Music, Drama.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 202, 7 June 1894, Page 2

Music, Drama.

By the Prompter. The Montague-Turner people open at the Opera House on the 28th. The statement that Mr and Mrs Bancroft intend touring Australia and New Zealand next year is contradicted in London. Max O’Rell’s two years’ lecturing in Australia and America has resulted in a clear haul of £28,000. Faning & Mooney’s Specialty Co. gave a new programme at the Opera House last night and attracted a good audience. A Parisian ballet dancer who died recently left a fortune of 00,000, said to have been <earned in the business. A bad cold from which Mr Gee is suffering prevented the usual weekly popular concert being given last night. The next concert will be given on June 13. Aucklanders will be interested to learn that Arthur Clampett recently gave a. concert at Invercargill, and at the end of the programme dashed off into a fervid temperance lecture. The Parisians have laid the theatre on to their homes by means of the theatrephone, which perfectly transmits every inflection of an actors’ or a singers* voice. After a host gives a dinner he can turn on the Grand Opera for the benefit of his guests. Williamson and Garner make another invasion of New Zealand towards the end of the year. Present arrangements point to the tour opening in Dunedin on Boxing night and the inclusion in the repertoire of Paul Jones, The Mountebanks, and La Cigale. In Bland Holt’s new sporting drama, “ The Prodigal’s Daughter,” there is a virtuous stable boy who, after accepting to “ nobble” the favourite, is induced to forego the tempting bribe by an appeal to his conscience. A Sydney paper wants to know how many proof stable boys are there in Australia. Mr Lionel Brough, in the Sketch, tells a story of Fred Leslie. “My first acquaintance with Leslie,” he says, “ was at the Royalty. Somehow he had the run of the theatre, and used to sit in the stalls and watch the rehearsals. In a short time he knew everyone’s part, ond would play it when occasion offered. He was even willing to take a permanent part gratuitously, but I pointed out that that was not fair to the profession, so I think he afterwards got a pound a week. When we determined to put on Paul Pry „ we were in straits about a Captain Hardy. While we were talking it over, my eye fell on Leslie, who was lounging about, and I asked him if he had ever played the Dart in the province. ‘ Yes, a few times.’ ‘ Well, then, come to rehearsal to-morrow morning,’ I replied. Nine days after we played Paul Pry, and never shall I forget his inimitable Captain Hardy in bearing and get-up. After the curtain was down I congratulated, him most warmly. ‘By the by, where did you play the part before ? * * Never before,’ he replied ; ‘ but I wasn’t going to let the chance slip you gave me-’ He must have gone to Lacy’s and bought , the play and have sat up all night to learn it.”

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

(from our correspondent.) May 16th. To-night is the last for the present of the Dan Barry company at the Alexandra Theatre. On Saturday night next a change of scene takes place, as Barry, like the cute kind that he is, opens up with Fitzgerald’s Circus. The idea, of bringing a circus right into the heart of

the city is a good one, especially for the winter months. It will, however, play the very Mephisto ph eles with the other theatres, see if it don’t. In the meantime Dan Barry and company, on the strength of their phenomenal metropolitan season, will once again tempt fortune in the country. Maggie Moore’s new piece The Circus Queen, is not likely to prove much of a go. The same may be said of Garner’s Morals of Mayfair at the Bijou; and I don’t think Bland Holt is making more than a Million of Money at the Princess Theatre. The music halls are open, and that’s about all.

In connection with the Suburban Easter Pair here, the last night’s receipts were presented to Mr Pat Finn, . the •manager, and the ladies of the committee have subscribed to the tune of £3O, with a view of presenting Mr Finn with a gold watch suitably inscribed. This was a Roman Catholic Fair, and though the committee started out to make about £3OO, he lauded a profit of over £6OO. So thoroughly do those people go to work and support each church movement that now, encouraged by the success of St. Brigid’s, the Archbishop of St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday last announced that the Roman Catholics intended having a gigantic fair and bazaar in the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, whereby it was expected to raise twenty-two thousand pounds clear profit. Think of that, ye good people of New Zealand. We have a refined musical wonder here, one “ Nozart,” who, under the guidance of Mr P. Finn, has created much astonishment. Without the use of hands, feet, or any mechanical appliances whatever, he plays everything imaginable on the piano, and without any aid from lips or mouth, he plays the flute, whistle, etc. Nozart {not Mozart) is a veritable wonder, and is besides a whole show in himself. Mrs Rose Vernon Paget, now on the way to London, writes me, dating her letter from the Atlantic Ocean. Things generally from a theatrical point of view, are off, off, very much off. May 20th. The Sapio-Urso concerts in the Town Hall, Melbourne, are being largely attended, the general impression being that the seven nights season is all to brief. Bland Holt, who hasn’t been doing too well at the Princess Theatre, last night for the first time gave us A Life of Pleasure, splendidly acted, and magnificently mounted. A Life of Pleasure is the joint work of Harris (with a handle to his name,"'Sir Augustus) and the late Henry Pettitt. The big thing of the production is a battle, and as a military spectacle bangs Baronagher and “ his nibs,” you know bangs His Satanic Majesty. The scenery is at once realistic and beautiful, and in Gordon’s best style. Miss Watson Mrs Bland Holt, and Sass, Baker, and Bland Holt tumble into the hard work of the play, and score. Last night the piece was over a trifle too late, with the result that last trams and trains were missed, and everybody had to walk home. This exercise will, however, be avoided in the future. At the Bijou Theatre Garner is staging « Friends,” a piece well known throughout Australia, and made famous by the London Comedy Company. Old Harwood was in the cast, and made things hum humorously. Walter Bently gave a natural reading of Doctor Thompson, and Garner himself was a passable Dawson. The small part of Mrs. Meanley shone out conspiciously in the hands of Miss Annie Taylor. Miss Edith Bland wasn’t bad as Mrs. Dawson, and Hans Phillips was as big a success in the small part of Theodore as Mr Dwer was hopelessly overweighted in the part of Maurice. Maggie Moore is in her last nights now at the Theatre Royal, and is playing out the remainder of the seasons in a few- revivals of her most popular pieces. Charlie Holloway and his Dramatic Company open next Saturday in “The Shamrock and the Rose,” full particulars of which will be sent you later on. The Alhambra, and Frank M. Clark and the Gaiety Music Hall, and the Cogills are open, but there is not too notich in the shape of sugar hanging round. Dan Barry and the Fitzgerald Brothers’ Circus are at the Alexandra Theatre, and they will do an immense business, the show already being the talk of the town. You’jl remember what I wrote in the Review when Barry started but at the Alexandra. I then said that if any man in Australia could turn the big barn into a paying concern that man was Dan Barry. Dan (an old schoolfellow of

mine by the way) has more than fulfilled my prophecy. The house is packed nightly. . A somewhat amusing case came oft in the Carlton Police Court a day or two back, and touched largely on the gratitude racket. Phil Kirby, a well-known theatrical manager, sued Pat Finn, a wellknown theatrical writer of Melbourne, for an alleged debt of a few pounds. The case was defended by a well-known lawyer, who spluttered and began proceedings by asking for an adjournment This brought Pat Finn hotly to his feet to oppose the adjournment asked for by his own counsel. Bench and auditors were amused, and Finn, in the most unconcerned manner possible, waded in to conduct his own case. For the defence conclusive evidence was tendered that not only had Kirby been paid over and over again, but together with his wife and little ones had been found a shelter for six months at Finn’s expense. Need we add that the case was dismissed, and in reality should never have come into court. So much for man’s gratitude. The Flat.