Music, Drama.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 140, 30 March 1893, Page 2

Music, Drama.

[By

“Orpheus.”]

Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici ?

Pollard’s Liliputians. Very successful were the last four nights of the season notwithstanding that the indisposition—only temporary I am glad to say—of Miss Lily Everett compelled some changes in the casts. On Wednesday when ‘ The Pirates ’ was repeated Miss Maud Beatty played Frederick very capably during the first act, and Miss Edith Ziegler—the original Frederick of the Juveniles —took the part during the second act with signal success. On Thursday evening the Liliputians displayed their all-round talent in a capital performance of ‘ Patience,’ played to an excellent and appreciative house. The ‘ twenty love-sick maidens ’ and their dragoon swains were first-rate, and the cast, despite the absence of Miss Lily Everett, was a strong one. Miss Flo Russell’s Lady Jane is another feather in the cap of that clever young lady. She delivered her lines with an intelligent appreciation of the points, and a much improved enunciation. Vocally she was quite up to the mark, ‘ Silvered is the raven hair ’ and other favourite numbers being really well sung. Miss Marion Mitchell’s Patience also merits high praise, ‘ I cannot tell what this love may be ’ being of course encored, as also the duet with Lady Ella (Miss Nellie Wilson) ‘ He was a little boy.’ Miss Maud Beatty’s Archibald Grosvenor was as good as anything in the piece. Her cultivated accent and crisp delivery were as effective as ever. Barring that Bunthorne was over - burlesqued by

Master Alf. Stephens in some parts, the rendering was full of talent and was decidedly not a servile imitation of Mr Vernon’s great impersonation. The fantastic trio of military swells, viz , Duke of Dunstable, Colonel Oalverly, and Major Murgatroyd were excellently played by the Misses Edith Ziegler and Lily Stephens, with the invariably comic Master H. Quealy as the Major. Lady Ella and Lady Saphir were safe in the hands of Misses Nellie Wilson and Ford. Little Mary Sullivan’s get up as the Solicitor was a thing to see, that suggestive curl in the coat tails forcibly reminding one of the gentleman who is popularly supposed to be the lawyer’s patron saint. Scenery and dressing were as usual tip-top. On Friday evening Miss Marion Mitchell’s benefit, with ‘The Little Duke,’ drew a large and fashionable audience. It is some years since the piece was played in Auckland, and it is not nearly so well known as the composer’s more popular ‘ Madame Angot.’ The plot is light and sketchy, but full of fun—the music tuneful, without any ambition to be much above the opera bouffe level. A sparkling little overture, with a charming solo for the first violin, introduces the well-mounted scene in ‘ The Palace at Versailles,’ with which the opera opens. There are some good characters in the piece. Master Alf Stephens is well suited with Nicholas Fi imousse, a pedantic pedagogue, who combines teaching the young idea with Machiavellian scheming. As Fabrice, the ‘ Little Duke,’ who is married to Blanche Cambray (Miss Lily Stephens) only to be torn from his bride for two years by the mandate of his ruthless uncle, Miss Marion Mitchell had opportunities which she fully availed herself of. Her first song, ‘Of our childish rapture,’ with an effective chorus, won an encore, and the duet ‘ I love thee,’ with the ‘ Duchess ’ —a delicious number—as well as the admirable mimicry of an old man’s voice in the patter song, ‘ When the wedding bells Herr Carl Schmitt’s Waltz song (introduced), and the charming melody ‘ Alas 1 she speaks,’ all won loud approval. Miss Maud Beatty had a dashing role, and played Captain de Montaland with brilliant success. The same may be said of Miss Nellie Wilson’s ‘ De Merignac ’ and Miss Edith Ziegler’s ‘ De Tanville.’ Undoubtedly the strength of the piece lies in the school scene in the second act, wherein Miss Flo Russell enacts the 1 Chanoinesse de Lausac ’ with a rare mixture of dignity and humour. Master H. Quealy as Mademoiselle Champvert (the dunce) is indescribably funny with his cunning stupidity, naughty impudence, elephantine frolicsomeness, and the inevitable lolly-stick. His business is alike remarkable for originality and effective farce. The officers and schoolgirls make a charming show together, and the grand military march equals anything the company have achieved in that line, which is no slight praise. Some of the audience were doubtless surprised to recognise the pantomime leit motif in the chorus ‘ The Wine,’ but of such cribs is the kingdom of pantomime music. In the song and chorus (introduced) ‘ On the March ’ Miss Nellie Wilson won a double encore, which she thoroughly deserved. Altogether ‘ The Little Duke’ caught on, and would easily have run at least a couple more nights. On Saturday night the programme bore the legend ‘ Farewell, a long farewell,’ but there is good reason to hope that the next merry meeting will be at no distant date, as in a brief speech Mr Tom Pollard stated that the company would probably return to Auckland in about three months time, equipped with afresh repertoire of operas. Another crowded house again bore testimony to the popularity of ‘La Mascotte.’ In consequence of Miss Lily Everett’s indisposition, the title role was at a few hours notice assigned to Miss Flo Russell, whose performance under the circumstances proved an unqualified triumph. Indeed, so excellent was her business, that several of her audience, although they had seen Miss Everett in the part, did not discover the change for some time. The readiness in thus assuming 1 under-study,’ roles at a moment’s notice, speaks volumes for the ability of Misses Flo Russell, Nellie Wilson, Maud Beatty, Edith Ziegler, etc., etc. Indeed several of those named —as well as Mr Tom Pollard himself, their talented trainer — know almost every note and every word of the operas throughout, and other members of the company by carefully listening have acquired an almost equal command. ‘Orpheus’ now bids a cordial adieu and au revoir to Mr Tom Pollard and his Liliputians.

After a week’s rest the House re-opens on Monday next, when Mr Holloway’s company, which has played most successfully during the recent tour of the colony, opens a return season.

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

(from our own correspondent.) March 11. New Zealand is shortly to have a visit from Fillis’ Circus. This show has been phenomenonally successful in Melbourne, and just as the management were about to announce their last nights (on several occasions) the business became so overwhelming that they indefinitely postponed their departure. Now, however, they play but two nights more, then a brief Adelaide season and hey ! for New Zealand. A feature of the farewell performance was the presentation by Manager Fillis of a thoroughbred to one of the audience. When the New Zealand tour comes off I trust the racer will find its way to someone on your staff. The two Walters —Howe and Baker (late of Bland Holt’s company) —have gone into management and out again. They were showing in Sydney in the not inappropriately named piece ‘Judge Not.’ The ghost, however, refused to toddle a few days back. No advertisement has yet appeared in any of the papers as to what hour the funeral cortege of the company will leave its late residence. There was great work on the night of the collapse, the people demanding back their money, and some of the more playful of the audience busied themselves with destroying the fittings. The Alhambra (Opera House, Melbourne. managed by Frank Clark) has opened with a great flourish of trumpets. Pressman Joe Brown being in front. The big ballets were to be produced on that scale of magnificent splendor characteristic of the London Alhambra —at least the bills told us so. I have never had the pleasure of seeing the London show in question, but if the Melbourne Opera House bill is a facsimile, well then even this failed to dazzle the eyes, enchain the attention, or completely bewilder the senses of the audience. They were not knocked silly, and, if anything, the show is a disappointment. Melbourne morning papers gave the performance ‘ what for.’ True, there are some good people engaged, but what the Melbourne people require to liven them up these dull times is new people—fresh faces. The variety manager of Melbourne, like the proverbial Heathen Chinee, is peculiar. They chip and chop their changes ; when Smith finishes at one house, he’s reengaged for another, and so the farce goes on and we rarely get anything fresh. George Darrell, specially supported by no end of limelight and a good company, is about to put up a record at the Theatre Royal, if report be true. I hope so. Here’s an item for the theatrical billstickers of Auckland and other New Zealand centres. Some time back I wished to hugely advertise a big theatrical job, and loaded up the bill-sticker with printing. He faithfully carried out my instructions, and just as I was shaking hands with myself on the good generalship displayed, a rival billsticker loomed on the horizon and covered up all my bills. notwithstanding the fact of my having parted up with good gold for my job. I wrote to the Inspector of Police, and found that I had no redress, and then as a last resource, in order that theatrical managers might not suffer like I did, I seized my best gold pen and wrote a small article, a sort of expose, and for their own sakes advised the two leading theatrical billstickers to join hands, give everybody a fair run for their money, and by thus doing obtain a monopoly of the whole business. They took my advice, and Charles Ridgeway and Joe Endean have entered into partnership and now run the whole concern. In conclusion you might for the sake of theatrical managers and others, mention that at 226, Nicholson Street, Pat Finn has opened an ‘ Australian Theatrical Press and News Agency.’ There is no establishment of this kind anywhere, for the gentleman named transacts business of any description. This is handy, for people from all parts of the world having business in Melbourne and who do not care to incur the expense attached to the trip, have only to communicate, and lo ! the thing is done. Finn, by the way, is the author of the ‘ Biographies of the Detectives,’ which on their first publication here caused an immense sensation, even amongst the detectives themselves, so exact and minutely were the details given. .Au revoir 1 for the present. The Flat.