DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 4063, 4 March 1876, Page 1 (Supplement)

DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL GOSSIP.

This day week the Sirponsen’s Opera Company will introduce themselves to the notice of a Dunedin audience. Old playgoers can can hardly have forgotten Madame and her husband, who paid qs a visit about eight years ago, and left us with pleasant impressions of their abilities. By them a renewal of the acquaintanceship will be gladly yvelcomed. And to those who have nat yet heard Madame, it is ‘ enough to say that her vocal powers ai;e undiminished; and that in the “Grand Duchess ” she sustains the title role a part she was the first to introduce in Australia—in a manner that has gained her universal' approbabation wherever she' has appeared. Judging by the published names of the members of the pompany, she will have strong support, in which case, and with the necessary adjuncts of a good chorus, ballet, and scenery, there is every reason to expect, a successful season.—Blondm will arrive-by the Hawea tp-morrow, and opens perhaps a night or two before the races. His monster, tent is in course of erection, at Kensington. People are beginning to wonder how they are to get to Kensington; but, they do hot know the Chevalier or his enterprising agent. I shall be astonished if Blondin does not arrange with the railway, authorities for cheap trains, and laud his, patrons at the tent’s door. :

Mr Hoskins .continues to have Christchurch to himself; and his company will appear in conjunction with the Marionettes. Mr and Mrs Walter Hill are about to ioin Mr Delias at Auckland.

From Wellington I have a chatty letter, which tells me of the doings of Darrell’s company during February. In the early part of the month they were at Napier, and played the best twelve nights, business that has been done there for many a long day, the receipts being four hundred pounds despite bad weather and the opposition of Bailow’s dogs and monkeys, which also did well. After a week’s idleness they opened in Wellington in the “Marble Heart/’and afterwards played short . pieces prior to Bloudiu’s performances. My correspondent goes on to say, “ Bates was here en roue for Sydney, but no one can make out his intentions. It is said that he is going to travel through the Colony with a company. Deering (Darrell’s “old man ’) joins ! e Lias at Auckland j and it is not unlikely that Mr Saville will return to Dunedin, Things dramatic are rather unsettled here just now, but of course the reaction after. Christmas has something to do with it, Report says that George Darrell is engaged upon a new play which is to eclipscaU his former efforts. An English opera-bouffe Company,, under the management of Miss Lydia Howard (Madame Vjtelli) is_ performing; in Auckland. Their repertoire includes “Chitperic,” “ Nemesis,” “ L’Oriel Creve,” “Girofl© Girofla,” and “La Gliatte Blanc.” Tbe company js well .spoken : of *s being,

though small, very compact, and producing the works of Offenbach, Herve, and others of the class now becoming so populatf, verv creditably. They opened in Herve's “Chilperic,” and will in due course give a season in Dunedin. Miss Howard is assisted by Mdlle. Solaiige Navaro and Mr DoLias’s burlesque company. The Lynch Family are also in Auckland, and I notice that Alec O’Brien has taken a farewell benefit there and gone to Sydney. In Melbourne the successful run of the pantomime at the Opera Jdouse was brought to a close to allow of a' short season of English opera, which was commenced with “ The Crown Diamonds,” At its conclusion Emily Melville, the prima donna, was the recipient of a testimonial from Mr Lyster, who took advantage of the occasion to say that Miss Melville’s engagement was. the most successful one he had ever entered into not excepted). At the Royal theqyantomime has given place to a dramatic season by the Lingards, who opened in an American play entitled ; “ Saratoga.” (By the way, Miss Dickie Lingard, the younger of the sisters, is to be married to a well-known member of the fourth estate in Sydney.) A feature of the last De Murska concert in Melbourne was the ddbtU of a Miss Blackham, who possesses a contralto voice of unusual merit and power. Madame Simousen, before leaving Melbourne, appeared in the “Grand Duchess” and “Mantana,” supported by Mr Lyster’s company. Prompter,

During the stay of Wilson’s Circus in Christchurch a New Zealand bred mare was purchased and added to the stud. After being in Mr Kingsley’s hands for less than a week she played Black Bess . in Turpin’s ride to York, and is said to have acted admirably.

A Christchurch telegram in the Northern papers state that Mr Hoskins endeavored to engage Mdllc lima DeMurska for a series of concerts in Christchurch, but Murska asked L2OO per concert, which would be at; the rate of L 35 per song; but, fond as Christchurch people are of music, Mr Hoskins thought this offer a trifle too high, and declined the offer.

It' is said that a legal difficulty will pre-: vent the present theatre in Christchurchfrom being sold in the manner decided on at a recent meeting of the Music Hall Company ; but most probably other steps will be taken to effect the same object, when a company will at once ne formed for the erection of a new theatre :

An Auckland paper states that Blondin, who has been performing there during the last few weeks, felt rather amiss when he arrived from Sydney.- ■ •He complained of a weakness in one of his arms, and feeling anxious about himself he consulted one of the leading medical practitioners of Auckland. An examination of the limb took place, and in a few days Blondin felt himself to be all right again. . Whereupon he called upon thi doctor, and in expressing to him his gratitude and his relief from anxiety, he offered to repay him for his services in the handsomest way he could. The Prince of Wales, Blondin said, was the only other man to whom he had promised a similar service—he would carry the doctor across the rope on his back. The event has been postponed. Considerable sensation has been produced by Mr Henry, Irving’s action against ‘ Fun,’ for libel. The article complained of was- a violent tirade against a “ fashionable tragedian ” declaring him to be largely responsible for the disgusting blood-thirstiness and callous immorality of the present day. “ Macbeth ” was pronounced a failure, and all favorable critics were hireling reporters. Mr Judd, the printer, was first arraigned, but the. editor and author having come forward, they were made defendants. The lampooner, Mr Simpson, tendering a full apology, the prosecution was withdrawn.

Mr Willis, the dramatist, is engaged on another historical play. In it Cromwell, sumamed Beau-Clerc, enraged at his rejection by Anne Boleyn, accepts the keys from the burgesses of Calais, but after the battle of Trafalgar is, at the instigation of Joan of Arc, shot by Claverhouse’s Covenanters for allowing the cakes to bum in the neatherd’s hut. The memorable words “ Remeipber—fifth—November,” whispered by the dying George 11. into the, ear of Archbishop Crainner,. will, it is ■ said, be most effectively introduced.. . v

“ Queen Mary ” is a failure in. America, despite the statements to the contrary which have been made in this country. Mr Irving will, it is said, shortly play “ Faust at the Lyceum. F y

„ ABOUT BLONDIN. The Chevalier was lo;n in the village of St. Omcr, Pas de Calais, in 1824. I Tig lather was old soldier of the Einipi e, and fought under the first Napoleon in many of the gnat battles won by that .edoubttb ege eral'' At the age of nine young Blondin 1 st his veteran father and wasjefr to baHlo with the world a friendless lad. Fortunat ly he had exhibited ext aor imsry nerve uni fcourage long befo eh s bereavement, for at four years he had astonished the populace by ids gymr.a tic and his fame s on g ew to such pfopo turns that he wng token m hand by (he p opriet >r of ihe “ Ec»l* de Gymna e,V at L- ons, find aitrwards ap . peaeed as th- “Li tie Wonder ” at the princiual theatres mFrarcV From the earliest pe.iol of his career, M. Bloudin has sto a preemmentin his profession, it w.'.s in th- winter ,of 1858 that he c nceived the bo de*t stroke of fortune that ever suggested itself to morta man* Th •. scene of this < xploit was to be the Niagara. His d *riug plan was to etaretch.a rope across the chasm through which the boiling waters rush, and then to wlk acre s, it fioin ore sue to the otlur. It is a matter of bis’ory how he accomplished theastounding f at. He was looked upon as a lunate The chasm is 1;I00 feet across, the banks on each side n- arly 200 feet high. In the pr-sence of 50,000 peo le Blondm aifelyc os ed this tremendous chasm. It was on the 30th of June, 1859, and Blondm Was famous from henceforth. The .Press of ad countries commented on th extraordinary performance in glowing langua e, add the world wonde ed at ihe danng and skill of the Wiry little Fienchmah, who, nit sali fiedat the fane he had achieved by simply walking ac oss peceled to add new proof of his co lness a d cmi age Oh the 4th of July he crossed m a rack bliadiol 'ed! On <he 10th he wheeled a I arrow acro-w! ‘On the sth of Au. ust be tame 1 a soin-rsault over *he ragini waters-; a d oh- th--.l9th he carried a man across on b/s back I On t;.e 27*h he went ov. r as a Sib ra i sltve in shackl-s,. and on the 2nd of September he ctosstd at night, and stood on bis head m the centre of therrpe amid a blaze of brew. rks. Dii-r g the summer of the mjxt year Blond n repeat d his Ni^gar. feats in the presence of the Prince of Wahs, and his feats became more than ever the wonder of the wo Id '< he American railway companies laid on excursion trams, which were freighted wih i avenuen *;ng r lo witms* Blondm’s exploits, mm a radiu* of hundreds of miles* He at length put a climax on his daring by wa king °t 'w-°i B, *. ts * &nc * no wondvr the Prince of \v ales, m rongmtulatng him upon tbe termination of the .pe fo.mmce; said. lhank God, it is all oy r, ” The c !, air feat i*. B.ondiu’s masterpiece, and it’ is best dercnbe i m the simplest manner. The hevaher take; a common wooden chair on the r po, sits in it, stands on it, balances it on one leg while sitting in it, and rests him<*lf on the top rad, a d co elude* by o jftlly s eppiugorer th.! back on to the rnp>. The comical and d'e dful are comb ned in this feat in a vety curious manner. .When he is-sitting in' ihV chair; his feet free from the rqpei, if would iopear as if nothing coaid s ivel& frhm detraction: yet his. jaunty, uii6>,ii'ce hed air allays theala mm agreat measure. The stove act 1 ' though seemuig y mo-e wohderfuh : is redly ?. ther ,- It s enout kto aay of it that the Chevali rdoes aU that i the bills hut ■••1 •■i i ... .i ■ . , .I, ••{ i.i'