The Stage

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XI, Issue 525, 10 January 1901, Page 9

The Stage

[By

Paul Pry.

•• Pam Prv” will be glad to hear from those managers •t theatrical companies touring New Zealand who desire that the public shall know the movements of thecome naaiM. 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 addraqand—••Paul Pry,” Sporting and Dramatic BbviHW, Vulcan iLane. Auckland.

Our Christchurch Dramatic Correspondent, under Date January Ist, says: Wyld and Freedman's British Biograph succeeded Charles Arnold at the Royal, and appear to have done good business so far. . . The Exhib tion has another month to run —by which time it v> ill have about played itself right out. , Even now there are many days when the visitor wanders Amongst deserted avenues and wonders where all the people are, The Entertainment Committee ought to get up some fresh attraction to keep the ball rolling. But they don’t seem to be able to think of anything. It is now generally recognised that the concert hall is (acoustically speaking) well —er —not a success. Such a pity, isn’t it? It’s a fine hall, with a nice stage, and enormous seating capacity. And yet . . . Boring Day proved cold, bleak, and stormy with us. Result: out door shows were passed.by and the Exhibition benefited. At night there was a bumper house at the Royal (Biograph show), also at the Opera House (Dix’s Oo), and at the Oddfellows’Hall (Fuller and Sons). The two latter have now become recognised permanent places of amusement here. Fuller and Sons’ show is, of course, much the older established of the two, and is pretty well known in the profession to be a money-making concern. Dix’s •how is also doing very well.

The popular young manager, Mr John Fuller, Jun., is at present on the West Coast .with another newly organised Vaudeville-company, and has played on race nights at Reefton, Greymouth, and Hokitika, to enormous business.

“ Muldoon’s Picnic ” has. been amusing large audiences at the City Hall. What with the eceentricities of Mulcahy and Muldoon, and the playfulness of their donkey, a continual simmer of saughter is caused right through the piece. Little Claude Sullivan is immensely popular. Although it is impossible for the voice of such a mite to be distinct throughout the large hall, his gestures alone are wonderfully effective, and one can hardly believe it is not a grown artist upon the stage. Mr J. C. Bain, who has proved himself.one of Mr Dix’s greatest artists, farewelled on Friday night. Needless to say; a packed house

greeted the people’s favourite. AU will be sorry to lose him —when he does leave us.| 1

In spite of the warm evenings, all the places of amusement have been wellpatronised during the week. The Agricultural Hall, with Mr FuUer’s wonderfuUy cheap entertainment, continues to be well patronised. The funnyisms of Dennis Carney, Will Stevens, Will Sylvain, and the juggling feats of Rexo are well deserving of the great applause which greets them nightly, while Miss Mae Marlow, with her large repertoire of amusing ditties, is an immense favourite with the boys. A lot of first-class new talent is expected to appear early, at the City Hall. Miss MoUy Bentley is giving some good new songs ; they evidently suite the popular taste. “ Queen Elizabeth ” as a spectacular play, is one of the finest seen in Auckland for a long time, and as it was splendidly acted, it proved the most popular of the first three productions of the McKee Rankin Company. Miss Nance O’Neil’s interpretation of Elizabeth was a very powerful piece of acting. Burleigh says of the woman who did so much to make England great “As Queen, an eagle ; as woman, sometimes a butterfly and sometimes a viper.” In Giacomettis’ play there is very little of the butterfly visible. The Queen is very susceptible to flattery, and Essex scores rapidly with his highfalutin praise of her physical beauty and her mental ability. In patriotic spirit, in fire, and in energy Miss O’Neil’s impersonation lacked nothing. All through the talented actress gave a splendid picture of the proud imperious spirit whose heart is’ ultimately broken by the death of Essex. Mr Walter Raynham was excellent as Lord Burleigh, Mr Benson North gave a capital portrait of Admiral Lord Howard of‘Effingham, Mr George Becks was good as Sir Francis Drake and Mr J. B. Athol wood, as the Marquis de Mendoza, displayed that cleverness which has marked all his efforts. Mr Kingston’s Essex was distinctly good in the Throne Room scene, but previously there was rather too much melodramatic gesture when his fulsome adulation told upon Elizabeth As Lady Sara Howard, Miss Fitzmaurice Gill played carefully and effectively. Mrs Henry Bracy, as Lady Anna Burleigh, also acted with skill. The staging, dressing and scenery were up to that high standard which marks all the productions of the company, and it only remains to be said that the public appreciation of “ Queen Elizabeth ” was very plainly shown.|

On Friday and Saturday “ Camille ” afforded Miss Nance O’Neil another opportunity of showing Aucklanders her great powers In the earlier scenes with Armand her lovemaking was charming, and her vivacity delightful. In the long and trying scene with Armand’s father Miwr O’Neil’s acting was superb, it was worthy of the highest admiration ana strongest praise. The fall of the curtain on this act was the signal for a great outburst of enthusiasm, and Mr Barton Hill as well as Miss O’Neil fully merited the applause bestowed. In the dying scene

Miss O’Neil again scored a triumph. As Armand Duval Mr Kingston acted earnestly and well; his frenzy in the ballroom act was finely depicted, and all through his work met with hearty approval. The Madame Prudence of Mrs Henry Bracy was one of those smart pieces of acting this clever lady has accustomed us to. As the Counts de Varville and de Giray Messrs Henry Plimmer and Benson North had not much to do, but everything was well done. Mr George Becks was capital as Saint Gaudens, and the minor parts were very capably enacted. The scenery and stage appointments were excellent.

Sir Henry Irving says that no harm is done by informing the public of the story of a new play, otherwise, he argues, after the first performance, and after the papers have given publicity to the theme, audiences would vanish. “You might as well say,” concludes Sir Henry in a London exchange, “that a person would never think of going twice to see a tragedy, a comedy, or a comic opera.” .

Last night—Wednesday—and this evening the Nance O’Neil Company put on Sardon’s "Fedora.” On Friday and Saturday “The School for Scandal ” will be produced. The Melbourne admirers of Mr F, H. Cowen (says the London correspondent of a Southern exchange) .will be interested to learn that the University of Cambridge have conferred the degree of Doctor of Music (honoris causa) upon that gentleman. The public orator (Dr Sandys), when presenting Mr Cowen for his degree, referred to him as having visited Australia on an auspicious occasion, when, in the words of one of his many songs, “ the stars were with the voyagers.” A writer in the London “Era” says that Mr Wilson Barrett’s new version of “Man and His Makers” affords his leading lady, Miss Lili ah M’Carthy, many excellent opportunies for powerful acting in the part of Jane Humphries, which Miss M’Carthy is still playing with remarkable success in the provinces She has accepted Mr Barrett’s offer to renew her engagement as his leading lady next tour.

On Monday night the O’Neil-Rankin Company appeared in Sardou’s “ La Tosca,” when as Floria Tosca Mi»s Nanc* O’Neil pleased the audience immensely. In the Church scene and in the Palais Farnese act the play seemed to drag somewhat, though the concluding part of the second act, with its swifter action, woke up the audience and prepared them for the next. Miss O’Neil’s acting was very fine in the torture scene at Cavaradossi’s villa, and in the great scene with Soarpia in the fourth act, which ends in La Tosca stabbing him, her pnwer as a tragic actress was shewn in marked manner. The method adopted of killing La Tosca was not in accord with art. When she finds that Cavardossi has been really shot, she taunts the captain in charge of the guard with the statement that she has killed Scarpia. The officer disbelieves it, and sends Schiarone to see. When the latter returns and verifies La Tosca’s words the officer draws a pistol, and, with a cry of “ Die, wretch,” he shoots her. This is too much like mere melodrama. Much better the old ending, where the

broken-hearted woman throws herself over the battlements of the castle. With the part of Scarpia Mr Kingston was well fitted, and he gave an excellent portrait of the callous and brutal Chief of the Police. I liked him as Scarpia better than anything else he has done. As Cavaradossi Mr Harry Plimmer was effective, and must be complimented upon a sterling performance. The Schiarone of Mr Athol wood was painstaking. Mr Benson North, as the martyr Angelotti, did well, and the garru’ous Father Eusebe was well played by Mr J. E. Fitzgerald. Miss Fitzmaurice Gill as the Queen had little to do, and her make-up was not at all prepossessing. Ab in all the other plays the scenery, staging, and dressing were all that could be desired. Miss Nance O’Neil's costumes in all the plays are marvels of beauty, and they would need a page of description to do them justice.

News received by the San Francisco mail, under date 22 nd November, states that Madame Melba is just now triumphant in San Francisca. Mr Maurice Grau has brought with him for a season of 20 nights the most remarkable company of singers ever heard on that coast. The first day’s sale of season tickets brought a return of £12,800 to the management. Madame Melba is regarded as the leading attraction, though De Reszke, Planoon, Nordics, Gadski, a d others almost as remarkable are among the stars. Critics declare that Madame Melba has improved in acting since her appearance in San Francisco last year. Her voice remains as fine as ever It is reported that Mr Grau pays Madame Melba the handsome sum of £350 for each performance. She appears three or four times each wfek, and has already played as Mareueiite in “Faust,” Juliette in “ Romeo et Juliette,” and Mimi in “ La Boheme.”