The STAGE

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XI, Issue 510, 27 September 1900, Page 9

The STAGE

[Bv

Paul Pry.]

•• Pam Pry” will be glad to hear from those managers of theatrical companies touring New Zealand who desire lha* the public shall know the movements of the come paaies. Any information as to dates, etc., will be acknowledged in these columns, as well as any other items of interest to the theatrical world. All letters should be addressed— ■* Paul Pry,” Sporting and Dramatic RsviEW, Vulcan i Lane. Auckland.

At the Choral Hall last night (Wednesday) Mr and Mrs Hamilton Hodges gave their third Grand Song, Recital. The following was the Srogramme to be put before the audience. — avatina, “ Largo al Factotum ” (“ Il Barbiere ”), 'Rossini • aria, “ Elizabeth’s Greeting to the Hall, of Song ” (“ Tannhauser ”), Wagner; romanza, “Wolfram Alone” ("Tannhauser”), Wagner; scene and prayer, “ Softly Sighs ” (“ Der Freisohutz”), Weber; piano solo, “ Rhapsodie Hon Sroiae, No. 2 ”), Li«zt; songs (a), “My Soul is ark” (&), “ Evening Song,” Schumann; song, “ Night Hymn at Sea,” Goring-Thomas ; recitative, “ What Here ” •(" Ernani ”), Verdi; cavatina, “ Hapless Silva ” (" Ernani ”), Verdi; recitative, "This Outrage” ("Ernani”), Verdi; cabaletta, “Ah ! Till to Lave a Shameful Stain ” ("Ernani”), Verdi; recitative, “Midnight Approaches” (“■•Ernani”), Verdi; cavatina, "Ernani, Fly with Me” ("Ernani”), Verdi; duet, “ What Hear I?” (“ Il Trovatore,” Act IV), Verdi. Mr Herbert Aehton, writing to the Sydney Referee from San Francisco, on August 7, says : —•'Just a line from an Australian to let you know how we are. Miss Maggie Moore has kept you posted theatrically, so I will tell you about myself. Since we disbanded I have joined the ‘ New Frawley Company ’ at the Grand Opera House. I opened in 1 The Great Ruby,’ then ‘The Red Lamp,’ in which I played General Marakoff. We are now playing ‘The Middleman;* * Trilby’ and ‘ The Silver King’ to follow. It is a splendid company, with Wilton Lackaye, the original Svengali, at the, head. Mr Roberts is also in the company. And now -I have joined the noble band of Benedicts. Married on Wednesday, August 1, to Miss Lily Bransoombe, who also came to America with Miss Maggie Moore My wife joins the Frawley Company shortly. I tried to keep it quiet, but it leaked out on the morning of the wedding. It is twelve months to-day since we left New Zealand for America ” Mr Donald Macdonald’s lectures at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Wanganui, were very well patronised. The Opera House was otherwise engaged, so Mr Geach had to take the Oddfellows’ Hall. To accommodate the overflow attendance seats were placed upon the stage. ' I Mr Charles Voss, when on a recent visit to Wellington, engaged se eral new artists for the Popular Concerts he is running at the Wanganui 1 Qpera House. < Miss Lottie Collins, the famous variety artiste, who made a fortune out of the music hall song "Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay,” sailed from London on 31st ult., under engagement to Mr Harry Rickards, to appear at the Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, and also in Sydney Next Wednesday, October 3, the Auckland Catholic Literary Society will produce an entirely

new and original comedietta by Mr Henry Gray, entitled “ Daisy of ‘ Ours ’ ” at St Benedict’s Hal. Mr Gray wrote “ The Wreck of the Saucy Puss,” which r the Society produced a short time ago. Miss Marie Tempest has a wonderful stage kiss. It is remarkably like the real thing, but it isn’t. She gathers her stage lover’s face in her dainty hands, draws it towards her, and the audience hears a kiss which is indescribably charming. She does it this way. She places her thumb nails to her lips, and kisses the space between them I And so the poor actors get ■ none. Though no definite announcement has been received of Mr Musgrove’s plans, it is known that he will re-open the Princess’s Theatre next month with English opera, beginning with Gounod’s “ Faust.” There is talk also of “ Lohengrin” and “Tannhauser.” Among names mentioned as included in the company are Miss Lilian Coomber, a soprano who has made appearances with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, and Mr Max Eugene, a baritone who has been singing for some time in the United States. A generation has passed since Mr G. W. Moore and Mr Burgess entered into partnership and St James’s Hall became famous for its Christy Minstrel entertainments. The Moore and Burgess Minstrels became a national institution. They advertised that " they never appeared out of London ” consequently they were the first entertainers to be visited by the countryman out on a holiday. After Mr Burgess died, his partner turned the concern into a company, and, unrestrained by eager counsels, introduced music hall artistes, some of them ladies, to appear in the second part of the entertainment. Then the traditional policy of the troupe was altered by the establishment of a provincial company, which 'not only has never paid for itself, but also has prevented people coming to the London performance. The multiplication of other places of amusement, and the inevitable going down of the nigger minstrel " before the advance of civilisation,” has brought disaster to the cpmpany, and now it has drifted into the 'Bankruptcy Court. Our Christchurch theatrical correspondent writes : The Dix boom at the Opera House still continues. “ Houseful ”is the placarded announcement nightly in the vestibules. .And, mind you, a full house at this theatre means at least a couple of thousand people. Jas. Bain has departed, with sundry other favourites, for the I J unedin Dix’s. Of course he is missed. There I are not many variety stars like Bain knocking about this side the line. The new company includes Davy, with his giant marionettes, voea [ lists, knockabouts, and dancers. Single turns, ■ too. Reggie Horace, the boy soprano, has a voice like a silver flute. His song, " Dreaming as She Sleeps,” fetches ’em every time. Trixie Lemar is a good serio-comic, and Bob Hall, as a comedian is 18-carat and stamped on every link. No time to notice anybody else this trip, but you can take it from me that the show goes with a bang all the way through — Fuller’s show is also going well. Will Watkins made a welcome re appearance the other night, and g6t encored any number of times. He’s a great favourite here. to-night (Saturday(, Horace Bent, the veteran burnt-corkist, is announced to appear. By-the-bye, I hear the Fullers have taken the Choral Hall for the Jubilee season, and will thus at that time, have two shows running in this dusty metropolis. — On Monday Wyld and Freedman’s War Biograph opens at the Royal. Rumour says it’s the best thing of the kind on the track. More concerning" it anon. —McDonald, war correspondent and lecturer, is likely to bob up serenely here very shortly. But I haven’t met Edwin Geach yet. —Ben Fuller is spending a heap of money on

his Dunedin theatre, the Alhambra. Effecting quite a transformation, I hear. The Agricultural Hall has been nightly filled by large attendances since the last issue of the Bbview. Mr Fred Bluett, whose picture appears in our columns this week, has become very popular in the short time he has been here, and night after night his tunes have been encored with great enthusiasm. Professor Norris, the accomplished roller skater, has gained many friends for his skillful work on the skates. He is very tricky, very nea M and extremely graceful, while his comic skating is really funny. Salvino, the expert juggler, is very smart. Miss Eva Wilson, Miss Thorne, and the other members of the company, are all high in favour. The new Biograph war-films are really excellent, and the public appreciate them very highly. Last night Mr Jack Williams, a comedian and vocalist from the Tivoli, made his first appear-

ance. New talent is promised for next week, for John Fuller believes in keeping things booming. The Auckland Liedertafel will give the third concert of the season at the Choral Hall, on Friday, October sth. The Flying Jordans appear at the Agricultural Hall on Monday next. They have been extremely well received at the other Fuller shows A group picture of the talented Corrick Family appears in this issue. During their visit to Auckland the Corricks have delighted the people with their clever and entertaining musical programme. Owing to the late arrival of the Mararoa the McAdoo Minstrels had to postpone their opening programme from Tuesday to Wednesday evening. Miss Olive Lenton, the latest addition to Mr Dix’s Gaiety Comp my, has a most pleasing and graceful stage presence, dresses her part well, and sings sweetly. The audience greets her appearance with the utmost enthusiasm. Saturday night must have surely been a record house, for truly not another man, woman, or child could have found seating accommodation, and hardly standing room. The whole performance goes with such vim, and every item is so excellent as to surprise those in the audience who visit this company for the first time. Messrs Adson, Cray don, and Hol’and give in the present programme a first-class triple clog dance, and the Leslies are more funny and more clever than ever. Mr Steve Adson scores a great success with his “ Love bong,” introducing amusing verses of local interest, and the audience were loth to let him off the stage. The management, I understand, have engaged a number of new artists with good reputations on the other side. One of these, Mr Sam Gale, a character vocalist, made his .first appearance here on Tuesday evening. The Auckland Banjo, Guitar, and Mandolin Club gave one of their well-known enjoyable concerts on Tuesday, September 18. The Opera. House was well filled, and all the items were enthusiastically received.' The gem of the Club pieces was the patrol “Darkies,” which was carefully and sweetly rendered. It is selections of this class which serve to make these concerts popular. The vocal contributions were fairly successful, and the march by young ladies in khaki, introducing the song “ For Queen and Empire,” was heartily received. Mr Percy Denton took the audience by storm with his humorous items,’being re-called again and again. Mr Arthur Towsey as usual made an efficient conductor.