Madame Melba.

Manawatu Herald, 16 December 1902, Page 2

Madame Melba.

Madame Melba appeared in operatic excerpts at the Princess Theatre. Melbourne, recently. While she achieved an artistic success, she discovered that her manager had made a mistake in fixing such high charges for admission. Under the scale of fees decided upon intending patrons were asked to pay 48 8s for a seat in the dress circle, and from £9 Ss to £1 Is for a seat in the stalls, and 10s 6d for a seat in the gallery. In times of prosperity, perhaps, these prices might hare been paid, bat the devastating drought has carried the people of Melbourne well into the lean year period, with the result that the high scale of charges was found to be so prohibitive that, at the eleventh hour, the management decided upon a substantial reduction of the admission fees. The change, however, was made at too late a stage to be effective, and, at the performance, there wore seats to spare in the stalls, and the.attendance in the gallery was poor. Thus, from a financial standpoint, the performance left a good deal to be desired, and Mr Musgrove suffered a disappointment.