SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1146, 28 March 1912, Page 18

SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES.

WELLINGTON.

(By

“Lorgnette.”)

WELLINGTON, March 25.

The seven nights’ season at the Opera House of the Allan Hamilton Dramatic Company is proving a fine box office winner. “Beauty and the Barge” was played for four nights to big business. On Saturday night “Why Men Love. Women” was witnessed by another large audience. The season closes to-morrow night with a programme of “A Message from Mars.” After seasons in Christ--churfeh, Dunedin, and Invercargill the company return to Melbourne. It is said that Messrs D. B. O’'Connor and George Castle’s Comic Opera Company will tour the Dominion during the present year. The repertoire will include “The Merry Widow” and “My Friend Napoleon.”

The Dominion tour of the J.C.W. New Comic Opera Company, which was to have opened at the Wellington Opera House at Easter, has been deferred until later in the year.

Jansen, the American conjuror and magician, who opens his Dominion tour at the Wellington Opera House on Wednesday evening, the 27th, will introduce to New Zealanders rhe new theatrical firm of Portus and Talbot. Jansen, who hails from Chicago, is a young American who is said to be fair, pleasant-faced, and genial in manner. He began practising illusions when he was only a lad of eleven. He was only 16 when he began his work in public, travelling as one of the attractions of the Slaten circuit. In this way he visited early in his career all parts of the United States, his conjuring feats constituting a leading feature. Since then he has extended his sphere of operations to include South America, and latterly India, China, and Japan. Jansen is a partner of Servais Leroy, another well-known conjuror, who made such a hit in New Zealand a few years ago as one of the Leroy, Talma, and Bosco team. Jansen and he control factories in London and Chicago for the production of conjuring novelties.

I understand the attraction at the Opera House for Easter will be Von Arx, the American magician. The next dramatic attraction for Wellington will be the George Marlow Dramatic Company, which opens a season at the Opera House which will extend from April 27 to May 18. A company is being formed in Feilding with the object of building a new Opera House. Mr William Mac Lean, secretary of the Wellington Opera House, leaves for a trip to America in May. Mr Walter Monk took up the managerial duties of the Star Theatre, Newtown, on the 18th inst. Notwithstanding the inclement weather the Town Hall was packed to the doors on the evening of the 18th, the grand Irish national concert in honour of St. Patrick’s Day. The skating rinks at Kilbirnie and the Lower Hutt continue to be well patronised. The Ethel Irving Company sailed by the Warrimoo last Friday for Sydney en route for London.

I understand that Mr H. B. Irving is presenting to a number of theatres in the Dominion enlarged photographs of himself to serve as memories of his visit.

The printing that Jansen has got for his New Zealand tour is about the very best that has ever been seen in these parts. Some of the pictorials are absolutely in a class by themselves.

Fuller’s vaudeville bunch are doing fine business at the Theatre Royal.

The programme given by Mr Maughan Barnett at Ms organ Tefcital last Saturday evening in. the Town

Hall was a special request one. During the evening Mr C. H. Stephens contributed several vocal items. These recitals are being well patronised now, though not as well as they ought to be.

The picture shows have been showing during the past week some highgrade films. Amongst those deserving special mention are “Madame Sans Gene” at the King’s and Star Theatres; “A Victim of the Mormons” at the new Theatre; “She” at the Paris (late Bijou) Theatre; “Home” and “The Frontier Doctor” at the Skating Rinks; and “Leaves from the Books of Charles Dickens” at Shortt’s Theatre.