Music, Drama.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume V, Issue 211, 9 August 1894, Page 2

Music, Drama.

By The Prompter.

Thornton-Arnold Season. On Thursday the Thornton-Arnold Com-, _ pany gave us another change by staging an up to-date version of Mr Arnold’s favourite piece, Hans the Boatman. The house was nothing wonderful in the way of numbers, and from the way are patronising travelling companies just now 1 fancy coinjof the realm is scarce, very scarce, in town. In none of his pieces is Mr Arnold sowelcomeas in Hans the Boatman, a production with which his name is associated all over the world. The tale told is a touching one, and in the hands of the Thornton-Arnold com- . pany a splendid interpretation is given of it. In the first act we are introduced to Gladys Farewell, a well-connected, fashionable, young lady who is paying a summer visit to Schroon Lake, U.S.A., on which Hans the boatman plies his ready oar and sings melodious songs to the “ kiddies ” to whom he is an everwilling playmate. Gladys falls in love with the handsome, lovable boatman, and when he falters out his heart’s declaration, she gladly owns her love for him. Her father is horrified when he finds where her love has been cast and gives her the option of Hans’ love or his parental recognition. Filled with romantic love, her answer is to place herself in the arms of her lover and the curtain falls, and we lose sightfor six years of Mr Farewell, who disowns his daughter, and of Darrel Vincent, the well dressed villian of the piece, who foiled in his suit of Gladys, mutters in the orthodox fashion, “ She will yet be mine.” The next act shows us Hans’ humble homewith Gladys fretting her heart out And regretfully longing for the comfortable home she left behind when she parted with her father to share Hans’ lot. Matrimony has not altered Hans’ easy going ways, and he still prefers “ playing mit the kiddies,” to working and gaining money for his home. The winter comes, and as the generous boatman has given his savings of the summer to save a poor old woman from want, poverty presses close to his door, and his wife begins to regret her marriage. She accidentally sees Hans giving an old sweetheart a brotherly kiss, and when her mind is filled with a belief that he is faithless, her quondam suitor, Darrell Vincent, appears on the seene and urges her to return to- her . father, who, according to *his statement, wishes her to return to him. Believing his lying message she flies with him with her little son, and then while his misguided wife is parting from him Hans loses his sight through an accidental explosion. Learning of his wife’s apparent faithlessness Hans goes out a wanderer with no guide but his faithful

■dog-Lion, and when the next act ■opens we see-Hans’ wife on her way back ■to his home.' Her eyes opened to Vin- ■ cent’s villianous designs she has flown r from him and wanders back to her desolate home. On finding Hans a wanderer, l she sinks senseless to the ground, and I then Hans comes on the scene led by | Lion and stumbles on his wife’s prostrate r body. The usual happy end follows. I Hans is reunited to his wife, a fortunate windfall comes in the shape of a legacy of, j£io,ooo, and the villian meets a watery grave in the lake besides which Be has plotted such villiany. It’s a pathetic little story splendidly told. - During the piece Mr Arnold gives many of his charming songs, and his daughter, a talented little mite, charms the audience with her budding genius. Miss Dot ' Frederic (a secbnd Pattie Browne by the way) is excellently cast, and Miss Knights is at her best as Hans’ wife. Messrs Leonard, Thomas, Brough, and Matthews lend valuable assistance, and the scenery is decidedly good. On Saturday and Monday evenings Mr Frank Thornton’s masterpiece, The Private Secretary, was produced’ and the popularity of the production was proved by the packed houses that were experienced. There is no comedy in which Mr Thornton is so welcome, and as a piece of stage work the production is far and away beyond Charley’s Aunt One can with a little stretch of imagination conceive of the existence of such an all-round oddity as the Rev. Robert Spalding, but the capers of the lady from Brazil are really beyond belief. The one piece bristles with really humorous situations; the other is an inconceivable absurdity. The part of MrCattermole, senior, the irascible old gentleman who rejoices in an alarming liver and a desire to see his nephew sow his wild oats, is a very important one *in The Private Secretary. Mr Thomas filled it very fairly, but one cannot help remembering what a splendid exponent of the part Mr Harwood was. Another actor who could fill the bill admirably would be George Anson. The acting of Miss Knight and Miss Dot Frederick was good, although they had very little to do. The last named actress reminds one of clever Pattie Browne. Messrs Brough and Matthews were well cast, and, with the exception that the former gentleman was not quite letter perfect, not a hitch took place during the presentation of the laughable comedy. An additional production was given on Tuesday night, when Mr Arnold made a welcome reappearance as Captain Fritz, —one of his best characters.

Sir Wm. Robinson’s opera Predatoros, or the Brigand’s Bride will be produced at a matinee performance at Melbourne Princess’s during Cup week.

Madame Melba thus writes to her sister in Melbourne I am really going to arrive in Australia next May. Mr Henry Abbey is going to take me straight from . America.”

The Sapio-TJrso Company will give a farewell series of concerts in Melbourne in September. Let us hope their experience will be better than was the case here.

Master Cyril Tyler, the boy soprano, who has stormed London, and who has been booked for an Australian tour, is

said to possess a remarkably fine voice, with a range extending from B below the staff to E in alt.

Alf. Dampier, who for years struggled at Melbourne Alexandra to produce Australian plays by Australian born actors, intends to introduce his own drama, Waratah, to London audiences.

According to the Herald our old friend Cates is in Auckland. In its notice of “ Hans the Boatman” our daily contemporary had the following : — “Mr Frank Cates played well as Lieut. Finch.” The gentleman who sustained that part was not Cates, but Percy Brough! • .

Aucklanders are supposed to be very musical. That is the reason for the great (?) ,support given the Sapio-Urso combibinatioh. The other night I had a striking piece of Evidence of what “ cultured” musical people we have in this city. It was just before the last number—“ Ave Mariah — on one of the programmes. A sumptuously attired seated in froritiof me, remarked enthusiastically to a friend, “Oh, this will be a treat. I think Gounod’s Amy Maiiah is simply delicious 1” Good old musical Auckland*

The Thornton-Arnold people play Sydney next and then Brisbane.

Miss Kate Bishop (Mrs L. J. Lohr) is giving elocution and dramatic lessons in Sydney.

“ Plain Bill ” Holloway has arranged to open Terry’s Theatre, Strand.

Two items from the balance-sheet of the Auckland Amateur Opera Club :—“ Cabs and ’buses. 8s 6d; refreshments, £3 l 4 s 3d ” 1

Miss Ethel Haydon, the daughter of a well-known Victorian sporting man, goes home with Madame Belle Cole to have her voice trained. There is a steady trade doing now in the exportation of budding Australian artists.

It has been stated in the daily Press that Mr John Fuller, who has returned from the South, intends starting Popular Concerts at the City Hall on Monday evenings. If there be a Monday Popular Concert tenant I don’t think there will be a Wednesday one.

The paid members of the Auckland Amateur Opera Club’s Madame Favart production were, according to the balancesheet, Mr J. Fuller £27 10s, Mr A. Tayler /25, Mrs Cooper £l5 15s, Miss Yates £7 S s > Mrs Sowerby £5 ss. Of course the Club is an amateur one, and is patronised as such !

The annual report and balance-sheet of the Auckland Amateur Opera Club was laid before the meeting of members on Monday last. The report stated that the work of the year comprised the production of Offenbach’s opera “ Madame Favart,” and “ in this the club achieved beyond doubt an artistic success equal to that of any past year. Financially, however, the results did not reach the committee’s expectations, although the cost of production was not greater than that ot ‘ Princess Ida.’ The total expenditure for the financial period ended June 30, 1893, was 16s yd, and the total receipts 15s rod, which, with 18s 3d, brought forward fram last balancesheet, gives a present credit balance of £l7O 17s 6d. The club’s assets, in addition to the above cash balance, comprise the dresses, scenerj and property of ‘ Madame Favart’ and 1 Princess Ida’ complete, part of the ‘ Sorcerer’ and ‘ Pinafore’ dresses and properties, and a valuable collection of music, including band parts of all operas played by the club. The present liabilities are nil.”