourne, and visits New Zealand in due course. The Black family of musicians, who went to Fiji six weeks ago for a holiday, returned by the Taviuni last week. They gave professional performances at Suva, Levtika. and in other parts of the

islands, having the patronage of the Governor and his suite, the Ministry, and other influential people there. Miss Nellie Black’s fun* voire ami artistic singing secured her a warm we'come every where. A pretentions Melbourne theatrical publication prints an interview with George Fri< nd. of Nance (BNeil’s company, in which an expectant continent is informed that "that popular ami promising young actor” is “particularly fond of vegetable marrow, either baked or boiled." Uountry papers please copy. The same publication prints a fulllength portrait of .Miss Nance in modern evening dress with the legend. “Miss Nance O’Neil as Queen Elizabeth." Mr. Frederic Shipman, manager for Miss Jessie McLachlan, who is tin* leading Scottish soprano, arrived in New Zealand on Sunday to make arrangements for the tour of this colony. .Miss .McLachlan makes her first appraran-o in this colony on October I. and gives three or four concerts in His Majc-ix’s. Aliss McLachlan has had a phenomenally successful tour in Australia, where she was able to double the number of concerts she originally arranged to give. V** The staging of Theodora, with which Miss Tittell Brune opened ihr lasi week of her season in Auckland- and in which she repeated the triumphs scored in the south, certainly makes the old colonial playgoer wonder where the gorgeous extiavagance with which modern plays an* "put on" is going to end- I he sums which both .Messrs Williamson ami Musgrove spend on their modern product ion*, must be enormous, and there seems no disposition to call a hall. Theodora, which created much enthusiasm in Auckland as elsewhere, is certainly one of Miss Brunes x cry best dfort*. She is always al her best in deeply emotional i-eenes. and naturally she has ample >rope in Sandoii’s famous spectacular melotlrama. The New Zealand season of Miss Tittell Brum*, which has been so universallv successful, will conclude at Auckland on Saturday next (2nd September), and the company leave immodialely for Brisbane, where they commence on tin* 11th September. They arc al present, diligently rehearsing Surdoits ir.igedy of ”La Tosca.’’ which l hey w ill present for the first time there, ivseiving "Mere lv Mary Ann” for an early production in Sydney, probabh al the beginning of October. Mr J. ( . \\ illiamson has received advices that Miss Susie Vaughan and Mr Douglas Gerrard arc both on tin* Ormuz, which should be in Au-trilian waters next week. That “Sunday" is. after all. ti.e most pronounced "draw" of tin* I ittell Brum* Co.’s repertoire was again evi deuced in Auckland, where it not. only packed the theatre to overflowing for three nights, but has bad the honour of being chosen as the play in which I h<* popular actress is to s.i\ good bye to New Zealand audiences on Saturday night next. This revival means that both "Camille” and ' The Second Mrs Tanqneray” can only be played one night each in the Northern capital. Cm* former on Friday and the latter on Tinirs day. Rehearsals of "La Tosra" have been going on steadily. M:ss Brum* declares she has a great fancy for I In* part of Florin, and. indeed, it is one which should suit her methods very admirably. In “Fedora.” too. Miss Brum* would do well, one imagines. Miss Violet Mount, whose beautifullytrained soprano voice will be well remembered in Auckland, is to he tendered a complimentary farewell concert in Sydney on the 20th in-l. As in other places she has visited. Miss Mount Ims made herself exceedingly popular in Sydney during her residenec. and her send oil’ U to be something out of the

common, all the leading talent in tht place having given then services. After the comeit Mis.s Mount coming u< ro*s tn Auckland, when* she will give a concert, and then goes to Wellington, vvheie she will also perform. Leaving New Zealand, she goes across to Buenos

Ayres, Smith America, where her people • it* living, and after spending some time vith them -he goes mi to London. Next week Mi-- Mount is taking the principal part in a big performance of “The Bohemian Girl” with Mr I’jhvard Farley as “J)<?\ ilshoof.” One of the first and best of many Piercin’.-, in the ‘’Sign of the Cross’’ (Miss Irene Hooke) tells an amusing story of lit rn-nlly bringing down the house, when she was playing Mercia to Hie Marcus Siipcrhus of .Mr Charles Dalton. At the end of the scene representing a heathen orgie, when the Christian maiden is left alone with the niiregemi it <• Mar.iis, she attempts to escape by throwing lursclf against massive iron door at the hack of the stage. One night, when the theatre was crowded, the sernrrx was not in gdod order. Directly Mis- Hooke touched I hr “massive door.” they not only showed signs of Hying open, but tin* walls commenced tc shake. Iler weight was against them, but the wind under the canvas prevented them from falling quickly, so the side of the palate gently collapsed, with Mercia lying face downwards on lop of the ruins. Welling: onia ns are feeling proud of the success of the Trowel! boys, who are studying music in Germany. News has just come that Tom Trowed. 1 hr ’cellist, has greatly distinguislred himfcll by winning the first prize for ’cello playing at the Annual Concour of the Moyal Consrrvatorium nt Brus-rls. ’flic list of winner- for this competition include- -onic of the world’s most famous players, hut for several years’ past no award has been made. It is two years since tin* lads set oil' for Germany, in wliieh they were assisted by a fund Mibserjhed by tin* citizens of Wellington. who thus gave sub-taut ial proof <d their confidence. Their father (Air T row cl I ) is a well-known musician, to ■whose early training most of the lads’ success is line. Hr is to be heartily congratulated on their progress. “T.P.’s Weekly” tells a Patti story. Ftagim. a rival tenor to Patti’s first husband. Xieolini. packed the theatre at’ Barcelona in IXBS with persons paid to his- Xieolini and Patti. The performance was spoiled, and Patti threatened to leave tlie town next day. The astute manager asked a society friend for all the visiting cards left at his house. With the help of his secretary hr wrote under the titled names every Jkind of d<dicat<‘ message (the handwriting varied in every ease). “Bird, do not fly away.” “rhe scoundrels’ arc thev •leaf?” “To hiss Palli is to oll’end God.” **!t is enough to make one blush at being a SjMiiiard.” Thr>e were left at intervals during the day at the hotel of fhr. singer. Late in ii he afternoon the manager called, ostensibly to beg once more tor a change of derision. He was mcl by a radiant creature. “Mv dear, W<‘ stay, we stay.” * The prr-onal puff figured ludicrously In a c.i-e Wihi« h has just been disposed C) l 0,1 1 hr Continent. One Sunday the “Berlin, i Tagrldail’’ received a telegram, dated I'.rturt. giving an arrouni of the first performance of ‘-The Iron Grown.” a play I »y Heir von Hohrllitz. 'the telegram. whi.h bore the signature of the papers regular corn.•-pendent at Erfurt, was in-crled. A lew days later, however. the corre-poiident wrote to s,i \ that the telegram was a forgery. An inquiry was instituted, ami i was di-co\<re’l that the sender <>l (he telegram was an a.tor who had assumed a part in the pie. <\ .iml in eulogising the players had paid particular attention to liim-<df. The correspondent took action again-i the Actor lor forgery. hut the t'ourr informed him.that his plaint was not admissible, as. although the telegram was falsely signed, it wa- only a cpic-ii >?» of an advertisement which did n» harm to anybody. Two well known English theatrical magnates. Mr Martin Harvey and Mr (Aril Maude. have* given their views on the chatterer in the theatre. Mr Harvey writes: “The offensive and ill-bred habit is, alas, only too prrvalrnf; but if is one. which, save in rare rases, the net or has no remedy for. other than deliberately stopping hi- performance and railing attention to it and though I did this on one occasion, I tryst 1 mayr

not be tempted to do it again: Bnvrciuedy in that instance was mm," as worse than the complaint. The mafcvj ter really rests in the hands of the au- . diriire itself.” “W hen we find tlr talkers are annoying the audience,”*' says Mr Mauth*. "we always send someone t<» ask them to keep quiet, ami politely point out to them that they are causing a great deal of inconvenience and annoyance. 1 ran assure you that their chatter is often as disturbing to the adors and actresses as it is to the audience.’’ * Says the “Bulletin”: On the first night of “Walls of Jeriho,.” at Midbourne Princess’, the long wail bet ween the third and fourth acts wa- relieved by a roar of laughter from the amphi-t heat re, suggesting that somebody had done something funny. A pair of swc?l hearts were the uncon-.(ions per former-. They had seals in the front row. and their mutual admiration was specially marked, even for lovers at ill? play. For about four minutes the amphitheatre silently watched tin- worshippers as they drank to one another with their eyes, and thrilled their respective bungs with ha lid-squeezes and shoulder cmt acts. Finally the feeling- o| Adolphus com-' polled him to kiss the maiden, and Ihe shrieking audience demanded an encore. It is a curiosity in human nature this invariable ridiculing of real love scenes in the auditorium even by women who have come prepared to lake a serious view of stage-kisses. Feminine sentimentality has a sense of ridicule in witnessing any emotional display which isn't tricked out with theatrical pft'eets. ’l’he art of love-making is histrionic. There was a comedy interlude during an interval at a big Melbourne theatre one night a week op two back. The cdrcle was well attended, and a row' of five or six ladies, anxious }>robably to diaw popular attention to their Iresf frocks, affected to be highly amused over .something or somebody in another part of the house. Their laughter was spacious, and there was much fussing and Hurry and comparing of opinions amongst them, and over them that air of false and toothy merriment characteristic of the sex when it thinks it is giving a younger and nicer woman a bad lime. Suddenly a very stout, rather bare person. who was leading the eachination, jerked herself back from a paroxysm that had brought her well over the plu-h---colourcd rail, with something very like a scream. She mu Hied the lower Dart of her face hastily in a lace wrap, and her party st itl'ened as if stricken int o so many pillars of salt. But there was no hiding the terrible truth. The fat merrymaker had dropped her false teeth into the stalls, and the full set hung, in the sight of half a hundred people, glistening in the dark hair of an indignant young lady below. ..1 Mr Bernard Shaw has unburdened hiniselt ot tin* aims and ambitions of ‘‘Passion. Poison and Petri fact ion.” which was to he the great attraction <d the* theatrical garden party at Ihe Botanic- Gardens cm Friday afternoon in aid of the* Actors’ Orphanage Fund (says "Fra” of July S). “The* play.” says the gemial satirist, “contains many profound truths and vivid Hashes of characterisation louching lhe police and public- quest ion. Ihe medical profession, the marriage question, the* fashionable clolhes question, the craze for fine art. the ildhic'mc* of dramatic critics on modern plays, the probable character of lhe music sung in heaven, the land question in towns, the drink question, the mineral water question, the servant (piesticm. and the question of the first aid to Ihe poisoned. This is. of course, much less Ilian any’ usual allowance of subjects; but lhe limitation Io twelve minutes made it impossibl<‘ for me io cover as much ground as in my Court Theatre* pieces. Still, there is much food for thought in the lit th* play, and t ho more earnest section of my disciples should make* a point of seeing it several times in succession at the Botanic Gardens.” Miss Fileon Castles i- going the way of her two talented sisters, and in a few w<*cks will enter the ranks of aspirants for honours on the ly ri * stage in Mr J. C. Williamson’s Gilb<*rt and Sullivan Company. By all accounts she should duplicate the popularity already achieT-

•d by Miss Dolly Castles in the same company. That she has a line voice she has already shown at several concerts in Melbourne. and her stage presence—she closely resembles Miss Amy Castles in form and feature—should help very materially io her success. Assuming that her intention is to make a name for herself in light opera, she could not receive better training than the one she is likely to get in the interpretation of the Gilbert anti Sullivan pieces. The season of the Knight - Jetfries’ Company in Perth “goes on its way rejoicing.” ami each piece put on is received with the manifestations of popularity which have become the customary experience of the company. Last Monday (August 21st ) they revived ‘’l'he Darling of the Gods.” and the present cast did every bit as well as the original one, while Mr Julius Knight himself in the part of Zakkari, the cruel, unscrupulous Minister of War. scored a pronounced success. The company return to Melbourne after the West Australian tour, opening at the Princess Theatre on the 23rd September, in “His Majesty’s Servant.” W EST’S PICTURES AX I) THE B RESC J ANS . The fame of this popular combination has preceded them to Auckland, for their successes in tlv South have created a record in entertainment-giving, which future entrepreneurs will find it difficult to heat. In a little ova* four months over 147/100 have paid for admission. and the theatres both at Christchurch and Wellington proving far too small to accommodate the crowds, the management closed them, and migrated to the Canterbury Hall and Town Hall. Th,? reason of this brilliant business is that West's Pictures and the Brescia ns appeal to the wliole of the population. Even in an enlightened time a considerable section of the people never cross the threshold of a theatre, and the highest art in theatricals fails to attract this class. But a pictorial and musical entertainment. wedded charmingly together, It is what has made Messrs. West’s and Hayward’s entertainment such a .magnet. Everyone goes —the rigid Puritan or the severest typo of the “unco guid” is there sitting next to the devotee of Thespis, paterfamilias, with his quiverful of growing girls and boys, the bachelor male (aye. and maid), with their sisters, their cousins, and aunts; am] there is an air of “Come let us all be happy together” pervading the audience. rhe prices arc popular, children being half-price to every performance. The programmes are kaleidoscope in changefulness; there are no waits. no ’intervals, and no extra charges. The Auckland season opr«ns at 11 is Majesty’s Theatre on Monday next, and there is no doubt that, the triumphant progress of this company will continue in New Zealand’s premier city. , Miss Katie Barry, an English theatrical artist of considerable r< pule. in an iid (‘resting and clever article contributed to a new York newspaper, attacks a peculiar American superstition that Englishmen have no sense of humour. Miss Barry wants to know how the Americans reconcile this belied with the fact that England has produced a lumber of famous wits who have excited the risibilty not only of their compatriots, but of readers everywhere. Moreover. London has ten comic papers to-everv one printed in Xcw 5 ork. London supplies both countries with farces and comedies, ami yet Londoners ’’do not know the difference between, a joke and an obituary notice!” The reason for is internal ion al misimdcrstanding, according to Miss Barry, is the wide difference between the English ai\l American idea of fun. The Englishman refuses to ignore the question of probability. whereas the American takes no account of it. Nothing is too impossible or extravagant to be laughed at in Xew York. Miss Barry would sum up this variance by saying that Englishmen are witty and Americans humorous. Miss Barry remarks that the demand fur exaggeration in American humour is particularly noticeable at the theatres. “Do you suppose,” she asks, “that on the other side “they would laugh at an Irishman made up with green whiskers? Certainly not. The certainty that no hum ever born had green whiskers would Tob the jest of its point. When T first came over 1 arrived at the conclusion

that in Now York els ■ v. as judged so witty as the >pe(\taclr of a fat man falling down. I at,’ not so radical now . but I si ill believe tn it English audiences are keener and ‘ quicker in their appreciation of real «iiib«ur than arc their cousins on the wc*t • 1 the Atlantic. It is ungracious lo make fun of a whole nation because its viewpoint is not precisely yours. Ihe fad. that Americans do not laugh at English jokes proves nothing*, there are a great many American jokes at which Englishmen du not laugh.” The following from an Adelaide singer to the •’Critic” is interesting to the hub uf the universe: •T saw Melba twice at Covent Garden,” she said, “first in ’La Traviata,’ and then in ’La Bolieme.’ In the latter she Wits associated with Caruso, who has a wonderful voice of a distinct type. Every note is just like liquid gold, and he has such a perfect command over The London press could not say anything against him—-which is a great deal to judge by. He is also a splendid actor. In the death scene, Melba was the most substantial corpse 1 have ever seen. She is supposed to have died from consumption, yet she lies there looking very happy. The song lhat Caruso sings over her moved me deeply. The English people usually take such things in a matter-of-course way, because they have so many opportunities of hearing good artists at such ridiculously low prices. That night, however, the house simply rose up at him. They both sang as if they were inspired, and the papers next day said they had excelled themselves.” Did you ever hear Ben Davis? “England’s greatest tenor? Yes. I heard him three times. On the first two occasions I didn't like him. He seemed to force his voice, but I heard him again with more favour at the Liberty Hall in the Patti concert, lie has a peculiar voice—totally different io that of Caruso —but a beautiful voice for all that.” And Ada Crossley? “I was at her first concert after her marriage. She never sang better -so all the critics agreed. She was in splendid voice, and she has such a line stage appearance. I was present at her wedding. I was sorry to miss the performance of Strauss* new ’Symphonia Boniestiea.' It caused a great deal of talk in London. People' were divided iu their opinions they either raved about it or laughed at it. Strauss’ idea was to suggest by means of music, sounds of typical domestic life—for instance, one part was intended to represent the crying of a child. Clara Butt, whom t heard three or four times, has a magnificent voice. Both she and Ada Crossley have good positions at Home, but they are totally different — in style and every other way. though they each have a large section of the public with them. Clara Butt's voice is phenomenal. She is such a huge woman, too. She is very popular. From the start she carries the audience by storm with her personality and her voice, though, perhaps, she does not put so much feeling into her songs as Ada Crossley does. Her name is good enough to ensure big audiences. Her husband. Kennerley Rumford, is also a very artistic singer, with a rich deep baritone voice.” At A« P() XS( > X B V SIIA K ES PE AIIE A X D RHETORIC CLUB. | The committee of this useful society, which has its home at the L*?ys In-li-tute. are to be heartily congratulated on the success which attended the reading of ’ ’The Winter's Tale” last week. Notwithstanding th/? violation of the unities of time and spare, its anachronisms and geographical liberties to which Shakespears—not content with merely following Greene, whose ’’Dorastus and Fawnia” furnished tin* main incidents —added the wildest improbabilities, "mixing up together Russian emperors and the Delphic oracle, chivalry, and heathendom, ancient forms of religion, and Whitsuntide pastoals,” th.? play enshrines so much of lofty eloquence, nobleness of character and spirituality of treatment that it is a matter for wonder it is not more frequently presented. As Leontes. Mr Max well Walker was well cast. His rapidly developed moods of distrust, suspicion, mad jealousy, remorse, despair, and joy were well conceived and powerfully re-

prestmted; indeed, the entire reading of this part was wholly satisfactory alike from tin* elocutionary as the intellectual point of view. Mr. A. S. (\ Brown's Polixciiess kingly and virile, and Mr T. I . Wells gave a conscientious presentation of Uamillo. As Antiguans, Mr Christi<‘ was fairly < licetive. yet somehat lacking in vocal mobility, a remark which applies also to Mr. G. Kmit’s otherwise commendable Florizel. Ch‘omenes was represented by Mr. Kerr wii moderate success. Mr. W. Davies was well suited with the part of the ohl Shepherd, and gave his lines in good homely fashion. The vocalist vagabond Aulolycus was essayed by Mr IL Heninwith marked success, and he well deserved tin* spontaneous appreciation shown by those present. The scenes with the clown, and also the shepherdesses were really tine. The Clown, as representd by Mr. G. Neville, was a very yokel, and contribut cd materially to the comedy element of the play. Hermione, the unhappy queen, was efficiently aec<mnV‘d for by Miss Mary Sloane. Evidently studious and possessing a clear flexible voice, this lady will, with the acquirement of greater inllectional variety and tonal precision, take high rank among local readers. Mrs. Maxwell Walker was a sympathetic Perdita, yet she might with advantage have thrown into the part. somewhat more animation. As the ladljgerent champion of the Queen. Pauline, Miss Auriol Gittos was sutficiently aggressive, and evinced a full appreciation of the essential cha-racteristies. Sh? should however, cultivate a wider inflectional scale, and greater accentual precision. The Misses Rhodes and Adlington, as the rival shepherdesses, were very successful ; as also was Miss F. V. Jacobsen, who read the part of Emilia. Messrs. Brady and Turkey tilled minor parts satisfactorily.