Music, Drama.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 193, 5 April 1894, Page 9

Music, Drama.

By

the Prompter.

Posters are out announcing the forthcoming production of Madame Favart by the Auckland Amateur Opera Club, and the opinion is freely expressed by those who have been attending rehearsals that the production of Offenbach’s comic opera will be the best effort yet put forward by the Club. The opening performance will be given at the Opera House on Tuesday the 10th inst., and as the theatre has been engaged for a week the committee are evidently confident of a fair season. A strong chorus has been secured, and the principals are sufficiently versed in vocal and histrionic art to give creditable interpretations of their parts. The musical portion of the work is in the care of Herr Carl Schmitt, and as the management of the stage is in the capable hands of Mr Archdale Tayler, I am certain there will be no fault found-in that department of the production. The box plan is now open at Wildman and Lyell’s, and judging by the booking up to date there will be a bumper house on the opening night.

Brough and Boucicault have strengthened their company for the Sydney season by importing Mr Renpuf, Mr Franklyn, and Miss Edith Ward from England.

Messrs Williamson and MusGßoyE are understood to have a new Gaiety Company under engagement for the next Christmas season in Melbourne. Roberts and Florrie St. John are to be the leading lights of the show.

From the Bulletin :— A certain juvenile, who is trying to be a leading juvenile, was once a hair dresser in Auckland. As a consequence he now owns the most beautiful hair-parting on the Australian stage.

Madame Camilla Urso, the famous violiniste who visited New Zealand some fifteen years ago, has arranged to make a second Australian tour. Melbourne will be the opening scene, and the concerts are expected to commence about the middle of May. Signora Clementina de Vere Sapio accompanies Madame Urso as vocalist, and the lady’s singing is stated to be as artistic as her name.

The pantomime company have had a very successful season up to date at the Opera House, and on Saturday last their first change of programme was witnessed by a very large audience. The second attraction, Cinder Ellen Up Too Late, was every whit as attractive as Sinbad the Sailor, and the various songs and dances which are introduced during the progress of the burlesque are of the very latest. One of the best features of the show is the acrobatic act of the Connor Brothers, who are wonderful clever in their particular line of business. A new piece will be presented to-night.

The noble Red Man has got into opera. A Bostonian has produced The Ogallallas, a romantic opera in three acts, the plot of which is as follows: — Edith, an Eastern maiden, is being escorted across the plains of the Far West by a party of scouts, headed by the famous Deadshot, when the whole party are ambuscaded and captured by the Ogallallas. After a period of danger Deadshot escapes with Edith from the noble savages, and hies him to the nearest frontier fort, where he, of course, marries the heroine.

The talented violiniste, Miss Bessie Doyle, farewelled at the City Hall on Monday night last, and a splendid audience assembled to say goodbye to the fair artist. Needless to say Miss Doyle’s several items were rapturously received, and she certainly merited the applause accorded her. The Auckland Young Ladies’ Orchestra, “in special recognition of the occasion,” performed Mascagni’s famous intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana, and Miss Mildred Birch and Mr Mackenzie presented the vocal part of the programme.

Unthan, the armless man, startled New York recently, writes the Spirit of the Times, by driving a party of friends up Broadway and Fifth Avenue. He held, the reins with one foot and the whip with the other, and seemed to have no difficulty in guiding and controlling the spirited team. Unthan courteously lifted his hat with his foot in response. to the salutations of pedestrians, and whipped up his horses skillfully to get out of the way of the cable cars. A remarkable sight was afforded the passers by when Unthan held the reins and whip with one foot while he took out and lighted a cigarette with the other.

The Howe-Spong company have been well received down South, and the success of the N.Z. tour is assured. In A Grip Of Iron Mr Walter Howe will be seen in a character far removed from his usual line of virtuous hero. He takes the part of Jagon, a strangling villian of the most sanguinary type, and judging by the Press notices he fills the bill admirably. Here is the opinion of one Southern critic :—“ Mr Walter Howe impersonated Jagon, alias Simmonet, with masterly realism and force. It is a highly complex character, for, in addition to being a merciless criminal, asympathetic gentleman, and a cool, calculating villian, Simmonet has a strong human affection for his only daughter; but in his delineation of all these phases of real’ and simulated character Mr Howe has evidently a consistent conception of a true personality. It was a triumph, of histrionic art as genuine as it is rare.’

Lyon’s Burlesque Company are finishing up jdown South, after which they will re-visit India. From a programme forwarded me. I learn that ‘ the refined- unique and mirthful entertainment, Humour, Art and Harwill be bn hand at the Ponsonby Hall, on Monday evening next, April 9. -Mr A. H. Gee has already secured a large number of pupils, and before long the most advanced of them will be heard in part songs at the Wednesday Popular Concerts. It is Stated that at no less than a dozen London theatres smoking goes on secretly in the gallery and pit. No wonder fires occur if this be true. The suggestion is made in a London paper that it would be much safer if the. Lord Chamberlain were to allow smoking at such houses and insist upon proper safeguards for the indulgence. The Lake County Press has come down with a thud on the Heller’s trance reading as under: —“We were surprised to learn enough on one night’s visit to warrant the conclusion that the results are obtained by pure trickery. The obtaining of the names of a large number of the people in the hall by an assistant who retires behind the scenes while this part of the business is on, the bungling over names (necessitating the Professor’s asking the person' his name and going up and whispering it to Madame), the misspelling of names ‘ divined,’ and the many proved mistakes in the replies, warrant the conclusion we have come to. . . . We condemn this part of the entertainment as pure humbug.” In connection with the forthcoming Australian tour of the Madame Belle Cole Concert Company, of which Mr Phillip Newbury, an old Dunedin boy, will be a member. I notice that Newbury has written to the Sporting and Dramatic News denying that Madame Cole engaged himself and wife for the tour. “ I and my wife,” be writes, “ are engaged by an Australian syndicate, and Madame Cole and the other artists are under similar contracts to the syndicate.” Which sounds as though Phil, is getting rather perky on his success. I also notice he now spells his Christian name Philippe. Plain Phillip was good enough in the old Dunedin days.

The popular concerts at the City Hall have taken a firm hold of the public, and the attendances are increasing with every concert. Certainly, the Auckland public have never been so well catered for at such low prices before, and the promoter, Mr A. H. Gee, richly deserves all the success he is meeting with. Last night’s programme was an exceptionally good one, and the engagement of such favourite artists as Miss Alice Rimmer, Mrs Coatee and Mr Tapper shows that the promoter is determined to present his patrons with the best of our local performers. The quality of the programme was admirable, and it may fairly rank as the best yet presented. Mr Gee’s two solos were Will-O’-The-Wisp and The King’s Minstrel, two songs which the artist’s great descriptive power enable him to interpret to perfection. Mr Gee sang the duet Maying in company with Mrs Coates, and the latter artist gave most acceptable renderings of Kathleen Mavourneen and Dearie, while Miss Rimmer scored her usual measure of success with The Children’s Home and The Last Milestone. Mr Tapper’s songs were well chosen and admirably interpreted, and Miss Clarice Brabazon’s piano solos were played in her customary finished manner.