THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 4190, 1 August 1876, Page 4

THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

My Northern letters lately have not contained much news of interest to your readers; and I should not trouble youjiow had noth short note reached me from England by the Suez mail. Before noticing its contents 1 may observe that I have advice of the continued success of the Lydia Howard troupe, which appears to have no difficulty in filling the Music hall in Christchurch nightly, and Mr Sheppardc speaks confidently of running a month with “ Girotle—Girffia” and Sullivan’s musical farce “ Trial by Jury,” which are to be piofiuied under Mr Schott’s direction. De Murstft, at the Oddfellows’ Hall, and the Bates’s, at the Royal, are dividing the patronage of the Wellington p< ople, and 1 need hardly say Madame gets the lion’s share. It was very unfortunate for both that Mr Bates’s agreement with the Public Hall Company was of such a nature that ho was unable to agree to Madame’s offer of substantially LIOO per week for the theatre, which would have allowed his company to play two nights, and been in the circumstances a veiy fair offer. As I am informed, the price demanded for the use of the Theatre was simply prohibitive. The consequence has been that Madame gets for eighteen guineas a week a hall that is centrally situated and holds nearly Ll7O, but which is about the worst room you could find in all New Zealand for concert purposes. In it neither Madame, f- nisini, or Rosnati are capable of exerting themselves, and the audiences have to be packed like herrings, so limited is the sitting space. The prices are 10s, ss, and 3s, and at the first concert on Monday, despite a drenching rain, the house was full; but on Wednes° day it was inconveniently so, and from all parts money was turned away. The secession of Giammona, who left the company at Auckland and has returned to Melbourne to settle permanently there, is a great loss. Mr Hill fills his vacancy with his violin solos, and the piano is presided over by a Mr Hadley, a young American, who plays excellently. The entire business arrangements are now in tho hands of Mr Medcalfe, whose push and smartness have materially contributed to the success of the Wellington season, which is so far assured, that it is to he lor eight instead of four nights as intended. From Wellington, according to present arrangements, the company go to Napier for three or four nights, returning to Wellington, thence to Sydney and Brisbane ; but it is not unlikely that an alteration may he determined on at the last moment, in which case Christchurch and Dunedin will be again visited, and the Invercargillites will hear Madame .fur throe ■ nights. During this week the mtes have been producing burlesque, with Mrs Bates, Polly Leake, and Ellen Power, in tiro “Invisible Prince,” which gives satisfaction to tho e who have witnessed it. By the Easby this trip Mr Bates expects Miss Morgan. A lady reader of the Star sends me the following concise description of “Saratogo”: —“The whole of the plot is most unmitigated trash. In jdace of comedy it was a screaming farce. I could never imagine any lady falling in love with Bob Sackett. Sentiment is far from him, but in the old butterman he at times exhibited extreme pathos. Many remarks in the piece are very brord, not to say gross. Mrs Lingard's dress, in one act, was more like a harlequina’s compared v. ith the superb violet one wqrn by Mis Hoskins. The piece seemed a complication of mistakes, each party concerned rushing madly about after the other.” My London correspondent, writing on May IG, says : “Here we Lave been, and are likely to he, unusually barren in incident. Irving concludes his season hero at the end of June, when lie goes to tho Continent for a rest of two months, returning for a Provincial tour, commencing in vSeptembcr andlastingtilltheendcf November, for which Mr Bentley is engaged to support him, then returning here for the regular season in December, and you will bo glad to learn thatthelattcr is also engaged here as theleading juvenile then. His friends in Dunedin will sec he is making as rapid strides in his profession as they can wish. Miss Ncilson is still here at tho Haymarkct doing big business, and Jcficrson is making a tour in the Provinces. Ihe opera season is in full I swing, and Loudon is to have three months I of English Opera by Carl Rosa’s Company at the Royal Lyceum Theatre from .September. Maggie Moore and J. C, Williamson do not find London a paying spec, and are changing their bill shortly, and there is no novelty at any of the other theatres worth mentioning. Carlotta Patti seriously thinks of visiting the Colonies next year, and has already written to Melbourne to ascertain the chances of success in Australia.” - Prompter.