Music and Drama.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 26, 26 June 1912, Page 14

Music and Drama.

By

BAYREUTH.

BOOKINGS. (Dates subject to alteration.! HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE. fn season—“ Ben Hur.’’ July 22 to August 3 "The Blue Bird.’’ September 23 to October 12 Oscar Asche, Lily Brayton. WELLINGTON OPERA HOUSE. July 17 to 30-J. C. Williamson, “Ben Hur” August 15 to 29—“SinbUd the Sailor” August 31 to September 12—“ The Blue Bird” Company September 23 to October 2 -Tlimmer Den* niston Company October 19 to November 2 Oscar AschftLily Brayton Co.

When Drama Was Sweet and AVlioleseme. IT is a curious fact t Ira t the older generation especially, which mourns a decline of Shakespeare from the stage (though, as a matter of fact, Shakespeare is still played more often than any other dramatist), which sighs for the good old days when the drama was “sweet” and “wholesome,” forget, or cannot comprehend, that the old order changeth, and that our unpleasant realistic plays of to-day are the modern counterpart of the elder tragedies. No good can possibly come of reviving “Virginias” to-day, because the theatre-goers of to-day don’t want “Virginias”—it bores them. Since our modern drama is intimate and realistic, our modern tragedies must Im* inti-, mate and realistic, and their subject matter must Im* what is tragic in modern life. If the good souls who once accepted ”Virginias,” hut now reject “The -Easiest Way” or “Mrs. Warren’s- Profession, ” would only pause to consider the question fairly, they would *ec that the only reason why “Virginias” isn’t as unhappy and unpleasant as the modern plays is because it is a .story of ancient ■Rome instead of a modern city—it is 2000 years in the past. 1 fancy that the Just of A ppi us Claudius is no more “pleasant” a thing to contemplate, per H, than that of the broker in “The .Easiest Way,” or the husband in Brieux’s J»lay, “The Three Daughters of Monsieur s>ii|»ont.” I fancy that certain physical facts are quite as frankly suggested by “Virginias” (or -Th? Winter's Tale” for that matter, or “Othello”) as by the modern‘plays of Pinero or Shaw. But the difference is that girls to-day arc not in danger of seduction by Appius (laudins: a great many of them are exposed to the perils of the big cities, of marriage, of sweet -shops, of idleness, and vanity. If we may have the stage depiction of ancient perils passed, by what logic can any theatre-goer deny us the depiction of present perils? There is no logic in it? The fact is that the depiction of ancient perils did not ’trouble us, because they were far away; the modern tragedies “harrow us up,” because they are near to us, and so we do not like them. We arc cowards in art.

An inevitable accompaniment of the opposition to serious modern social drama is the argument that by tolerating such plays you will “banish beauty from the stage.” murk it o 4 er with gloom, and depression. You will do, of course, nothing of the kind. In the first place, the men of the largest purpose—that is, the men best fitted to write such drama—are very frequently the men also best fitted for comedy, by their very qualities of sympathy. Pinero, of “Hie Thunderbolt,” is also the Pinero of “Trelawny the. Wells” and -Sweet Lavender.” Barrie, of “Ti/e Twelve Pound Look,” is the Barrie ot “Peter Pan.” It further follows that the qualities required of an audience to appreciate* serious social drama are the very qualities which are required for the appreciation of satire. Still further, the depth and richness of I he humour in any literature is most frequently measured by the depth and richness of It" serious plays or novels, even where the two are not upited in one man, as In a Thackeray or Shakespeare.

Eaongh Unhappine». in the World. When we come to the argument that * there’s enough un Rappin cma in the world, and no good can come of depicting it on the wtage,’ we can only answer that m long m there ta •» much unhap

piness in the world, it is our duty to keep people reminded of it, by every means in our power, until they are driven to remedy matters. It is a jsychological banality that man is ■roused to action much less readily by indirect than direct stimulus. We read without a shudder of 100,000 Hindus or Chinese dying of famine. But if a fanlily in our own town should starve, we would cringe with the horror of it. We have read, most of . us, of the perils which await girls in all our big cities, and the dreadful moral result; but how many of us have been roused to see what remedial steps we. personally, can take? Depict such conditions truthfully on the stage, let your audience become absorbed in the story, caught up into the lives of your characters, and you have done the next best thing, for purposes of rousing response, to striking your audience directly through the tragedy of someone near or dear to them. Most Englishmen have never been in prison, and they remained indifferent to the abuses of the English prison system till Johti Galsworthy’s “Justice” was produced. There is unhappiness enough in the world, enough and to spare, but Mr. Galsworthy proposed that there should be a little less, so he roused the nation by a drama. That is the good which can come of “putting 6UCII things on the stage.” Galsworthy in America.

The Little Theatre, which commenced its career in New York last month, is an appropriata house for that superior order of play whose special appeal is to the cultivated few rather than to the miscellaneous mass of theatre-goers. “The Pigeon,” John Galsworthy’s splendid play, was the opening production. The critic of the New York “Globe* puts the case ’well when he describes the action of (the play as follows: —

“Of all the tremendous ironic moments in life’s comedy commend me to the scene in which -Christ showed his opinion of the respectable citizens of Jerusalem, the pillars of church and society, by openly seeking the companionship of the outcasts and human derelicts. A fragment of 'the same immemorial tragic comedy is reproduced by John Galsworthy in ‘The I'igcon.' With truth and sympathy - he has pointed out the supremely pitiful position of the disinherited of this world, the incompetent, the unfortunate, and the vagabond. In a beautiful play full of the humour that is ever on the brink of tears he has drawn them as they are. frail, erring and human. He has shown the cruel irony of the world’s attitude toward them. He has brought them face to face with 'the modern Pharisee and the fatuous futility of his attempts to deal out canned charity in tape-ridden institutions. He has shown the hopeless failure of the existing order of 'things in its efforts to dispose of the outcast. And all this he has done with the utmost sincerity. Love, the supreme essence of Christian love, is the -keynote -of The Pigeon.’" Not a Social Tract. The Pigeon himself is one of those rare men who do not ask whether a poor wretch deserves charity. All he asks is whether, he needs, it. , Consequently his house is perpetually invaded by all sorts and conditions Of vagrants. This to the enormous disgust of his daughter A'nn, who embodies the attitude of the average female Philistine. He is also the despair of his three friends, the justice of the peace, the professor, and the parson. The first of those represents the Dogberry notions of his kind. Clap the deserving into institutions and “damn the undeserving.” The pedagogue, on -the other hand, would .spend all the Stale’s resources in making the undeserving deserving. The church is in 'favour of "a little bit of both.” The outcasts are three. There is Guenevere the Hower girl, a poor nine-teen-year-old bride who has been deserted by her husband. Then here is a drunken old ealedriver, whom the advent of the motor-car has found unprepared and so rolrlied him of a calling. (Most amusing of all is the vagabond Frenchman who never can stick al any occupation beiause lie cannot shake oil the calf of the road or'his iiiiquem-hablc curiosity aboiH. life. Naturally he is the only arlwnUile one of the three, and it

is he who expresses tliqir point of view: “There is. in some human souls, monsieur, what cannot be made tame.” It was an admirable stroke of Mr. Galsworthy’s to show that the cause of their misfortunes is inherent- in -the characters of these pariahs. There is no attempt to lie about them sentimentally. The flower girl -might eke out an honest and threadbare existence. But she is human. Like many a highly respectable female she is full of the joy of life. Not having the means.to enjoy life respectably she takes to the “life of joy.” The vagrant French philosopher does not amount to anything because he loves to rove.

The System Fails. “And yet,” he asks, “how would society look upon us if we had money? Would I not be merely an eccentric, highly interesting dilettante, with a mania for travelling? Would not the old cabman be an aristocrat of the old school who can hold his liquoi- like a gentleman? Would not that girl be

merely a vivavious, chic, and much-sought-after young woman, so full of spirits and fun —such as you can find in countless salons?” The parson, the J.l’., and the professor try to reform the three indigents, each after his own particular soeal nostrum. And each system fails. The 'parson finds a position for the girl, but she loses it because she “got 'the footman into trouble.” After a few months of the “life of. joy” she tries to drown herself, but is rescued and then arrested for her attempt at suicide. Then the indignation of the Pigeon and the philosopher break out. Why, demands the .Frenchman, why is it that we can see it written on the faces of good people that they believe it would be better for everybody if we were dead, and yet they punish us for trying to die? There is no definite conclusion to the play. In the last act the Pigeon is bn the verge of moving to other quarters whither his daughter has insisted on taking him in order that he might, get away from “those six rotters,” meaning the vagabonds and the reformers alike. But the final scene finds him owe more distributing his cards with the new address. He is the very man above all whom the outcasts need. Ha who loves them alone (•an understand them. And it is not by being caged in institutions that these wild birds can be tamed. They can never be “reformed” by those who do not try <to understand them.

The Jew of Prague. Titles often convey-.wrong ideas. The title of Mr. Alfred Wilson-Barrel's melodrama suggests a gloating Jew who

hounds innocent heroes to their ruin, and is killed in the end with every circumstance of horror. Abraham Baruch is not that kind of Jew at all. He certain? ly ruins Count Mux von Reisler, but then he so admires the young man that he makes a will in his favour. Max does not know that, but thinks Baruch, in refusing to give up a forged bill, means nothing but ill. One cannot say it was an unnatural thought, for ruined rakes cannot be expected to look on moneylenders as potential benefactors. Baruch intended to give'the Count a good lesson, and then tell him about the will, but that form of teaching is dangerous,' especially if you have a weak heart and your pupil is a strong and impetuous young man. The Jew suffers from, his heart, and a slight, struggle is enough to kill him. <. ■ ■ For close on three hours Ihe andic.n.ce at the recent opening performance in Loudon had to listen to the Count’s outpourings of conscience, although a bibulous doctor had stated that death was due to natural causes, and the Count himself knew lie had no intention of killing. So did his lover, a lachrymose lady who flics to. a convent after swearing that the dead man will forever come between her and the man she loves.

A rascally solicitor who has drawn up the will blackmails the Count, who, not content with one accident, nearly kills the bibulous doctor in a drunken fit, and does his best to .settle the solicitor, besides being tho innocent cause of the death of the solicitor’s gushing daughter. These many things prey on Max’s mind and he gives himself up. The rascally solicitor bribes the doctor to swear that he gave a false certificate, but the woes of the lachrymose lady in the witnesslox upset his resolves, and he blurts out the truth. Really, Mr. Alfred WilsonBarrett, this will not do'. “ The Double Game." Mr- Maurice Baring has revengeii self upon the critics i.a the most hindsome manner. Some time ago he offered them. “The Green Elephant” and they frankly declared they did not like it. In place of kicking against the pricks, he gallantly set to work and the result >»- “The Double Game,” produced hist, month in London. From all accounts it is an immensely interesting piece of work; tense, vibrant? “Weir made” in the best sense of the word, true to life. Had the story emanated from the prolific brain of Sardoa, it would almost certainly have reached us in the form of superior melodrama. Nothing easier, indeed, than to have treated it in such fashion. Fortunately Mr. Baring, who is a recognised authority upon Russia and her people, withstood the temptation. The author places the action in a middle-class board-ing-house in Moscow, where is gathered together a company of all sorts and conditions of people. There is a good deal of talk about revolutionary processes and the advent of terrorism, of the reactionary party and of the party opposed 1o it. Out of all this speedily-emerges the true subject matter of the drama. Love and Terrorism. Maria Andrevna. an aristocrat, by birth lias thrown in her lot with the revolutionaries. has even manifested her willingness to join in their worst atrocities. The nobility, the spirituality of the girl are, notwithstanding, never in doubtIf she does evil it is that in the end good may come of it. Two men are pass'onately in love wtih her—-Boris Nikolaevitch, accredited police spy. whose business it is to worm himself into the confidence of suspects and thereafter lietray them to his masters: the other Dimitri Vasilevitch, a high-spirited young fellow, whose well-founded suspicions of his rival are attributed by Maria Andrevna to jealousy. The crisis in the fate of these three comes when Maria is seleeted to throw the bomb which, it is hoped, will bring about the death of the chief of the Moscow police. To save her, Boris, who. lie it remembered, is honestly and profoundly attached to the girl, can find no other way but to denounce her to her employers, have her arrested in the morning chosen for the catastrophe, and subsequently conveyed out of. the country. In Switzerland she will find a safe retreat, and there, subsequently he proposes to join her and make her his wife. But the project miscarries. Through a scries of cleverly-devised incidents Boris's treachery is brought to. the knowledge of the woman whose eyes have lieen hitherto blinded by her great love for him. She commits suicide, and if to ■the “Daily Telegraph'' H appears a trifle forced and just a littlo. inehylriiinatic, it Sfcjirea nt any late an extremely powerful and Uuilbng cur tain.

n fe an open question whether the suicide of the heroine, which brings thy drama to a close, is the only right issue out of the impasse created by the author. One imagines that such a girl of Maria Andrevna’s strength of character would have reeoiled from a step entailing SO manifest a confession q? weakness. The author, however, would probably argue that no other solution was open to a woman whose most cherished beliefs in the principles of probity and honour, and whose faith in the man slie loved and trusted had been completely and irrevocably swept away. " Helen of Sparta/’

Since the death of Swinburne, M. Emile Vcrhaeren may, in the opinion of the Paris correspondent of the Ixnidon "Daily Telegraph,” be called the greatest living lyric poet; but he is still less of a dramatic poet than Swinburne was. The whole spectacle of the recent production at the Chatelet was a splendid one, yet the tragedy was ill-served by the stage, and, in the opinion of the critic referred to above, was a ease in which M. Vincent d'lndy’s dictum, that great plays should always be read, and

not seen, applies. In the play, llele’i has come back to Menelaus, and both have returned to Sparta. In short, she has made up her mind to settle down at last. The danger of the situation 'is that it would be the easiest thing in the world to burlesque it. But the poet not only remains at the level of high tragedy, he extracts from his theme some splendid poetry. Helen is weary of passion, but she is condemned by the gods to be beautiful and to rouse passion, and her beauty at last becomes a torture, which she prays the gods to deliver her from. She longs io live a peaceful queen and wife, but her deadly beauty strews her path with monstrous passions that beget crimes. Turn where she will she cannot help being the Helen with whom gods and men are infatuated. She eraves for peace; and hideous crimes of lust and murder spring up around her and because of her. Her .own brother, Castor, loses his senses for love of her, and slays Menelaus out of jealousy. Elektra, her sister, Clytenmestra’s daughter, laves of her beauty, and at last it seems io Helen that even the trees and the stones, whisper the now hated word of love to her. She appeals to Zeus, her father, to save her from the fatal gift of beauty he gave her, and the voice of the god blames her because her pride and her mastery of the world have not equalled her beauty. He takes her up to Olympus, but immortality will not bring her peace. Among the gods, as on earth, criminal passion will pursue her. It is a tragic idea, carried out with splendid power of poetic imagination.

The Unappreciated Pianist. Poor Paderewski! What a thing it is to lack a sense of humour. Paderewski 's angry with South Africa partly because when playing the piano on a coaatlnß ship sonic unappreciative person Widely teqmted him to "atop that noise,” and partly, it is to be feared,

because South Africa is not yet educated up to the Paderewski worship to which the long-haired virtuoso has been accustomed in lands where men are not quite so elemental and candid, and where women are Wont to show their admiration by hysterical outbursts which, though gratifying, if at times embarrassing to the artist, arc disgusting to the plain man. South Africa it seems, failed to take Paderewski as seriously as the great pianist takes himself, and is accustomed to be taken, and its towns, it appears, did not prove the Tom Tiddlers grounds he anticipated. The men were truly dreadful. To them Paderewski was a mere mortal and was treated as such! In Port Elizabeth one creature, greatly daring, seized the pianist of pianists by the lapels of his eoat and peering into his face said, “You’re Paderewski, ain’t you?”-— and then laughed!

Worse than all, however, was an “open letter” which appeared in a Pretoria paper, and which perhaps gives a slight clue to the real reason why the pianist did not “make good” in South Africa.

“What have you done for the world? (the writer asked). What do you do?

You play the piano—l am told. Ih&t you play the piano better than any living pianist; I am not prepared to dispute that; but, after all, what is there in playing the piano?

"We had a man here the other day who could not only play the piano, but seventeen other instruments; including the dew's harp.

"Nobody made a fuss about him. It only cost two shillings to hear him play all his instruments, lie didn't want the mayor to receive him, nor did he charge a guinea for his front, seats.”

Paderewski was disappointed with South Africa, and South Africa was disappointed with the virtuoso.

"If we have disappointed the great performer as an artistic community,” says the Johannesburg "Star”, "it is only fair to say that he has likewise disappointed us as a man of the world

and a' “good sport”, It is not our fault if artists visit our towns, and particularly Johannesburg, under the impression that we are an open gold mine. It is never previously impressed upon such visitors that we have had little more than a. quarter of a century's existence, and that we are still in our artistic swaddling clothes.”

South Africa's education has certainly been sadly neglected. Fancy expecting to find in the most famous and most femininely feted pianist of this generation “a man of the world," let alone a "good sport!” It would he just us reasonable to expect, to find gloxinias growing on an iceberg. Paderewski expected to bo treated as something quite out of the ordinary, and to be made a fuss of. Had he possessed a reitl sense of humour the fact that he was getting some entirely new experiences wrtuld have proved a continual source oT’amiiHeHmnt. But your artist rarely has a sense of humour and Paderewski apparently sutlers fvora the complaint common to his kind.

Madame de Claim—. Madame Eleonora de Cisneros, with the Count de Cisneros and*her two supporting artists, M. Paul Dufault, and Mr. James Liebling, landed in Sydney from the s.s. Marama on June 10thHer first Sydney convert is to be given in Sydney on Saturday. June 22nd and after brief seasons in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Melbourne she will tour the principal cities of New Zealand. Arias are to be sung by Mme. de Cisneros from operas, which of late years have been rarely heard in Australia, among them being Meyerbeer’s "Le Prophete,” and "Les Huguenots” and Mascagni’s "Cavalleria Rustieana.” One interesting feature of the concerts will be a cycle of old Irish folk songs, the genuine Celtic melodies which (said Mme. de Cisneros when interviewed in Sydney) are to her "just as beautiful as some of the German classics.” M. Paul Dufault, who stands right in the front rank of lyrie tenors, has a similar devo ; tion to the old folk-songs of France. “I promise you,” said Mme. de Cisneros, ‘'that he will sing them beautifully.” The 'cellist, James Liebling, who supports Mme. de Cisneros in her Australas-

ian tour,, is a member of a most gifted musical family. . His father is Professor Max Liebling, a noted composer. His sister, Estelle Liebling, holds very high rank as a soprano. His brother, Leonard Liebling was at one time w well-known critic in New York, but is now the editor of “The Musical Courier.” Mr. H. Weber's Organ Recital. There was another large and highly appreciative audience at the Town Hall last Saturday night to hear the third applicant for the position of city organist. The performer on this occasion was Mr. Horace Weber, organist of Napier Cathedral, who submitted a programme which displayed his skill to full advantage. Mr. Weber has technical resource of no mean order, while as a pedalist lie is remarkably proficient. His stop combinations were made with good

ta&te, while his movement from Ono manual to the other was done with dexterity and neatness. Ilia programme wan headed with Ilonins* fine concert overture in C minor, which received a clever performance. The opening Andante was executed with majesty, the passages for the great organ and the chords and sustained degrees standing out prominently, while the phrase for the reeds on the choir and swell-organ was tastefully given. Decision and vigour marked the performance obtained of the Allegro, while the Lento movement was delivered with elegance of phrasing, and the inner harmonies were nicely presented. The setting in 1) major evhibited the reeds of the choir and swell-clavier admirably,

and the subsequent theme in G major, with its flowing music, was rendered with independence on the great-organ, while the progression of chromatic sixths and chords for the swell manual were adequately displayed. A brilliant rendering of the closing movement in 0 terminated a praiseworthy performance of the able work of the sightless organist. Alfred Hollins. At the conclusion the recitalist was heartily applauded. Edmund Chipp’s “Theme and Finale from the Fantasia m <the Austrian Hymn"’ was Mr Weber’s greatest achievement, and in this he did himself full justice. The intricate manual part and its brilliant pedal passages with double octaves, etc., offered no obstacle to his admirable disciplined hands and feet. More brilliant and accurate pedal playing it would be difficult to imagine. The legato passages were executed with evenness, surprising facility, and speed. After this brilliant example of technical skill —manuals and pedals—the recitalist received a hearty recall, and repeated the latter half of the same composition.

King George Picture Theatre. This comfortable picture, theatre, with Seating accommodation for 1,000 people, is situated in Durham-street, near His Majesty's Theatre. A continuous entertainment. is given daily, and an excellent selection of films may be seen for a small charge. The performance commences daily at 1.30, and proceeds till 4.30 p.m. With regard to the evening performance, a departure from the ordinary routine of continuous picture shows is observed, people being admitted from 7 until 10 p.m. “ Beu Hur."

The opening production of “Beu Hur,” at His Majesty’s Theatre, Auckland, on Tuesday night, was an elaborate and very creditable piece of Work. 'Die large audience was impressed with the many-sided elements of this remarkable play, its religious character, its superb spectacles, and its melodrama of love and revenge. “ Ben Hur ” makes exceptionally heavy demands upon the resources of the scenic artist and mechanician. The six acts of the piece proceed through a marvellous succession of dramatic episodes, the character of which is enriched by gorgeous colours, realistic tableaux and sensational climax after climax (including the chariot race?, as well by music well suited to the picturesque themes which have engrossed the author.

Its story needs to be only briefly told. Hen Hur (Mr. Eric Maxon), of a princely house in Jerusalem, goes to the galleys for three years because of the false witness of his former friend, Messala, the. Roman (.Mr. Leonard Willey). He finds escape through the clemency and friendship of the tribune Arrius" (Mr. Winter Hall), learns soldiering and cha-riot-racing in Rome, and then returns to meet in Antioch his father’s former steward and slave, Simonides (Mr. Eardley Turner). Simonides has a daughter (Esther), with whom Ben Hur ought to fall immediately' in love; but he does not for he is lured into moonlight extravagances by the Egyptian girl Iras (Miss Gwen Burroughs). In uitioeh he again clashes with Messala, and it is here that the thrill of the chariot race comes in (it really should be the culminating and final episode). However, Ben Hur lands a winner by a short neck from Messala, and puts his backers in Easy Street for a long time. The play goes on to show how. of course, his true affection centres in the modest Esther, with whom he eventually is united. That is the romantic side of the story, its religious side is in the prophecies of the King of the Jews, and much is made of the scene on Mount Olivet, representing the cleansing of the leper mother and sister of Ben Hur, the healing power being manifested by a shaft of light thrown from above. Ben Hur then learns that, the Jewish King of Kings is the Prince of Peace, not the conqueror, who, as he dreamed, was to send him in vengeance against Rome. The acting in the piece was generally very good and convincing, but in “Ben Hur” the plot is of secondary' importance, amt a* the “ Bulletin *’ truly remarks: “ By the splendour of Heaven, this is the scene-shifter’s night out.” “Hen llur” was enthusiastically received all the wa,v, and likely to have a great run. Lyric Theatre. The current week’s programme of pictures at the Lyric., Symonds Street, is full of special interest. The star item is a reproduction of the French comic

opera, “Mam’selle Nitouche,’ a popular laughable creation, and presented with all elaborate furnishings. It is a magnificent bit of work, and should not be missed. Other films screened embrace dramatic, comic, scenic, and industrial subjects, and provide an entertainment of high merit. Stray Notes. Mr. George Clutsam has written another short opera, entitled, “After a Thousand Years,” which -was produced at the London Tivoli the other day, in accordance with the present craze for the production of operatic music in variety programmes. The new work is said to contain musical merit of no mean order. It introduced Miss Muriel Terry in the character of an Egyptian queen doomed to revisit tire earth every thousand years, and to re-enact thereon the deathscene of her lover, whom she has given over, in “times less recent,” to the “horrid laughing jaws” of her Court lions. Miss Terry, the critics state, sang her songs with fine effect, and she was well supported by Mr. Frederick Ranalow. the baritone who visited Australia as one of Madame Melba’s concert company. The critics appear to agree that for complete all-round excellence nothing finer has been heard in Melbourne than the performance given by Quinlan’s Grand Opera Company of Offenbach’s “Tales of Hoffmann.”. Mr. Quinlan’s principals are rarely endowed, not merely in the person of the chief artists (who got a wonderful reception), but also in those gifted people who essayed lesser roles with unusual distinction. Apart from these, the two such vital elements in opera—the chorus and orchestra—are of a calibre the dike of which Melbourne has hitherto heard little. The firstnamed not only sing finely, but they also act finely, while as for the orchestra, it is magnificent. In addition to these admirable features, Mr. Quinlan adopts the sensible plan of giving operas in English, The combination is as great as its reputation, and it is a matter for sincere regret that it is not to be seen in New Zealand.

It never rains but it pours (writes the “Star” London correspondent, under date May 10). At this moment we have two operas proving attractive in London, to say nothing of what is achieved by touring companies that are making occasional excursions into the capital. Now we hear of a new company being organised by Mr. Joseph O’Mara, who has probably sung in more opera performances than any living countryman. This new venture, which declares itself “an English Opera Combination,” has recruited singers only in the British Isles and Colonies, and Mr. O'Mara promises to astonish his hearers with a new New 'Zealand contralto, whose identity is rather slenderly hinted at by the statement that she has been a pupil of Marchesi.

Mr. Harry Corson Clarke, an American comedian of note, has signed a contract with the J. C. Williamson management to remain in Australia for the ■farce comedy season, beginning at the Criterion Theatre in August with “Getllich Quick Wallingford.” The visitor’s wife, who is well known to the New York stage as Margaret Dale Owen, has also been engaged.

Sejehne Fatme, the former harem favourite of the ex-Sultan Abdul Hamid, has taken to the music-hall stage to earn a living, and intends to tour Europe. Her “’turn” consists of “harem danees,” as she used to dance them before her royal master years ago. Fatme, who is said to be very beautiful, makes her debut at Geneva. She states that she has papers (which are accessible to the public) to prove her former position m the royal palace at Constantinople Mr. Hugh J. Ward has received a cablegram from the New York agent of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., stating that the principals of the Farce-comedy’ Company, to play' in Sydney a couple of months hence, had started for Australia, via ' ancouver. The company will be headed by a New York star-comedian, Mr. Fred. Niblo, who will play Wallingford in “Get-Rich Quick Wallingford.” Ho will be accompanied by Miss Josephine. Cohan. one of the best-known Broadway -comediennes. Miss Cohan is a sister of George M. Cohan, author of the comedy. Mr. Manning, who has played Dempsey over GOO times, is also coming for that part and to stagc-ma*.agc. The repertoire of the new combination will further include the two successful New York farces, "Officer OGG" and “Excuse Me.” Ihe date of opening the farce-comedy season is set down for August 3rd at the Criterion Theatre.