Music and Drama

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 6, 10 February 1909, Page 16

Music and Drama

That favourite play “The Silver King” ■will »be revived by the Star Dramatic Combination at His Majesty’s Theatre, lAuc'klafni, on Thursday, February 11. From its fust production ut the Princess Theatre, London, 1882, to the present day, no play in existence has enjoyed »uch a prosperous career. It has been witnessed by almost all the crowned 31-eads of Europe, criticised by the most able writers of the day, performed in all fparts of the world where the English language is spoken, aaid brought large fortunes to its authors and the theatrical taianagers who have handled it. To lAugust, 1899, the official records showed (that upwards of 6,000,000 persons (or half as many again as the entire population of Australia and the Dominion of (New Zealand) had paid for admission to witness this most remarkable of all plays. Mr, Geo. Titheradge will appear in his original character of Wilfred Danver, afterwards known as ‘The Silver King.” “The Village Priest” and “Twelfth Night” will be the following productions. d* & Playgoers in those cities of our Dominion, yet to be visited by the Kolker, Titherudgo, and Ola Humphrey combination, are hereby weightily advised by no means to miss that most fascinating play, “The Thief.” True, it is harrowing, but not as melodrama harrows the J»ods. It is a play for the discriminative, «a drama of pulsating life and human interest, which appeals powerfully to the intellect, and induces thought and discussion. It is most admirably played. That Kolker is a greater artist than any American actor who has visited New Zealand in the present generation, is {undoubted. He has a part in “Tho Thief” which would try any actor, amt iie emerges from it with absolute trflumph. ."Miss Ola Humphries absolutely Mini ph those -who saw her here with 'Julius Knight, so vastly have her (powers improved. .She reaches very heights of tragic acting, as Madfeme Voysin, rhe thief. “The Taming Of the shrew” is being staged while the paper is in the press, but information from a most reliable source describes it rs the best Shakespearean production seen in the Dominion for upwards of •twenty yen-. d* J® In Auckland, Mr. Edward Reeves is On his return visit sure of a very appreciative reception. His scholarly polish, liis easy unaffected manner, and his marvellously effective dramatic power in fttory telling, won him a host of friends nt the time of his first visit, ami these •■will not only come again themselves, but Ibring, or send friends. If Mr. Reeves excels himself at times it is in his Dicken’s Work, ami nobody, who has a chance of hearing in any of his selections from •that master of modern English literature, should miss the opportunity. J* An at tempt was made at the Theatre Royal last week to thoroughly enforce the Christchurch City Council’s by-law, under which every person is held to l>e entitled to a Heat, the number of which corresponds »Lo the ticket received. Many patrons of ithe gallery ami stalls declined to occupy rt.he seats to which their tickets corresponded. ami there was considerable confusion. About 7.40 the Council’s inspectors declared that it was impossible to carry the by law into effect, and gave Ithe representatives of th? lessee permission to let |M.»opl<‘ t-ake any seats available. & The Mayor, in the course of a statetnent to a reporter next day, «aid : “The jßpirit of the by-law would be met by (having a box plan for the gallery, and allowing people who bought tickets during the day to reserve their seats. There is not the least reason why this should not be done. r Wie matter will come before the by-laws’ committee again at its next meeting. You can be quite sure .that the matter is not going to rest ffrhere It i«. M

No less than four wonts composed by Mr, Thos. Humphreys, of Auckland, are to be produced here consecutively in March and April next. The first two will be amateur productions of “Sixes and Sevens” {libretto and lyrics by Miss Maud Peacocke) and “Manuella” (Mr. J. Youlin Birch's latest “book”). Immediately following these the Pollard Opera Company, during the Easter dates at His Majesty’s Theatre, will stage “The Gay Hussar" (late “The Tea Girl") and the Birch-Humphreys comic opera “The Golden Wedge.” I hear, by the way, that there is a strong probability of a professional company, with a well-known young comedian in the lead, being formed to tour Australasia with a Birch-Hum-phreys repertoire. Negotiations to that end are in progress. J* JX Mendelssohn’s centenary was celebrated last Wednesday in many English cities. Tho extraordinary vogue of the play “An Englishman’s Home,’’ dealing with England's unpreparedness for war, is increasing (says a last week’s cable from London). The author is Major du Maurier, son of the famous “Punch’’ artist. All the newspapers are publishing special articles on the subject, and are daily interviewing statesmen, utilising the play for the purpose of rousing the count ry to the necessity for home defence. Mr. J. C. Williamson has secured the Australasian rights of the piece. -J* M To prove the close connection which exists between Church and Stage an American paper has compiled the following list of actors who are “related” to the pulpit : — Mr. Kyrle Bellew is the son of the Bev. J. M. Bellew, of Manchester. Mr. Walter Bentley (now known as the Rev. Walter E. Bentley, rector of the Church of the Ascension, Brooklyn), adopted the pulpit after some time as an actor. He is a son of the Rev. Dr. Begg, of Edinburgh, Scotland. Mrs. Langtry is the daughter of the Rev. W. E. C. Le Breton, Dean of Jersey. Mr. Charles Hawtrey is the son of the Rev. John Hawtrey, an Eton master. Mr. Murray Carson, actor and dramatist. was secretary to the Rev. Dr. Joseph Parker, of the City Temple, London, and was intended himself for the Church. Miss Lena Ashwell is a daughter of Captain Pocock. afterwards a clergyman of the Church of England. Mr. F. R. Benson, the manager of the finest .Shakespearean stock company of the present period, was a relative of the late Archbishop Benson. Mr. Lewis Carns (of America) is the. son of the Rev. Alexander H. James, of Edinburgh. Mr. Henry Chichester (of America) is a son of the Rev. Charles Baker, rector of Creed, Cornwall, England. Mr. Reginald Dance (of America) is a son of the Rev. S. M. Scoggs, of Lancing. England. jX Mr. Charles Frohman is now on the Atlantic crossing to New York (says the London "Daily Express” of a recent date). But he does not permit even so big a thing as the Atlantic Ocean to interfere with his business in the slightest way. When Mr. Frohman goes to sea he takes his business and his office with him. Transplanted to Che rooms he occupies on board ship are all the paraphernalia of his business quarters in the Empire Theatre building, New York. Ho can tell where any of his seventeen stars and companies are playing any day this year, or where they will be playing any day in 1012. A conspicuous feature is the pile of wireless messages to which replies are lieing or have been sent. Mr. Frohman keeps as close a managerial and personal touch with his theatres and stars during these trips as he does when at home. Scarcely an evening passes that Mr. John Drew, Miss Billie Burke, Miss Gertie Millar, Mr. William Gillette, mid the others do not have a pleasant word from him between acts and scenes. While he is on the ocean they receivo

those delightful little attentions just the same. Wireless telegraphy lias made this possible. From his cabin every night after dinner goes a merry little message to all his star players—not for-' getting Mis* Maude Adams out in Chicago, and Miss Ethel Barrymore still further Wes*. Jn the morning he has wireless messages from Mr. Alf. Hayman giving the receipts of his theatres the night before and informing him about ary business matter that concerns him. Nothing happens anywhere among his numerous companies that is of the least importance that does not reach his ears —his eyes, ratlier—on the ocean. J» J* An interesting story of the stage, told by Air. J. H. Barnes in the ‘'Stage,’* forms a curious sequel to the little quarrel between him and Miss Ellen Terry which resulted from certain remarks made by the famous actress in her recently published “Story of My Life.” Miss Terry commented on the fact that during the many years she had played Portia she seldom had a Bassanio to her mind. Of Mr. Barnes, who played the part during a long run. at the Lyceum, she said his “gentility as Bassanio was simply overwhelming,” and “in the love scenes he appeared to be taking orders for furniture.” “He was so very dignified; and my sister Floss and I once tried to make him laugh by substituting two almond rings for the real rings.” Mr. Barnes resented the flippant reference to himself, and in a long letter to “M.A.P.” stated that he never had any desire to contribute a performance any part of which could be to Miss Terry’s mind. He also pointed out that Miss Terry’s recollection as to the almond rings incident was at fault. Now, in the “Stage,” he tells his own version of the almond rings incident. “1 was handed, not a ring, nor an almond ring,” he writes, “but a small indiarubber ball, with a hole in it, and filled with water, which, before I realised what it was, had ejected a considerable stream of water all down a very light grey silk costume, provided by the management, compelling me to change completely the rehearsed of the scene by playing the end of the play with my back to the audience, and causing a general upset. “I am willing to confess that I resented this proceeding very angrily; in fact, I showed it up to the audience, and although it may be it caught me at an unfortunate moment, I am seriously afraid that I should have done the same at any other period of my life under similar circumstances.” Among the crowd of distinguished people at the last King’s Investiture was a short, stoutly built man with a closecropped beard turning to while, a thick head of grey hair parted in the middle, and far-seeing, dreamy eyes. He wa-s Signor Tosti, the composer of hundreds of songs, and henceforth he will be known as Sir Francesco Paolo Tosti, for he was invested as a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. Sir Francesco Tosti is sixty-one years old, and though he oply became a naturalised Englishman a few years ago ■he has lived in England for over thirty years. As a song-writer his fame is universal. There is scarcely a drawing-room in the world wherein Tosti’s “Good-bye” has not been sung. Messrs. Riccordi, the publishers of the song, say that, the number of copies that have been sold since its publication must he over a million. It is sealing just as well to-day as when it was first, brought out. “For Ever and For Ever,” which ranks equal with “Good-bye” in popularity, was composed by Tosti soon after his arrival in England. Publisher after pub-

lisher refused it, and several sin ger* declared that it was an “impossible"* nong. Eventually Sir Charles Santley, or plain “Mister” as he was then, sang it into instantaneous success. “My Dreams,” another of Tosti’s famous songs, has been described .by Sir Charles Santley as the highest type of sentimental ballad. “Come to My Heart,” “That Day,” “Let It Be Soon," “Ask Me No More,” ‘•Help Me to Pray." “Yesterday,” “At the Convent Gate”—these are a few of the best known of his songs. Tosti has expressed his love for England. “I took out my naturalisation papers,” he said, “out of love for the land which received me unknown years ago, and which has been my hc/»e ever since.” In 1870 Tosti was singing master to the Queen of Italy, and coming to England in 1375, within five years he was appointed teacher of singing to the Royal Family. He was a great favourite with Queen Victoria, and the royal friendship has been continued by King Edward and Queen Alexandra. For many years he has been master of music at the state concerts in London and Windsor. JX JX Messrs. Meynell and Gunn have made final arrangements with Mr- Oscar Asche and Miss Lily Brayton for their tour in Australia. They will open in Melbourne about July 17, and among their plays will be Stanley Weyman’s “Hannibal,” “The Taming of the .Shrew.” “As You Like It,” and “ Othello.” The musical director will be Mr. Raitnund Pechotsch (late of Sydney), who has for two years been musical director of the Lyceum.