Music, Drama.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 176, 7 December 1893, Page 8

Music, Drama.

By

“Prompter.”

‘ Alone in London ’ and ‘ Taken frok Life.’

Mr Bland Holt changed his programme for the fourth time last Wednesday evening, when ‘ Alone in London,’ the woman’s play, was staged at the Opera House. This drama, which is from the joint pens of Robert Buchanan and Henrietta Jay, is more that well-worn as regards public favour, and the attendance during the three nights it held the boards showed a distinct falling off as compared with the audiences which assembled to hear ‘ A Sailor’s Knot,’ ‘ The Trumpet Call,’ and ‘ A Million of Money.’ The tale told by ‘ Alone in London ’ has been handled by the dramatist until it is thread- bare. There is the usual polished villain, who, clad in tourist costume and gaiters, disturbs the peace of an unsuspecting country maiden. The latter marries hei dashing town swell in the prologue, and in the first act finds that the feet of her idol are made of clay. As the wife of a swell mobsman she drags out a miserable existence in the most repulsive of surroundings, until Nemesis overtakes her smiling top-hatted villain of a husband and allows the fall of the curtain to show her within reasonable distance of marriage with the inevitable hero, who, jilted in the prologue, remains single through four whole acts. As Annie Meadows Mrs Bland Hok deserves hearty praise for her consistent and careful acting of a part, the steady dreariness of which is calculated to place a heavy strain on an artist who is generally seen in bright vivacious parts. Mr W. E. Baker, as the beautifully accomplished stage villain that we have seen for so long, played with his accustomed skill, and his ready change from the apparently polished gentleman to the callous and brutal husband was marked by steadily increasing dramatic power. Mr Howe was as usual the hero of the piece, and Mr Bland Holt was in his old part of Jenkinson, the the philosophising thief—a character in which Mr Holt gives his audience unqualified delight Miss Harrie Ireland was surprisingly good as Gipsy Tom, the waif, and Mr Watson did full justice to the part of Spriggins, the swell and scamp-in-waiting to the principal villain. Miss Edith Blande and Mr Charles Brown supplied their fair share of the humour of the piece as Liz Jenkinson and Charlie Johnson, and the other characters were creditably sustained. The’ scenery was excellent and the mechanical effects worked admirably. The fifth and last production, ‘ Taken Form Life,’ was staged on Saturday evening and drew a good house. This work has been produced before in Auck-

land. Its author, Mr Henry Pettitt, cannot be said to have enriched the dramatic stage or given us anything strikingly original when he penned it. He has revised the work since its initial production, but, as given on Saturday last, the revision seems to have taken away certain connecting links, without which the action of the drama hangs very loosely together. It was well staged, and on the whole admirably interpreted by Mr Holt and his clever company. A word of praise is due to Mias Florence Masters for the capable manner in whith this youthful actress susteined the part allotted her.

The Wednesday Pops. The thirtieth Popular Concert failed to attract more than a fair attendance at the Choral Hall last Wednesday evening. Mr Fuller had to fight against three things, viz., a first night at the Opera House, the reaction consequent upon the election turmoil of the previous evening, and the close ‘ muggy’ weather, which rendered life decidedly more endurable outside than in a heated concert hall. Under the circumstances a full house was not to be expected. The promoters’ songs were well chosen, and as usual evoked hearty applause. In the first half of the programme Mr Fuller gave ‘ My Queen’ (Blumenthal) with due fervour and expression, and had to reply to an undeniable encore. Later on in the evening he gave ‘ The Irish Emigrant,’ a favourite song of the artist’s, and one which suits his voice admirably. An encore of course resulted. Mr. Geo. M. Reid was in capital voice, and sang both his items splendidly. His opening song was ‘ Hark For’ard,’ a stitring hunting song by St. Quentin, and in reply to a well merited encore Mr Reid gave an admirable rendering of ‘ The Goodbye at the door.’ His second solo was ‘ Bid Me to Love’ (Barnard), a song new to Auckland. The interpretation given by the artist was worthy of all praise. Mrs Kilgour was not happy in the selection of her first solo, Bishop’s ‘ Lo, Hear the Gentle Lark,’ a composition which the lady should recognise is beyond her powers. The audience, however, recalled her, and in response Mrs Kilgour gave the pretty little ballad ‘ Tit for Tat.’ Mrs Kilgour’s other item was Isidore de Lara’s ‘ Garden of Sleep,’ and beyond a

tendency to false intonation Mrs Kilgour gave an acceptable rendering of it. Miss • Birdie Butler’s songs were ‘ Dear Heart’ and 1 The Better Land,’ and if this young lady is open to friendly advice she should strenuously guard against a leaning towards nasal intonation, a fault which she will find a hard one to check if not taken in hand at once. Miss Clarice Braba-

zon’s piano solos are always a pleasing feature of these concerts. On Wednesday night she gave splendid interpretations of Mendelssohn’s ‘ Spring Song’ and Kowalski’s ‘ Marche Hongroise.’ As an encore number to the latter Miss Brabazon played with nice expression ‘ The Dying Poet.’ Mr Hawksworth Brown made his first appearance at these concerts as a reciter, but was not a striking success. Mr Ellyett’s flute solos were very acceptable, and Mrs Kilgour and Mr Fuller, and Messrs Reid and Fuller were associated in duets.