THE STAGE

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 746, 23 June 1904, Page 18

THE STAGE

(By

“Comus.”)

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE.

THE ROYAL COMICS.

The Royal Comics concluded their season at His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday with a fine performance of Cellier’s ever-popular opera “Dorothy.” Principals, chorus and orchestra all acquitted themselves well, and the enormous audience was most enthusiastic. The season was a phenomenally successful one, and the whole tour of the Colony must have resulted in a substantial profit. At the close of Saturday night’s performance, the manager, Mr Bracey, returned thanks and intimated that Mr Williamson intended to send all his big attractions to this Colony for the future.

The Mel. B. Spurr season! so far has been a long succession of triumphs, and "Wellington promises to outdo Auckland. The test of Mr Spurr’s merit is that the second night’s performance is always better attended, than the first.

Mr Herbert Flemming, the actormanager, has left the private hospital, and on Tuesday was sufficiently well to proceed to Wellington, where he resumes the active direction of the Mel. !•'. Spurr tour. Mr Flemming speaks in the highest terms of the efficiency and skill of both nurses and surgeons.

I am indebted to Mr M. B. Curtis, the enterprising and genial manager who introduced Dante the Great, and the Sanford’s to us, for a budget of American stage publications. Mr Curtis will probably return to the Colony this year.

Tom Liddiard, a brother of Miss Fannie Liddiard, is back in Melbourne (says “Punch”), after a long sojourn in India. Mr Liddiard, who is in management, is engaging artists for his theatre.

A new farce by Guy Boothby, entitled “In Sunny Ceylon,” was produced in Manchester on the 25th of April, and proved successful.

Whitehouse Bioscope and Star Variety Co. are in Taranaki, touring the mountain. The weather has been prohibitive as far as large audiences are concerned, but the proprietor is winning golden opinicns for being up to time and rendering all his extensive programme of living scenes irrespective of the number of his patrons. And Mr James Fitzpatrick is always recalled for his brilliant duett upon the brass whistles and selections on the mouthorgan*, with banjo accompaniment. The Company are always sure of a hearty welcome on a return visit.

Sandow was due to open in Capetown the end of last month.

The cast of Wilson Barrett’s new play, “Lucky Durham,” which was to be produced shortly after the last mail left, was John Durham (a millionaire), Wilson Barrett ; Lord Mountfallon, T. Wigley Percyval ; Hon. Reginald Steighton (his lordship’s son), Paul Belmore ; Richard Vallerton, Daniel M’Carthy ; Arthur Walcomb, George Barrett ; Tyneham Mintborough (solicitor), W. F. Grant ; Isaac Lukenham (money lender), Henry de Solla ; Lady Mountfallen, Miss Alice Crawford ; Leighton Steghton (her daughter), Miss Edyth Latimer ; Mrs Durham (John’s mother), Miss Nellie Eonser ; Mrs Henry Devianne, Miss Lilian* Hugo ; Duchess of Hovecourt, Miss Marcella Hudson ; Helen Vallerton, Miss Lillah M’Carthy.

George Musgrove’s “Prince of Pilsen” Company was to leave New York for England on 30th April, and open at the London Shaftesbury on the 14th of May.

The personnel of the company which Harry James is bringing to Australia to do the famous Weber and Fields’ musical plays is Kold and Dill, Barney Barnard, Winfield Blake, Martin O’Neil, Een Hasen, Miss Maude Amber, Miss Kate Lyr.'ch, Emerson and Hope, and the fourteen star ladies.

Mr John Fuller, jun., left Sydney for Melbourne on Saturday week, after despatching Tod Callaway, Ted Holland, and Eva Wilson to do the firm’s circuit in* New Zealand.

Miss Humphries- and Mr Sterling, of the George Stephenson Musical Comedy Company at the Lyceum/ Sydney, were married a few days ago.

After all is said and done (says the “Newsletter”) Mr Cuyler Hastings is not an actor in the strict sense of the word. He is the same in everything he plays. But this wonderful magnetism or personality, or whatever you like ic call it, pulls him through, and deludes you at first into the idea that he is a great actor. * * * *

The death of poor Nelly Farren (says the “Evening News”) brings to mind a circumstance which, curiously enough, appears to have been elsewhere overlooked.. Had there been no Nelly Farren there would, in all likelihood, have been no Gilbert and Sullivan collaboration, and the English stage might still have been the dumping-ground of French opera-bouffe. Two and thirty-years ago, Mr John Hollingshead badly needed something for the brilliant little comedienne. At the time Sullivan and Mr Gilbert had met but once, and had had no thought of working together, albeit each knew of the other’s productions. The piece commissioned had to be done hurriedly. Mr Gilbert was asked to dash off a libretto, Sullivan to compose the music. The result was “Thespis : or, The Gods Grown Old.” That was the commencement of the famous collaboration, and in itself is an* added reason for our all treasuring with kindliness the memory of the gifted woman who was the means of its inauguration. Sullivan, who had to remember Mr John L. Toole as well as the immortal Nelly, confessed it difficult to “write vocal music for people who had no voices,” but the play ran for a long time, nevertheless.

Says the latest “Era” : Miss Belle Ray, a famous contralto singer from the Antipodes, has just arrived in this country per the Orontes. The depth of Miss Ray’s voice is a very remarkable approach to baritone. Managers and agents looking for a novelty should hear Miss Ray.

J. F. Sheridan and his company are due in South Africa early in July.- ♦ * V * ■ * ■ Mr E. H. Sothern recently produced, on the occasion of the Actors’ Fund benefit at the Garrick, Philadelphia, a one-act play adapted by himself from Robert' Louis Stevenson’s novel, “Markheim.”

It is stated (says the “Referee”) that Miss Dolly Castles, who, with her sister, Miss Amy Castles, is studying singing in Paris, has received from Mr J. C. Williamson an offer to join his Comic Opera Company, an*d that her advisers are now negotiating with Mr Williamson as to terms.

For the past year the receipts of the London Crystal. Palace Company amounted to £128,030, and the expenditure to £109,434, leaving a credit balance of £18,595. The total number of admissions Was 2,571,048.

The Hon. Mrs. Alfred Lyttelton’s comedy, to be produced by Mrs. Patrick Campbell in London this month, is .in three acts. The first, is played in the interior of a fashionable dressmaker’s shop in Bond-street. Later is seen, the work room, crowded with girls labouring to finish costumes to- be worn by titled dames, and subsequently there is a scene in a house in Park Lane. Mrs. Patrick Campbell’s part is that of a struggling seamstress.

The latest musical prodigy is a Hungarian boy of eleven, named Franz von Vecsey, who, after astonishing the Berliners, makes his first appearance in England at St. James’ Hall. When only a baby he showed signs of musical precocity by accurately beating time while his father was playing, and at the age of four he could hum the greater part of Mendelssohn’s violin corJcerto. At eight he had already befeun to study, and could play such.pieces as Paganini’s “Witches’ Dance.” Dr. Joachim says of him, “It borders on the incomphrensible that this child should have learned so much from his teacher (Professor Hubav) in two years.