ART, LITERARY. AND DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1859, 7 February 1880, Page 3

ART, LITERARY. AND DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

The “Pictorial 'World” has passed into the possession of the Brothers Dalziel, who intend to make it a very light periodical, illustrated by our best known writers and draughtmen. They already own “Fun” and “Judy.” It is stated Mr Irving has intimated to a New York manager that he has September and October, 18S0, at his disposal, and would be willing to go over for a season of forty nights for a pecuniary certainty. He will not accept sharing terms. He would bring over Miss Ellen Terry, with the scenery, costumes, and properties from the Lyceum for the performance of “The Bells,” “The Lyons Mail,” “Hamlet,” “Richard III.,” and “Louis XI.” Such is said to be Mr Irving’s proposal. M. Alexandre Dumas is at work on a new novel, which sketches the career of a young Jesuit. M. Alphonse Karr has just published the first volume of hia memoirs, “ Ls Liure du Board and M. Victor Hugo intends to bring out his latest poetical work, “ Touto la Lyre.’ early next month. M. Charles Lecocq commenced his career as a composer with opera houfte : but he has changed his style of late years, and is now a legitimate writer of comic opera of the Auber class. It is therefore very vexatious, independently of its injustice, to be now adapting his modern works according to the burlesque point of view. M. Lecocq’s charming comic opera, “ La Petite Demoiselle,” has fallen into the hands of the Alhambra Company, the members of which take eccentric notions of genuine comedy.

and Mr Reece and Mr Leigh have coalesced to parody the libretto of MM. Meilhao and Halevy, as produced at tb - Renaissance, Paris, where it had a long run. A lion-tamer, M. Karoiy, who has recently been exhibiting before the public of Madrid his powers over the brute creation, had frequently performed with a boa-constrictor, the huge snake enveloping him in its folds, but never doing him any injury. On a recent occasion the boa had, as usual, wound itself round the performer’s body, when suddenly it tightened its folds. The spectators applauded, thinking it was some new trick, but Karoiy simply uttered a groan, and in one or two seconds was a dead man. A new review is about to be started as a rival to the “Revue des Deux Mondes.” Judging from the list of contributes published, there will certainly be no lack of talent and variety. Among the prominent names may be mentioned those of Madame Adam, Ouida, Nubar Pasha, Victor Hugo, Edmond About, Sydney Colvin, Emile de Girardiu, Challemel-Lacour, John Lemoinne, Ferdinand de Lesseps, Littre, De Marcere, Lockroy, Callimaki Catarji, General Pittie, A. banc, Blie Reclus, Francisque Sarcey, Ivan Tonrgenefl, General Turr, Angelo de Gubernatis and Auguste Vacquerie. Harriet Beecher Stowe has made a great deal of money out of her story, “ Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” but not a cent, from its adaptation for dramatic purposes, although no modern play has been acted a greater number of times. The Rev. Thomas North, a Chicago clergyman, is about (says the “ New York Sun ”) to start out with a company which will perform the piece exclusively in halls and churches, but never in a theatre. He wrote to Mrs Stowe on the subject, and she replied as follows : —“ I am in sympathy with the plan you propose, judging that, if you present it in churches, or rooms otherwise consecrated to religious thought, yon will avoid all accessories that would be undesirable.” It is not stated whether she is to be paid a royalty. There has been a considerable amount of talk about the projected or proposed endowment of the theatre in this country, with a view to its moral and general elevation. The reasons for this ext-a gossip of course lie partly in the fact that the theatre and its merits came up for discussion at the Social Science Congress, but still more in the circumstance that Mrs Pfeiffer has written a letter to the “ Times,” in which she pleads for the improvement of the dramatic profession, and says —“ My husband empowers me to say that he would contribute the sum of £IOOO towards the endowment of a theatre under suitable conditions.” The scheme includes not only a theatre, but a school for training young actors. Mrs Crashaw has also offered £IOO for similar objects. Fechfoi’s friends and acquaintances are naturally reviving recollections of the famous actor, and one of his most remarkable traits, his perfect coolness and presence of mind, comes prominently forward. On the first night of the 11 Dame aux Camellias,” an accident happened which will demonstrate this valuable peculiarity. On his entrance in the scene where the extraordinary hero brutally throws his purse to the no less extraordinary heroine, Feckter shut the door behind him with such violence that a couple of lamps were knocked off a table, the oil spilt, and a small conflagration began on the stage. Pecbter, however, took no notice, though several of those present began to raise cries of alarm. He went on with the scene as if nothing had happened, and luckily the scenery did not catch fire. Some of the audience possibly thought it a new and disagreeably striking effect, but seeing that he was calm there was no rush for the doors ; the fire burnt itself out, and no harm was done —except possibly to the morals of the audience that stayed to see the plp.Tl The Opera Comiqae has re-opened with the “ Pre aux Clerca.” At the Bouffes Parisians a new comic opera in three acts, entitled “ Les Noces d’Olivette,” the music by M. B. Audran, is shortly to be produced. After the close of the farewtdl tour in America on which she has just started, Mies Neilson will appear at the Vaudeville Theatre, Paris, in a series of representations from Sha’-speare. Mdme Adelina Patti and Signor Nico'iui are engaged for a concert in Cologne on December 6th, and they will receive for the evenidg 900 marks (£450). M. Zola, who is of Italian origin, has at length seen some of his writings dramatised and put on the Soman stage. His “Therese Raquin ” has proved a complete failure, but an Italian version of “ L'Assommoir ” is spoken of as a great success

Mr Dion Boucicault has been working as a dramatist for forty years. The “New York Herald,” commenting upon his career, gives the following account of his labors : His first play was written when he was at school, at Dr Jamieson’s, Brentford, London, for performance at a school display. It was the “Old Guard.” He brought it out subsequently, in 1842, under the title of “Napoleons’s Old Guard.” Many actors have made the part of Haversac quite remarkable. Although a one-act piece, it was a singular effort for a boy of 15. In 1840, being IS years of age, he began his public career with “ London Assurance,” a comedy in five acts, produced at Covent Garden Theatre, March 14th, 1841. During the thirty-nine years since that period he has written, adapted, and translated, one year with another, ten plays per year—some anonymously, some avowedly. Those plays which have survived may be enumerated in the following order : —“London Assurance,” “ Used Up,” “Irish Heiress,” “Old Heads and Young Hearts,” “ Love and Money,” “The Willow Copse,” “ Love in a Maze,” “Corsican Brothers,” “Faust and Marguerite,” “Louis XI,” “Janet Pride,” “Life of an Actress,” “Streets of New York,” “Jessie Brown,” “Dot,” “Octoroon,” “Jeannie Deans,” " Colleen Bawn,” “ Arrah na Pogue,” “How She Loved Him,” “Hunted Down,” “Long Strike,” “ Formosa,” “ Flying Scud.” “ After Dark,” “ElfL,” “Rip Van Winkle,” “Lost at Sea,” “Foul Play,” “Led Astray,” “Daddy O'Dowd,” “Kerry,” “ShaughraHn,” “Forbidden Fruit,” Each of these plays, when produced, occupied the largest portion of the season. These thirty five plays were performed on an average one hundred and fifty nights each by their first run, exclusive of revivals and reproductions, making about five theusand nights. It has been calculated that during the last twenty-five years there has not been a single night on which some one of the immense repertoire of this dramatist has not been p ! ajed, either in the States, Great Britain, or Australia. “ Louis XI ” was produced at the Princess’ Theatre in 1856, on which occasion Mr Charles Kean performed the part of Louis, and Mrs Kean (Ellen Tree) tbe part of Marthe. It ran the entire season.

Like many great actresses before her, says the “London World,” Signora Ristori is falling into the mistake of tempting again the fortune of the stage out of her native country. With the Italians, who have never ceased, except for comparatively short intervals, to have her under their eyes, and who have thus been led gradually to see the bright young innamorata of the Marchesino Giullano del Grillo ripen into a majestic matron, she may still retain her former prestige. With critical audiences, such as she is sure to meet in Paris or London, who know her only by name or by distant recollection. lam afraid the attempt may end in disappointment. More thau half the century has elapsed since Adelaide Ristori made her debut on the stage—at the tender age of two months, in the character of a crying baby—and her triumphs all over the world have been since of such a nature that it would be a pity to crown them with an unsuccessful campaign. The Marchesa Capranoia del Grillo bears sach a high character, both on and off the stage, that she ought ou no account to expose herself to a failure at the close of her career. But with her charity has always the best of it, and to charity no doubt must be ascribed what I cannot but consider an impudent step. It is not generally known, I think, that ia two instances at least did Signora Ristori actually save the life of men condemned to death. The first occasion was in Spain, under the premiership of Marshal Narvaez, when a private, called Nicholas Cha ado, was to he shot the following morning for striking hia commanding officer, and the liberal party wanted his life to be spared, while the marshal had pledged bis word that it should not The great actress went on her knees to him in his box at the theatre, as she saw him softened by her admirable performance, and succeeded in carrying her point. Some five years later she saw the r-sened private in his prison, and obtained his definite release, when he entered her s- rvice as footman, if I am not mistaken. The other occasion was in 1874, when she obtained from the president of the O' i’ian republic the life of a man named Moqoz,