ENTERTAINMENTS, &c.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 102, 28 September 1874, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS, &c.

“ All the world’s a stage.” —As You Like It

If for no other reason, playgoers should be grateful to the Loyal Troupe in that they have been the means of introducing us to a number of pretty and well played little pieces during the week just closed, with one exception, that on Saturday night. In these pieces, which show that the forte of the company most decidedly lies in the direction of comedy, Mrs Hill, Misses Willis, Vivian, and Martineau, and the gentlemen of the company, more especially Mr Musgrave, have been most successful, and we can safely say that the first pieces have been very enjoyable. I hope that even after the Loyals have gone the management will give us more of these pieces and less of the dreary tragedies and melodramas of which they have given us enough and to spare. Of the Loyals I can say but little in the way of praise. The best of the gymnastic portion of the entertainment is decidedly the horizontal bar performance of Messrs Loyal and Verletti. This is exceedingly clever, indeed, far before anything of the kind I have seen here ; but the other feats are not marked by any great degree of excellence. Perhaps in saying this I may be prejudiced a good deal by having so recently seen that clever family, the De Castros. The feats executed by them were of such a wonderfully clever character that, as a matter of course, those who come after them must suffer to some extent by comparison. Of the other portion of the troupe, I may say that Mr M‘Lean dances most gracefully, and executes the funniest steps in perfect time. His dancing is truly the comic side of the “poetry of motion,” and I should like to see more of his solos in this line. I cannot say that I am personally impressed with Miss Shapter’s dmcing, indeed, I incline to the belief that Miss Martineau is a great deal better, and I would much prefer to see her, though she also has a great deal to learn before she can be pronounced perfection. Mr Turner’s forte is evidently not comic singing, for more doleful ditties than those he gave on Friday and Saturday night I never listened to, but he sings the alto songs on the programme with both taste and pathos, wherefore I arrive at the conclusion that he would be far more successful generally if he would only sing those songs Master McLean must have been very ill-advised to sing the song he did on Saturday evening, and the audience were, I am glad to see, sufficiently discriminating to mark their disapprobation in a very decided manner. If the little fellow 7 could appear in son e hing in which he was not called upon to sing, his comical antics and contortions of body would ensure him any amount of kudos. On Saturday night the management, unwisely I think, 'changed the bill, and one of those unmeaning, ridiculous melodramas w 7 as unearthed from the wmste paper basket, which is their proper receptacle. As I have often said, I quite fail to see why it is necessary to give pieces of this class on a Saturday night. The audience which assembles on

that evening is quite as able to discriminate a good plaj and good acting as those on any other evening of the week, and therefore it is a mystery to me why managers serve up the trash they usually do on Saturdays .1 do hope—though, of course, it’s a forlorn hope that the management will give us the comedies and little pieces which have been so successful during the week, and in which the various members of the company have appeared to so much advantage. The Opera Company are doing well in Wellington, the million prices evidently having the effect of making “biz’’lively. The opening opera was “ Satanella,” and since then they have produced “ Somnambula,” “ Martha,” “ Maritana,” and “ Faust.” Speaking of them the Wellington correspondent of the Otago Daily Times says ; “ The Opera Company have returned to us, and opened last night at million prices. The house was crammed, and all the old favorites were warmly welcomed. Several of them, Mr Hallam especially, exhibit a marked improvement since their last visit. After a fortnight here, and a few days in Wanganui, they proceed to Christchurch. They have added to their repertoire since last in Dunedin the following new operas : “ Der Frieschulz,” “Cinderella,” “ Martha,” and “Faust,” and have now in rehearsal an English version of “ Trovatore,” and one of “ Lucrezia Borgia,” so that they will be able to give you a new and fresh season. ’ The Minstrels have finished a good season in Auckland, and have gone to the Thames. After this they proceed to America, I understand. Miss Aitken (Mrs J. L. Bunten; is still in Greymouth, and I notice gave an entertainment there a few days ago vey successfully. From Greymouth also comes the following amusing account of the debut of an artiste who appeared under a great flourish of trumpets as having appeared before crowned heads and nabobs galore. The local paper Bays ;—“ Mr J. T. Clarke, who styles himself ‘ The Star of India,’ gave a concert at the Volunteer Hall last evening. The attendance was very poor, and so also was the entertainment, as the ‘star’ can neither sing, act, or recite, all of which he attempted to do. The result was that a scene occurred which we do not believe ever before took place in Greymouth. Something passed close to the 1 star’s’ head, the remains of which he picked up and proved to be a rotten egg. He stated that he had never been treated in such a manner before, and challenged the man who threw it to come and face him. Shortly afterwards another miniature bombshell of a similar nature exploded on the stage, slightly disfiguring the scenery. The performance, which was one of the most amusing we have ever witnessed, was rather hurriedly brought to a close.” However, he was a persevering young man, one on whom a gentle ’int was thrown away, for he appeared again, but to an audience very small in number. The Burford-Stephen son Company have “ struck ile” on the West Coast, the local journals being perfectly enraptured with Miss Stephenson’s “ Ixion,” and gushing accordingly. From Melbourne Mr Towers writes me that there is every probability of Litfe Rosa getting a show at the Eoyal ; and I notice that Madame Goddard and Mdlle. Claus are giving concerts, which I should think was about the acme of musical perfection so far as these two talented ladies are concerned. Miss Grace Egerton and Mr George Case, who will be remembered here, are giving a farewell series of performances, and the Kennedy Family are doing ditto with great success. The Williamsons are still in the full tide of success, and “ Struck Oil” seems destined to have a run unprecedented iu Australia. PROPS.