Music, Drama.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume V, Issue 216, 13 September 1894, Page 9

Music, Drama.

By

The Prompter.

Pollard’s Liliputian Opera.

Many familiar and some new faces shine in the ranks of the ever-popular juveniles who return to us in great form. “ Ali Baba,” a splendidly-staged spectacular burlesque, ran six nights to capital business. It is replete with lovely scenery, gorgeous dresses, wonderful grouping, marching, and dancing, lively dialogue, laughable comic songs and captivatingly sweet ones. A full orchestra under the practised baton of Mr H. T. Harrison, and exceptionally good limelight effects add largely to the efficiency of a most attractive performance. Deserving of mention among this talented company are Miss Marion Mitchell, who acts capitally and is gifted with a clear and powerful soprano voice; Miss Sissy Sandford, who seems to the manner born in burlesque work, reminding one of the charming Nellie Power in style and verve; Miss Nellie Wilson, whose telling contralto voice and graceful stage presence are more effective than ever; Miss Maud Beatty, who not only sings and acts charmingly but displays wonderful dramatic power and perfect enunciation ; Miss Lily Stephens, a graceful actress and pleasing singer; and the Misses Lily Mowbray, Edith Zeigler, Emily Metcalf, Tony Richer, etc., etc., all most capable and attractive little ladies. Among the boys Masters Alf. Stephens and Harry Quealy are, if possible, funnier than ever; and Masters W. Percy, C. Noble, E. Lovill, G. Young. J. McShane, E. Morriss, A. Albert, Clarke, Sleepwell, etc., etc., all display talents which would tax the columns of the Sporting Review to do- justice to. Master C. Stephens, a tiny brother of Alfred’s, shows remarkable promise. Last night (Wednesday), but too late for notice in this issue, “Ali Baba” was replaced by “ Erminie,” and good as the juveniles are in burlesque, few will deny that their comic opera achievements show them at their best. “ Erminie ” will be repeated to-night (Thursday), and on Friday and Saturday evenings the favourite “ Les Cloches de Corneville ” will be staged. On Monday evening will be produced for the first time in New Zealand “ Bulbo,” a comic opera written, and composed by Mr H. T. Harrison, the talented conductor. This piece when produced at Brisbane made a genuine hit. The libretto, founded upon a whimiscal story by Thackeray, is sparkling and clever, and “ ditto ” describes the music As the season closes on Tuesday next, not many nights remain for the admiring patrons of Mr Pollard’s brilliant and admirably-trained pupils. It requires no gift of second sight to predict a very successful tour through Maori Land.

“Lorgnette” writes that Mr Chas. Arnold will be back in New Zealand early next year with a new company. Miss Violet Varley, one of Melbourne’s best comic opera priraa donnas, first learnt her stage craft in the ranks of Pollard’s Liliputians. The Walter Bentley company are working Wellington and are due here shortly. “ The Silver King,” with Mr Bentley as Wilfrid Denver, is the leading item in the repertoiie. Mr Alf. Boothman takes the part of “ The Spider,” and according to Southern press notices he fills the bill admirably. As a callous ruffian of melodrama Boothman is decidedly good, although his very deliberate apd ultramelodramatic method of speaking his lines is apt to prove wearisome at times. In the matter of the Empire tableaux vivants v. the Daily Graphic, Mr Justice Stirling has (writes the London Referee), as I expected, been declared to have been in the wrong. The paper named published drawings of the living pictures. His lordship gave sanction and approval to the curious contention that these drawings were an infringement of the copyright in the actual paintings. In the Court of Appeal, to which the case was very properly carried, Lord Justice Lindley has expressed his disagreement with this ruling. The sketches, he said, were not intended to be, and were not in fact, copies of the pictures, and were not copies or reproductions of the designs of the pictures. Lords Justice Lopes and Davey agreed with Lord Justice Lindley, and, the appeal being allowed, judgment was given for the D.G., with costs in both courts.

Brough and Bouoioault open an Adelaide season on October 9th.

Pollard’s Liliputians will skip Wellington in their Southern tour and play the Windy City at Christmastide.

Signor Verdi’s next production will, it is said, not be an opera, but a series of sacred works.

A statue is to be erected at Liverpool in honour of the late Mr W. T. Best, organist.

Messrs Williamson & Musgrove’s Royal Comic Opera Company is at present playing a Brisbane season.

Sydney Truth states that Mr Edward Sass, who was last here with the Myra Kemble company, is of the family of the Marquis of Ripon, Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Mr. J. C. Williamson, the head of “the Firm,” is working America for novelties, and returns to' Australia in time for the next panto, season.

Madame Sara Bernhardt is to appear in The Second Mrs. Tanqueray, which slightly blue moral specimen of dramatic work has been translated into French for her.

Our sixpenny popular concerts cannot hold a candle to those held in Adelaide as far as “popular” prices go. In the South Australian capital the tariff is one penny, and the show is a big financial success.

Johann Strauss’ jubilee will be celebrated on the 15 th of next month, when festival performances of the “ Walts King’s ” works will be given in the Viennese theatres.

When W. S. Gilbert’s new comic opera is produced at the end of next month in London, George Grossmith will forsake his monologue entertainments and return to his old love at a salary of £7O per week.

Miss Bessie Doyle refused to give an encore to a Southern audience, owing to the small attendance, and was promptly hissed. Miss Doyle and public artists in general fail to see that the smaller the encoring audience the greater the honour and appreciation.

A very successful season fell to the lot of the Thornton-Arnold people in Brisbane. They are at present playing in Sydney, the inevitable Charley’s Aunt being the attraction. After the N.S.W. capital has been played for three weeks, Melbourne and Adelaide will be worked, after which the company hies back to Merrie England.

This evening the Pollard Liliputian Company will appear at the Opera House in Erminie, an opera in which the juveniles are seen to great advantage, and on next Friday and Saturday evenings the ever favourite opera Les Cloches de Corneville will be staged. We will be introduced to an entirely new comic opera on Monday next, when the first production will take place of Mr H. T. Harrison’s work “ Bulbo.” This is a threeact comic opera, built on modern lines, with bright music, witty dialogue, clever plot and amusing situations. I am informed from an authentic source that this work will take rank with any comic opera yet heard in the colonies. Mr Harrison is an old resident of New Zealand, where he may be said to have won his spurs, so I trust a bumper house will greet the initial production of his opera.

Rickards is the marvel of the music hall stage in the opinion of the Sydney Bulletin, which journal remarks“ At 58 years of age he has much more voice, 4 go ’ and magnetism than any other Australian performer in the same line. If he were to re-appear on the London hall stage, with two or three strong new songs and the reputation of being as old as he really is, ’Airy would make a lot of the reigning 4 stars ’ look small. Rickards Redivivus ! He would need to be thoroughly explained and set forth on the programme, so that a decrepit, alcoholised Cockney every here and there among the audience might state to the youngsters that this was a man who had outlived five-sixths of the ’Arries who had heard him when he first came out. As for his rivals of those days I And how to account for it! Rickards has the vitality of his race. He is of the Chosen.”

The Sydney Theatre Royal has been leased by Mr Bland Holt for three years.

Home papers say that Miss Fortescue cleared nearly £5OOO by her English provincial tour with Hypatia.

A benefit to Mr Arthur Garner (late of the W. G. & M. triumvirate) is beingarranged in Sydney.

The great Irving once lived on £1 a week; now something over £15,000 per annum is his figure.

Referring to the death of Madame Marietta Alboni, the Dramatic News states that she made her debut at Milan in 1843 as Maffio Orsini and her last appearance in London in 1871.

A benefit was recently given the Faust Family at the Brisbane Gaiety, but the house was so terribly poor that a collection was made, and the result was the large sum of £2 9s 4d.

Miss Jennie Lee is arranging for a London re-appearance. Australian stagegoers may regret the loss of “ Jo,” but that dismal crossing-sweeper has been worked long enough surely.

Mr Olly Deering severs his connection with the Kennedy Dramatic Company which is at present located in Dunedin. Mr Deering has, I understand, received a recall to the Australian side.

Mr Bentley’s repertoire contains, besides The Silver King, The Silence of Dean Maitland, Money, Nos Intimes, Still Waters Run Deep, and My Partner. If The Bells had been added Bentley would have been seen in his best effort.

Miss Mary Anderson has once again taken up her residence in London. The return of the famous actress to the world’s metropolis is not regarded as a forecast of her return to the stage, but rather as the first step towards the publication of her long-promised memoirs.

The vacancy created in Bland Holt’s company by the departure of Miss Henrietta Watson for the Old Country will be filled by Miss Hilda Spong. Although Miss Watson was something above the average, her place will be well taken by Miss Spong who has great dramatic ability, which although somewhat in the bud just now will quickly burst into full bloom.

44 Pasquin,” of the Witness, writes that Mr Henry Stockwell, formerly of Dunedin will probably accompany Paderewski on his forthcoming American tour. Stockwell, who posses a more than fair tenor voice, is burdened with the fatal belief that he requires no training. When his voice is prematurely worn out he will possibly look at the matter in a different light.

The following pars, are from the Bulletin : —

Arthur Garner’s comedy company closed its season at Sydney Criterion with one ’night of the damp and tearsodden 44 East ®Lynne.” As a really wailful drama, suitable for the funeral of an unlucky season, “ East Lynne ” undoubtedly fills the bill. The one thing which could be said for it is that the stupendous Garner and his co played it for all there was in it, and—in its own desolate fashion —it took well. There are four mournful things in this world—a homeless orphan lost in the snow; a blind mother weeping over her dead child ; a manual labourer in spectacles ; and “ East Lynne.” And the saddest of them all is 44 East Lynne.” Talmage has delivered his for or five lectures in Melbourne, and moved on to other places where he hasn’t yet been found out. Several vast audiences heard that apostolic mummer read his bursts of oratory from bits of paper when he wasn’t retailing decayed anecdotes from memory, and the general opinion is unfavourable. The devouring stranger is reckoned an artistic failure, like Katie Putnam and “ Evangeline,” and many other things that pass for great in Amurrica. His “ lectures ” are but low comedy sermons for Christian young men ; his doctrines dodge the main point; the brazen effrontery of his elocution is not even new to some hearers. It was heard in London bethels 20 years ago, and no intelligent citizen, having come across it once, felt anxious to encounter the unmeaning tumult ever again. If the voice of the people be the voice of God it is quite evident that the Almighty doesn’t commission Talmage to go on tour.

The Comic Opera Company proposes to depart from the Lyceum and from Sydney at the end of next week. Nellie Stewart goes with it, so the local johnny’s life will shortly be but a vale of dry bones. Meanwhile, “ Mdlle. Nitouche” is going strong, and the fact that the ballet is exceedingly blue and sinful, and that the living pictures are in a shocking state of nakedness, becomes more and more apparent every time they are inspected. The Bulletin has inspected them more conscientiously than it ever inspected anything before, and speaks as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Owing to these and other circumstances the front entrance at 7.30 every evening looks like Xerxe’s army going upstairs in furious haste on its way to Greece.

Melbourne, Aug. 31. “ Cronkyorium,” I regret to state, is the order of things at the Alexandra Theatre, where “ Missing at Llloyds” is still doing duty. Unfortunately the “ missing” is mainly confined to the salaries, and very much, I fear me, that the royal deceased Dane, to wit the ghost, would not budge a blooming inch ; no, siree, not even if an ambulance waggon came along. Barry and company committed a deadly error when, on the circus opening across the road, they failed to put up even a change of piece, the result, as above stated, is that there is little—ahem! “ change” at the Alex. “ The Bauble Shop,” the piece now in evidence at the Princess Theatre, contains about fifty-seven members of Parliament in the cast, from which the gentle though observant reader will glean that a political atmosphere surrounds the piece. This is so, and as a dissolution of Parliament proper has not eventuated “ The Bauble Shop” is doing pretty well. George Darrell withdraws “ Hearts of Oak” (a hoax of art) to-morrow night in favour of “ The Sunny South,” which is as good as anything Darrell has yet perpetrated. Whether this is considered complimentary or otherwise is left with the reader; he (or she) may please him —(or her) —self as he (or she) wishes. Harry Rickards has been putting in a few nights with Clark’s Company at the Alhambra, and rumour, with most miraculous organ, now says that ’Arry will shortly manage the ’Lambra “ on his own nut,” as they say in the classics. Frank Clarke is going into, in fact is already in, a Metropolitan hotel. Clark should be a great success as beer-pump-agitator-in-chief. The Cogill Company are at the Oxford (late Gaiety) and are drawing splendidly. Old Freeman, the Melbourne Royal stage door keeper, a very civil and obliging old boss, is now training a troupe of cats. A short time back a humorous paragraph appeared in a paper here mentioning the cats. This called down the wrath of some pig-headed idiot who writes alleged theatrical news (?) for an evening rag. The P.H.I. was dense enough to take the thing in earnest and and like the gladiator we read about jumped into the arena to defend the cats. The litter-airy gentleman is now so sorry he spoke, for not only Freeman and the public generally, but the very kittens arch their eyebrows as the ink-slinger passes, and the look says plainer than words, 4< Ye gods, and does this thing live ! ”

Fillis’ circus is at the corner of Exhibition and Lonsdale-streets, and this reminds me that the lively and blondemoustached Jack Cameron sends kind regards to you. I send them to you as they cost me nothing in transit. The unkillable Joe Davis is still here, and he is now fairly on the job anent the Lazarus gold medal, a competition that Fanning, or rather Davis, says will be contested by the following corner men : Jones, Whitburn, Cogill, Fanning, Sayles, Pope and Hugo. Joe Davis tells me this in confidence of course, that he’ll have a crimson easy won. 44 Why, sir,” says Joe, “ I can lick ’em ’ands down.” Joe may not speak Her Majesty’s English accurately, but he talks with fearful fervour. My own private opinion is that Mr Davis will have a walk over, and that we’ll find when the night arrives the other end men will not put in an appearance.