AMUSEMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2116, 15 February 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

AMUSEMENTS.

LOCAL FIXTURES. IIIS MAJESTY'S. February 17, 18, and Iff—J. C. WjlJiamson’s “Blue Moon” Company. March s—Cricket Concert March 11 to 11—Brough Fleming Company. Man'll 2G.—Cook County Curious Coons. May 11, 12, 19—J. O. Williamson. Juno 8, ff, 10—J. (J. Williamson. August 12, 19, Li—Frank Thornton.

It lias been definitely decided 'that

“Peter Pan” will be jnodueed in Melbourne at Easter, with TiMell Bruno in the title rote.

The Americans are keen on souvenirs, and managers cater accordingly. At I lie Envoy, New York, on December 11, brass clocks were distributed its mementos of the 500th perlormanoo of “The Alan of the Hour.”

Twenty thousand pounds for 100 performances is the figuro at which Bernhardt is said to have been engaged by J. C. Williamson for the Australian season next year. The great tragedienne was born in Paris in 1844, and is, therefore, G 4 years old. Site was married to M. Daniala in 1882.

The tour of tlio Willoughby-Ward theatrical company, conducted by Mr Edwin Geach, closed at Fremantle recently, and the partnership between Messrs Willoughby and Ward has consequently come to an end. Only four pieces wore staged on tlio tour, which began in Sydney on May 12, 1.900. They were “The Alan from Mexico,” “The Talk of tho Town,” “Tho New Clown,” and “Air Hopkinson,” and they apparently hit nomikir taste right through Australasia.

A Sydney cable states that J. C. Williamson has engaged tho complete American company appearing i’ll London to produce “Airs AViggs of the Cabbage Patch” in Australia. Tho piece is an enormous success in London ,nnd has been running for a long time, it has captured tho Englishpublic. The company is entirely American. The play, indeed, could not be properly interpreted by actors of another nationality, for the simple reason that 'it is so racy of the soil that much of its effect would lie lost in the hands of “aliens.” Aliss Aladge Carr Cook has made a triumphant success in the title role, and others who share the honors with her are Louise Glosser as Aliss Hazy, Fred. Burton as Air Stubbing, Grace Griswold as Mrs Eichorn, Lottie Alter as Lovely Alary.

Alelba had a unique experience at Ballarat, when she made the acquaintance o>f a policeman-—in an official way. Prior to leaving the mansion at Ercli.douno, she gave instructions that-all accounts in connection with the -household should he promptly settled. She then proceeded elsewhere in the iState, including Wangaratta, to fill concert engagements. Shortly after taking up her quarters at a Ballarat 'hotel, a constable appeared upon tflie scene, inquiring for the diva. He was the bearer of a legal document in the shape of a summons, signed -ait t'lio instigation of a farmer, at Ereildonne, who claimed a certain sum on an account alleged to be due in connection with the supply of dairy produce. The policeman apologised for the-intrusion. 'Alelba expressed great surprise that the 'bill had been left unpaid, after the emphatic instructions she had given .to the official at the mansion. The situation was rendered particularly annoying hv reason of the 'fact that a stamp .fee, as well as a solicitor’s fee, had been included in the liability, which was promptly met. As the policeman appeared to ihe somewhat embarrassed, Alelba showed her sympathy iwiith him by presenting him with two tickets for one of her concerts.

In the course of an interview, Tetrazzini, the new prime donna, said;— “A voice, and the heart to go with it—all there you have the complete singer. But how often does this occur? I have hoard so many vocalists with wonderful, pure, perfectly trained voices who sing the notes flawlessly —and that- is all. There is no warmth, no passion in their singing ; it loaves one quite unmoved afterwards. And this is solely because they have not been born with a ‘heart.’ The voice can be trained; tho heart never. It is, or it i.s not there. Voila tout. People have been 'kind enough to say that I was born with both. I have never heard Patti or Alelba until quito lately—and then it lias been only on the gramophone. I have a big one of these instruments in my sitting-room here, and it is very interesting to hear the great singers who have sung into it. Of course, it is not tlio same as hearing the real people themselves; but it is very -ood none the loss. Curiously enough, I was singing not long ago at the Tivoli in San Francisco at the samo time as Aline. Alelba was singing at tho Alhambra in the samo town. I wanted to hear the Australian diva very much indeed, but you see it was quite impossible, as we were both performing at tho samo time.”