AUSTRALIAN HAPPENINGS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, 4 May 1911, Page 18

AUSTRALIAN HAPPENINGS.

(From Our Sydney and Melbourne Correspondents.) After a very successful season in Adelaide with “The Geisha,” the New Comic Opera Company commenced “Florodora” on Saturday evening to a big audience. Next week they spend in Ballarat and Geelong, returning to Melbourne for the purpose of rehearsing a third piece to add to their repertoire. # * * # A gentleman with a taste for statistics sent Mr Reg. Robert's the other day quite an interesting little note on the duration of the famous kiss in “A Waltz Dream,” pointing out that while it lasted a cable car ran from Swanston-street to Elizabeth street or a taxi-cab from Flin-ders-Street to Bourke-street. This particular aspect of the embrace lied never struck Mr Roberts before, and the idea of pinning down such a sentimental act to hard figures rather appealed to him iu its incongruity. “The Balkan Princess,” which the New Comic Opera company are busy preparing at the present time, after a big run in London, is now enjoying, according to a It Leer recently received from “Billy” Barnes, a siml lar success in America. One of the few, indeed, that nave elicited it on Broadway this season, where failures have been twice as numerous as successes. Its salient feature is the number of song hits it contains, and Messrs Chappell and Co., who have the publishing rights of the music, report that the song, “Dear Delightful Women,” has beaten all other previous records in with the single exception of “The Merry Widow Waltz.” The music of “The Balkan Princess” is by Paul Rubens, the composer of so many musical come dies, including “The King of Cadonla” and “The Three Little Maids.” * * $ *> The pantomine “Jack and the Beanstalk,” has had a record time in Sydney since the holidays began, and those who had not booked their seats found only standing room available. Jessie the Cow is a great favourite, Mr William Hassan’s acting being most realistic. Miss Sybil Arundale as Jack sings charmingly, and Miss Dorothy Firmin as the Princess captures the house with the m tt eniously mounted song of the aerop A ine. * * * * Usually the getting together of an orchestra is a very difficult under-

taking. It is not x so, however, with the Melba Grand Opera orchestra. The flower of professional instrumentalists of Australia are sending in their names. They have been quick to recognise the greatness of the occasion, and the prestige that will accrue to them by association with opera on the scale the J. C. Williamson management is to present in September next. * ■ . « * ¥ Mr J. C. Williamson has imported a “San Toy” filly, which he purchased from Mr George Edwardes, when in England recently. The two-year-old has been named “The Quaker Girl,” after the musical comedy in which both its purchaser and vendor are interested at the Adelphi. > « • Messrs. Hamilton, Flimmer, and Denniston have secured the Australian rights of George Paston’s play, “Nobody’s Daughter,” which was produced recently by Mr Gerald Du Maurier at Wyndham’s Theatre. 4t * * * So far the voice trials for the Melba Grand Opera Company have resulted in some excellent vocal material having been culled by Mr Henry Bracy for that eagerly anticipated event. In Melbourne alone quite a lengthy list of names have been noted for a second hearing. Last week Adelaide was visited by Mr Bracy, and this week he is up in Sydney trying out the musical talent there. From all ap pearances the season is causing a great deal of interest iu musical circles, and not only are choristers anx ious to be placed, but also orchestral players, who are senuing in applications from all parts of the Commonwealth, and even outside the Commonwealth, for a letter arrived from South Africa, from a former player in Australia Grand Opera orchestras, asking that he might be engaged for the forthcoming Melba season. It is an extraordinary thing how much the general public know ,or think they know) of theatrical matters. Miss Blanche Browne, at the present time is the target at which the shafts of gossip are aimed. Two ladies the other day at a table in a restaurant, were busy discussing the affairs of the popular young actress, and when one of them mentioned the coming of “Our Miss Gibbs” to Melbourne, her friend replied, “But, my dear, I suppose you know that Miss Browne is not coming over at all. She is to be married very shortly, and goes on her honeymoon to New Zealand. As these ladies are so well informed as regards Miss Browne’s business, the little lady would like to

ask them who the happy man is, because she is quite, in the dark about it herself. In fact there is no foundation for these extravagant and almost criminally rash statements which women will make for the sake of appearing quid nuncs. „ V ® Sydney theatregoers have a. keen appreciation for dauc’ng. The latest dancer to come unaer notice is Miss Cora Hamilton, the soloist of the “Jack and the Beanstalk” ballets. This young Australian is placed by Sydney audiences in the same class as a graceful dancer, that Miss Ivy Schilling belongs to in the acrobatic school. The two are fast friends, and to hear them talking together about their aching limbs after a hard day’s training, is to wonder whether grace or gymnastic feats arj the less painful to acquire. Both dancers are splendidly equipped physically for their work. They are Melbourne girls, and began together in the “Mother Goose” pantomime. “Our Miss Gibbs,” during the Easter season, was well in the boom. Many Melbourne people across for the races and show, attended the musical comedy, and predicted a big run for it in Melbourne. On Easter Saturday the last gallery ticKet was sold before seven, o’clock, while oa the Monday the police stopped the sales at 6.3 0. On the Saturday morning before Eas ter there was not an unbooked scat in the reserved portions of the Theatre Royal for a week ahead. 4J * «• - A varied and interesting programme has been mapped out for the Kathine Grey season at the Melbourne Princess’s Theatre. The stay of the talented American actress in Melbourne must necessarily be limited, as she leaves for America in June, and quick changes have accordingly been arranged. “Paid In Full,” is the first production. The next piece which will follow the Eugene Walter drama is by Mrs Frances Hodgson Burnett, entitled “The Dawn of a To-morruw,” am altogether different class of p 7 ay in which the heroine is a girl of the London slums, who, since her earliest recollection, has lived in an atmosphere of hunger and wretchedness., but who, nevertheless, feels within her the stirrings of semething higher and better than her surroundings. A good girl is “Glad,” not priggishly good, but naturally good, and it is the latter fact that accounts tc- a great extent for her influence over the characters who come within range of her. In her limited sphere of action she struggles on blindly, trying to find the “Light,” and in her struggle

she succeeds iu raising her fellows to a better understanding of the real meaning of life. The part of the her. oine is one which will give Misa Katherine Grey every opportunity fo r excellent work, and suitable roles wi j be found for the remaining members of the company. A distinctly different class of presentation will follow in “Arms and the Man,” the Bernard Shaw comedy, which nas been anticipated for so long, and it will be preceded by the dramatic version in one act oi “Madame Butterfly.” * ¥ * * Mr Henry Brodribb Irving, or “H. B.’ as he is affectionately known to London playgoers, was “preparing to pack for Australia” when the last mails left London. To this actor the new generation looks to carry the name and traditions of the late Sir Henry Irving, whose eldest son he is. H. S. Irving is at the very height of his powers as an actor. He was born on August 5, .18 70, and was educated at Marlborough college and New College, Oxford, where he took his B.A. in the Honours School of Modern History, and subsequently, hi? M.A. As a member of the Oxford University Dramatic Society, he made his first appearance as an amateur as Dedius Brutus, in “Julius Caesar,” on February 27, 1889. In the following year he played “Stafford” in Robert Browning’s play of tliat name, and in 1891 the name part in Shakespeare’s tragedy—“ King John.” 0a leaving the University he entered as a student of the Inner Temple, but subsequently decided to go on the stage, joining Mr (now Sir) John Hare’s Company. Later lie returned to hi, law studies, and was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1893. Shortly after he decided to return to the stage, and appeared under the management of Mr Cornyns Carr. From the first he took a front rank position as an actor, and his range of parts has been remarkable. A few of them are— Julian Beauclerc in “Diplomacy,” Ned Anerley, and afterwards Lord Petworth in “Sowing the Wind,” Alfred Evelyn -u “Money,” Charles Surface-in “The School for Scandal,” Claude Melnotte in “The Lady of Lyons,” Young Marlow in “She Stoops to Conquer,” Louis Farquhar, M.P. in “A Leader of Men.” He acted “Hamlet,'’ Leontes in “A Winter’s Tale,” “Romeo,’ “Othello,” Don Pedro and subsequently Benedict in “Much Ado About Nothing, ’ Orlando and Jacques in “As You Like It,” Armand in “A Village Priest,” Digby Grant (a part originally played by his father) in “The Two Roses,” Marcus in “The Sign of the Cross,” Rupert in “The Prisoner of Zenda,” Giovanni in

“Paulo and Francesca/’ Mathias in “The Belle,” and the name part in “Louis XL” Of the last mentioned part he says there is everything in it to desire from an actor’s point of view, and in opposition to the ‘'ease” of the role, he would put the strain of Mathias. The part of “Hamlet” also involves a severe physical and intellectual tax. In 1908 Mr H. B. Irving went into management under his own name. On his return from Australia, the home of his future work, the “Irving? Theatre, will be ready for occupation by him. « # * * John Phillip Sousa, the “March King,” who is to tour Australia and New Zealand under Mr Edward Branscombe’s direction, recounts an amusing happening on the occasion of a Presidential Command. “At the time of the unveiling of a statue, during Garfield’S admitnistration, ja reception was hurriedly arranged at the White House in honor of the distinguished visitors in the city. At 7 o’clock word came to me to go down io the barracks at once. I went, and was told to report at the White House with the band at 8 o’clock. ‘But.’ said I, ‘lt’s after 7 now, the band is dismissed for the day, and the men are probably scattered over the town, and no doubt many of them are play’ng at private engagements, and I know it will be hopeless to try to find them in time.’ ‘Well,’ said the officer, ‘those were my instructions and those are your orders.’ So we sent the messengers out, and they found just one man, and he was the bass-drummer. So at 8 o’clock I, in my gorgeous red uniform, sat at one end of the platform and the bassdrummer at the other. There was a big array of music stands and empty chairs, but no men. The President evidently saw the humorous side of the situation, for he said it couldn’t be helped. So all the evening we sat there the drummer and I. When the reception was over I dismissed the drummer with proper military ceremony, and we filed out.”