AMUSEMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2086, 11 January 1908, Page 5 (Supplement)

AMUSEMENTS.

LOCAL FIXTURES. HIS MAJESTY’S. Fobruury 17, 18, and 19—J. C. Williamson’,s “Blue Moon” Company. March 11 to 14.—Brough Fleming Company. May 11, 12, 13—J. C. Williamson. fJuno 8,9, 10—J. C. Williamson. August 12, 13, 14—Frank Thornton. Harry Richards entertained over a thousand of the poor of Sydney at his Christmas dinner. Madame Blanche Arral, the soprano vocalist, will leave Austarlia shortly for France. “The Girl Behind the Counter,” a musical comedy, at present the rage in New York, has been secured for Australia and New Zealand by Messrs. Meynell and Gunn. An Australian journal says that T’ercv Denton has been engaged by Mr. J. F. Sheridan to play one of the ugly sisters in “Cinderella,” the name part which is being taken by Miss Meba Barlow. Tim Svdney season of Maskclynn and Cook, tho famous magicians and illnsio dsts, will commence shortly lnI'oro Easter. It will be under t'>e diree.fi'- ' of IT. Hayward, who was associa! a! with T. J. West in t.l c success of West’s Pictures and the Broscians. From the “Bulletin”:—lt in understood that, about; next Julv. the name of Walter Baker will nnm>-ir i-» big nigger tvpe at the bead of th« bill wherein John Wren and Geongo Mnsgrove will announce that they have rushed into melodrama at Melbourne Royal. Alleged that- the Brescians, tlielittlo family party crowd of singers who arrived loss than three years ago with West, the picture man. have paid in-come-tax on £l4 000 in Maori,bird. And they haven’t stuck to the rieketv islands all the time—they have made a couple of brief descents on Australia.

At the present time, the number of peoplo employed by William Anderson in his various enterprises totals about 1000. His attractions comprise Wonderland City; two pantomimes—“ Cinderella,” in conjunction with Mr Sheridan, at die Palace, and “Robinson Crusoe” at Wonderland City; a dramatic company at the Bijou Theatre, Melbourne: No. 2 Company at Her Majesty’s, Ballarat ; Audrey/ Alack, who is appearing in Perth under Mr Anderson’s management. Air Anderson also has two biograph companies, one in Hobart, the other in Fremantle, both of which have as the star film tlio “Robbery Under Arms” pictures.

While practising the other d»v in Sydney (says tlito “Referee”) Irene Dillon, the clever young. Australian dancer, who is appearing in. , ‘Humnty Dnmpty” in Ale.lbourne. kicked herself on the forehead with the heel of her shoe. Seems impossible,, doesn't it? But Aliss Dillon, who is not a contortionist, threw her head back a trifle too far. and the foot went over, the heel coining in contact with her temple. Sho has been trying to reneat the trick; but these things only happen occasionally, and when least expected.

It is not often that the same management- lias three shows going at the same time in the same town, blit this condition of affairs will obtain this Christmas with the J. C. Williamson organisations (wrote a Melbourne correspondent during tho week preceding tho holiday season), three of which will be catering for the amusement of Sydney pleasure-seekers- the Royal Comic Opera Company, with “The Girls of Gottenberg,” the Julius Knight Company with “The Scarlet Pimperehiel” and a new and for +he most pairt youthful Company with “Bluebell in Fairyland.”

Herr Kubelik achieved a veritable triumph .in Nevr A’ork on November 10, it being the opening concert of his extensive American tour, which will consist of one hundred and twelve concerts. On that date the hall was crowded from the floor to the ceiling, and a rough estimate was made that over 10,000 people were turned away. Many of the fortunate oner:, who obtained a seat-, bad waited outside the doors from eight o’clock on the morning of the day of the concert. In additional to tills several speculators having bought up the majority of the best seats in the hall, sold them again at a big premium. Herr Kubelik was compelled to give over nine encores before the vast audience would leave the ball. After the termination of the Amorhnn tour, Herr Kubelik will tour Australia. bis arrival in the Antipodes being timed for about Alay next.

Sarab Bernhardt, in her new volume of “Memoirs,” draws a frank picture of herself as looking like ‘“a reed,” “an ant,” “an English teapot,” a.ll through-her early successes. Said a blundering Briton, on being Introduced, “Oh, I have known you for some time, mademoiselle. You are the little stick with the sponge on the top/* It did not worry her a bit, as she never expected to live long. Coughing-up of blood came on with herd work, and fainting-fits after fits of temper—which were frequent. Till she was middle-aged, she seems to have “gone for” anyone straight, with kicks and blows—man, woman, child or dog—in case of a disagreement. She paid enough in damages for breach of contract to ruin_ any ordinary woman. She gives a vivid picture of her personal pets—a cheetah, a wolf, a parrot, a monkey, three dogs, and seven chameleons, all raising Bedlam in a small London garden. Not, apparently, till she returned from America ill 1882, aged 36 (after 156 performances, which averaged close on £700), did she realise that she was likely to live a good while, and had better settle down to a course of Sanlou’s plays and conventionality. And at that point the book stops short.