Dramatic And Musical

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 34, 23 February 1901, Page 7

Dramatic And Musical

By Footlight.

DIX'S Gaiety Company has got now to the end of its 38th week, and still holds on the prosperous tenor of its way, drawing big houses all the time. Muldoon's Picnic, in itself the broadest of broad farces, affords an excellent medium for introducing the various specialties of an exceedingly strong combination. Frank Clark, a* Michael Muldoon, and Joe Conway, as Denis Mulcahy, keep the 'audience ui , a continual simmer of laughter with then comicalities- Charming, and P^ant and spirited yocal items are contributed by Miss Olive Lmton, Miss Molly Bentley, Miss Ida Clarkson, and Mr. Arthur Hahn. Miss Bentley, who po&besses a contralto voice of fair range and power, is *n great favour with the public, who seem never to tire of hearing her sing "Young John Bull." Mr. Hahn s fine bass voice is heard to great advantage in the various choice ballads he contributes, and Miss Linton, in her song and dance and character-specialities, as well as Miss Clarkson, are always sure of a double recall. • • • The Wingate sisters contribute a thrilling performance on the high trapeze which I, for one, would witness with more equanimity if the conventional net were spread beneath them. Strangely enough, however, the sisters, I understand, absolutely refuse to perform over a net, which is surprising, seeing the dangerous nature of many of their feats. # » » The Patterson Bros., described on the programme as America's greatest horizontal bar experts, introduce a threebar act quite in keeping with the reputation which preceded them. Amongst their feats are a double somersault and a sensational flight from bar to bar (a distance of 21 feet), all performed with a neatness and precision little short of marvellous. • * * To-morrow (Saturday) night a monster vaudeville programme will be produced, introducing several new faces , also, for the first time in Wellington, Mr Frank Clark's screaming farce "School." On Tuesday, the wonderful child artiste, Miss Eileen Boyd, will make her re-appearance. • • • Those who like their stage s,ons.itious hot and strong were probably satisfied with "When London Sleeps." It was, produced by the Stanford Company on Friday night, and ran till Tuesday inclusive. Mr. Geo. Darrell was the artist who built it up, and his hands were so full in piling up startling situations that he had no time to weave much of a plot. However, it is the old, old stage story of a beautiful and virtuous heiress pursued for her hand and fortune by a bold bad cousin. Her love is given to another, and then that bold bad cousin goes through four acts ot crime in the vain effort to compass his villainous purpose. The heroine is a circus slack-wire performer, and her troth is plighted to an artiste on the high trapeze. • • • The perseverance of the bad cousin in his wicked course is remarkable. He tries chloroform, decoys his quarry to a notorious house, locks her up, sets fire to her lodgings (whence she escapes by walking the telegraph wire with a child on her back), and, finally, seeks to roast her alive in front of an Indian idol. It would be an insult to the intelligence of the audience to say the play works them up to any pitch of excitement. Each fresh infamy is so consistently foiled iust so soon as it begins to take effect, that the spectators never once lose the sense that it is all pure make-believe. The piece was mounted in really capital style, some of the scenery was exceedingly fine, and the various parts in the drama were, on tho whole, well sustained. • • • • On Wednesday night, there wat> <i change of bill, when "£1000 Reward" was introduced. It is an extraordinary piece of work. The author's main idea was evidently to show the difference between a detective of the old school and his up-to-date successor. The oldfashioned 'tec, represented by Mr. George Chalmers, was resplendant in a scarlet wig and a framework of whiskers, and carried an Ally Sloper gamp. Tho modern detective (Mr. C. R. Stanford) was equipped with all the latest con-

Mr. E. J. Halford, a photographer, who comes with high qualifications from Christchurch, has arrived in Wellington, and is busy with preparations for reopening Wickens' photographic studio, in Manners-street. He intends to make it one of the most complete and attractive studios in town. Just keep your eye lifting for the show in the vestibule. Mr. J. W. Williams, the energetic secretary of the Athletic Park Company, has just been appointed secretary of the Shipmasters Association of New Zealand. In appointing Mr. Williams, the Association have secured the services of a really live, capable, and up-to-date official.

Those who are thinking of insuring their lives - -and the man who does not insure is a poor creature — will do well to consult the life and accident tables of the Mutual Life Association of Australasia before they make up their minds It is the latest thing out in the insurance line, and covers both accident and death. Under separate tables there is provision for compensation for either permanent total disablement, permanent partial disablement, or temporary total disablement, and this provision is coupled in each case with the ordinary life or endowment assurance The offices of the Association arc in Featherston and Brandon streets.

veniences of his profession, while the villain of the piece (Mr. George. Fitzgerald) is prevented from committing divers dastardly deeds, such as murders, abductions, etc., and making use ot skeleton keys, clocks, and sundry othei machinations, all of which aie gotten up in grand, though disconnected, array, ostensibly just to enable the brand-new article in the detective lino to come in with the "drop" every time. Though I am not prepared to swear it, I venture to think that all the characters met with their true and just melodramatic reward, as they all wore a comforting smile at the final dropping of the curtain. • ♦ • The usual change of programme was made by Fuller's Bijou Company, at the Choral Hall, on Saturday evening, and there was the usual crowded audience to welcome it. In the new first part, "A Merry Evening," Mr. John Fuller jun. made a very palpable hit in the role of interlocutor, and the "Merry Evening" proved to be one of the best things of the season. Fred. Bluett, Joe Watts, and Jack Williams furnished the comicalities, which made the audience hold their sides with laughter. Misses Madge Lewis and Corahe Barlow contributed serio-conncs, and ballads were sung by Misses Lucy Fraser, Katie Lynn, and Jeannie Johnstone. The splendid limelight illustrations which accompanied Miss Fraser 's descriptive song, ''The Ship on Fire," produced round after round of enthusiastic applause. Miss Bessie Young, a young Australian singer, made her debut on Monday night, and at once established herself as a popular favourite. • • • On Monday next, at the Opera House, Mr. Northcote will introduce his late London purchase, the original Pepper's Ghost and Spectral Opera Company, and on that occasion a dramatised ver-

sion of the late Chas. Dickens' pretty domestic drama, ''A Christmas Carol," will be staged. The drama will be followed by a spectral comedy, entitled "The Haunted House," in which the original Pepper's Ghost will appear, in a weird and mysterious manner. Mr. Harry Abbott, the manager for the company, asks me to explain that the company have no connection with the particular local ghost which is making things unpleasant round town just now, and, he adds, in that convincing manner which is the peculiar prerogative of theatrical agents, that he has "just the biggest illusionary show on earth." Mr. Northcote's reputation as a spirited and successful caterer for the public amusement should, and doubtless will, draw a bumper house on Monday next.

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Mr. A. J. Fraser, the genial and very capable manager of the New Zealand Press Association m Sydney, arrived in Wellington last week, and ju&t now is spending an infrequent holiday among old friends and acquaintances. Time has dealt very kindly with Alec Fraser, for the very sufficient reason that Alec Fraser is one of those eventempered, ever-smiling fellows who take life's buffets and rewards with equal thanks, and are not bowled over by trifles. It is now 13 or 14 years since he went out from Wellington as a modest junior, and, at the present time, if there is a smarter news-compiler than Alec over in Australia, he must be hiding his light very completely under a bushel. Mr. R. Roy Macgregor, the wellknown architect, has taken new offices in the National Mutual Life Buildings, No. 5, Customhouse-quay, where, for the future, he may be consulted.

Mr. MacDuff Bqyd, the well-known violinist, is making preparations to leave Wellington, and establish his home at Hastings. The Hawke's Bay town will be the richer by a first-class musician. For the last fifteen years or so Mr. MacDuff Bqyd has been a very prominent figure in local musical circles. During that time he has been chef d'attaque in most of our leading choral and orchestral societies. In fact, he has played first fiddle all the time, and played it passing well. His services also have always been at command where the cause of charity demanded assistance. Mrs. MacDuff Boyd's sweet voice, too, has many a time and oft been heard at local concerts. Everyone will wish Mr. and Mrs. Boyd thumping good luck at Hastings.