THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 3864, 13 July 1875, Page 3

THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

Sb much space have I taken up with Salvim, that T must cut everything else short. On May 1, at the Lyceum, Mr Irving played Hamlet for the 150 th consecutive time—an event unparalleled in the history of the drama; at the Royalty Gilbert and Sullivan's musical farce "Trial by Jury" has an uninterrupted success, seats having to fee engaged a week in advance; new comedies by Byron and Gilbert respectively, entitled "Weak Woman" and "Tom Cobb," have

been produced with much success; and at th» Adelpbi J. S. Clark, the American actor (who by the way is a very wealthy man), has been drawing immense houses for a couple of months aa Sqneers in " Nicholas At the old Surrey, on April 23, there was a Shakesperian celebration,

when I notice MiBS Juno played Lady Macbeth to Mr Henry Marston's Thane, and Portia to his * Shylock. Anyone who has been in the habit of reading the Home paperß during the last twelve months or more could not have failed to

have heard of Maskelyne's famous automaton. Cook and Maskelyne are conjurers, whose entertainments at the Egyptian Hall have delighted thousands. One of their principal attractions waß the automaton "Psycho," which puzz-ed the brains of scientific men by its accurate playing of whist. That "Psycho" was in some way connected with, and guided by a human brain, was for a long time certain ; but as it Was completely isolated on the top of a glass cylinder, and no possible connection with anyone behind the curtain was conceivable, it grew to be a great mystery, the solution of which beat the great men of the Royal Society. But a young American ramed Coffin, after five visits, hit upon the secret. - "Psycho" was worked, by the condensation and diminution of the column of air in the glass cylinder on the top of which he sat. Beneath the carpet, at the bottom of this cylinder, was a perforated plate of zinc, connected with the operator behind the BCenes, who, at hi 3 will could increase or de-

crease the column of air, the figure moving one way or Another, in accordance with the pressure put upon it. Barry Sullivan's business in Liverpool was so extraordinarily great that 700 or 800 ladies and gentlemen had to be allowed to cross the stage nightly (half-an-hour before the doors were opened) to enable them to avoid a crush. For his farewell benefit (he being about to visit America) seats to the number of 600 were secured ten days before the event. Willie Edouin has gone to Paris to acclimatise the " Heathen Chinee " thera Meation is made in the 'Home News' of some familiar names. Mrs Mary Gladstane has made a decided hit as Queen Elizabeth, and has more than retrieved the failure of "Rose Michel. Julia Mathews having resigned her position at the Alhambra, is disengaged for the time being. Mr John Morris continues his Protean entertainment, and the manner of his changes of costume continues to be as great a mystery as ever. His tutor, Mr John Hall, after making his mark in London, has returned to Liverpool, in which town he is first favorite. Mr Walter Bentley is delighting the Scotch people amazing. Turning to the States I find our American coubuib' favors divided between Ristori and George Rignold. The Italian tragedienne was giving farewell performances and creating the utmost enthusiasm wherever he went. At Boston Charlotte Cushinan saw her play Lady Macbeth, and &3 a tribute of admiration sent on the stage a floral wreath. Madame Ristori was to leave ban Francisco for Sydney by the City of Melbourne on June 21, and expects to return to America in the Bummer of 1876, when she will appear in New Xork in conjunction with Salvini. Rignold is a very handsome young Englishman, who in •* King Henry the Fifth" has completely turned the heads of the New York dames and belles. No less an authority than the 'Tribune* says thao "a number of the young women of New York formed a club for the purpose of glorifying the charms of this popular young actor. They have called it after bis name, and the condition of membership is that eaoh new comer shall give a dinner to the charmer, inviting, of course, all of the old members. N* other man is allowed to bepresent. This is bad enough, but the worst is yet to come. One of the members who might be called the most woebegone idiot of the lot, has fitted up a shrine in the sacred recesses of a closet where she keeps candles burning continually around a photographic likeness of the adored, and Bits before it in admiration for hours at a time." There haa been performing in California very recently a gymnast named Vanderdecken, who poßsesßwi enormous strength. His principal feats are to carry with his teeth a barrel of water with a man sitting on it, and hanging by one leg to a trapeze and lifting with his teeth a horse or two men from tho ground! He is said to have extraordinary strength in his neck, which measures eighteen and a-half inches in circumference. But Vanderdecken cannot hold a candle to Holtum, an American, who has been drawing immense crowds in Paris by having a cannon-ball fired at him and catching the ball in his bandß. The editor of «Le Monde lllustre' having asserted that ib was a trick, and that the ball must be thrown to Holtum from the stage, the latter agreed to go through his performance in daylight, the editor choosing time and place, and 5,000 francs depending on the result. All the journalists of Paris were invited to the trial, which took place at Mabille. To show that there was no trickery Holtum placed himself against a plank target some ten yards away from the cannon's mouth, put his head in a certain position against the plank, and gave the command to fire. The ball just grazed his hair and broke through the plank, rolling some twenty yards further on. The same ball was picked up by the journalistb, who again charged the cannon, and sent home the ball, and this time Holtum caught the ball in his hand as neatly as he does upon the stage. He offered 3,000 francs to anyone who would perform a - similar fear, but no one has taken him up. .The physical force required must beenor- ' mbne, but Holtum shows his strength by toning op cannon balls as if they were

many oranges. The only precautions he takes are very simple: he wears very thick leather gloves, and covers his breast with many thicknesses of thin paper to form a sort of cuirass. They appear to delight in realities on ..the American stage, as witness the following :

At Wood's Theatre, Cincioatti, there was being played a drama of the William Tell stamp, in the course of which Mr Frayne shoots an apple placed on the top of his wife's head. To perform this feat Mrs Frayne takes her position at the front of the stage, in the centre of a line between the two proscenium boxes. Mr Frayne stands at one of the boxes with his back to the stage, and discharges the gun over his shoulder. The ball always goes with unerring aim through the heart of the apple, and is flattened against an iron plate, about two feet square, suspended from the proscenium box on the opposite side of the stage. It so happened that one night the bullet did not " flatten out"; the consequence being that, glancing off the plate, it entered the foot of a super, and caused auch an ugly wound that it was thought the injurcd foot would have to be amputated, lima di Murska hasjbeen among the mountains charming the rustics with her sweet voice, and this is what a rural critic says of her:- "Her voice is wonderful. She runs up and down the scale with the agility of a oat running up and down a housetop and two or three fences thrown in. She turns figurative flip-plaps on every bar, tearing up the thermometer to way above 212, and sliding down again so far below zero that one feels chilled to the bone." Promf-trk. i