Dramatical & Musical

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 72, 16 November 1901, Page 17

Dramatical & Musical

By Footlight

AF eight o'clock on hatuida\ night, aoid each succeeding mght the ushor at Dixs Gaiet> will tell you thero is standing room onl\." <>« nwd not behove him, ot course but you may take mj word that he tells the truth There are old friends with black tace* on the 'corner," and then colour ls warranted 'fast." Pope and SaUes haxe burst upon the Gaiet> once moie vnth new fooleries, fresh «*ng& ami novel stops. If >ou did not see the cawrnous Saxles during his Ust appear*nce he is on view even- night His terrific voice is heard again, having lost none of rtb volume That genial darkie mdv be "wasting" for another tr> at the hundred yards championship He looks thinner than of voie but no paler Pope the gentlemanly Ethiopian is the personification of black bonhomie, and the pair score success upon success m rheir finished absurdities • • • Mr Ted X Box. an eccentnc come<lLan, with a genuinely novel whistle, sines and dances like jux elect nc man He. has to do something, ot course to hold the championship for whistling and the audience seem to think he does it well and will keep that belt and cap Little Faniiv Powles strikes one more for her symmetry than as a comedian She pose^ beautifully, is pretty and caves her songs, -'coon" and otherwvw - with a good de-il of expression and Madame Bobe's fine contiibution is sft ill perhaps, the best item on the programme. Her xylophone number, from 'Les Cloches." is, in ttself perfect, while her masterly violin solos are as charming a& is the lad> herself. In Miss Maud Hewson and Mr. hrnest Fitts, the Gaiety has a pair of singers of whom it may be proud. Miss Hewsons 'Sweet Spirit. Hear Mv Prayer is one of her best. Mr Fitts' "Dreams of My Ow^ Land" is in the popular baritone's finest style • • • The entertainment is full of good things. Rather better than the average farce is "Lord For a Night," with Pope as a comic lord, and other members of the compam as general humourists. You may see the New Zealand Cup run, horses and all at tlie Gaiet\ , Mi all its comic concomitant* bookie*, plungers, and spectator Mr George

IWii s \ocal recitation Two Litth Druinnifi Bo\ s" is b> 110 mean-, the lea.st ot the mam utti actions His tali is graphical 1\ told * • • Wli.it is known as tin Big Black Beai Boom" is in full bla<-t at the C lior.il Hall He-n WinchermaniL is responsible foi t lk- interest witli ]iis trainod b^ars an lu<s educated monke> Ye-r\ good audiences till the benclies of the hall, and the mteiest is well bustanied Main sterling artiste* art- on the bill, those calling for special mention boinjr Miss Maud Failing i>prha]>s the best coon" impersonator Wellington knows. Miss Lillian Tree ahso is in excellent singing form. Particularly good "corner" witticisms and one one 01 two farcer, with more or less plot." are amusing the habitues tins wtek Some excellent steip-dancmg ma\ be seen, which, togertliei with much bright business and choice songs makes up the sum of a lughh dneitmg entertainment # # * T\rone Power, husband of Kdith Crane has gone insolvent on the "other side." and an exchange remarks that his Melbourne creditors ha\e been giving him rather a warm time of it Possibh their hopes were laised some time ago b\ the newspaper paragraph that T> rone was coming into £20 000 {Coiitimier! on Pane 7 V]

In March next the Pollard Company celebrates, its twenty-hrst birthday » * * Walter Fuller's pick of English music hall artists ib Goorge Roby He sa\s Dan Leno is not m the. same street with him * * # Mr. Dix believes m changes foi managers as well as artistes Said that his various local managers will exchange places shortly • • * Mr. Fred. Duval general manager foi Mr P. R. Dix, leaves almost immediately for America, in search of talent foi thr Gaieties of New Zealand • • Mdlle Dolores bareh escaped trom a fire at her hotel at Kalgoorlie (West Australia). She was fortunate in saving her valuable wardrobe • * * Williamsons Italian Opera Company closed their twelve weeks' season in Sydney on Saturday, October 2<>th and opened in Brisbane on the Monda\ following. ... That sterling actor. Haw trey, opens Ins New Zealand season at Dunedin on December oth. Miss Winnie Austin, a young Australian actress, will take leading parts # , » Mr Rial, of the World's Entertainers, is journeying to New York, where he will organise thiee companies, one ot which is to tour New Zealand in the near future • • * "Uncle Tom's Cabin," recently reproduced m London was a dismal mal failure financially. Its piettv dismal from every standpoint, and deserves Uncle Tom's fate . • • TbeStanton Opera Company while in Melbourne, put on "Said Pasha," with everything new Miss Stanton believes Sydney to be the best and cheapest city ni the world to buy wardrobe in • • * 'Carmen" was recently put on hi Ba\onne (Fiaace) w ith real bulls in the bull-fightmtr scene Two dead bulls, one smashed-up toreador and a large audience were the matters of principal note • ♦ • An actoi up Noith dunned bv a creditor before going on told him that if he would be good enough to wait till the last act he would matters as his uncle died and left him £100 000 before, the curtain diopped • f • ' Gagging" has iifci eased so much latch that a manager gave a particular1\ had offendei blank pages fiom winch to lenrn hi« hne-s 'But there s nothing on the papei " he said Just so " iephed the manager, \ou nevei sa\ an\ lines that I give \ ou » * * WIKOII Bariett is consideied to be the cutest theatncal advertiser lecentIv at large At three Sydney churclu , duiine one Sunday the subiect of the sermons was The Christian King " An unkind critic saj s that all the money in the collections was not contubuted b\ tho congregations' • • * Biblical subjects are all the rage in ■drama. Alicia Ramsey and Rudolph de. Cadora are writing a tale around the dramatic hanging episode, m the book of Esther Stephen Phillips is writing for Mrs. Wallard a drama about David Bathsheba, and Unah Julia Marlowe an American actress is to appeal as Mary Magdalene in the latter Madame Adelina Patti lecentlv declared walking and billiard playing, on account of the walking it involves,^ to be the best exercise foi a singer What a splendid voice Champion Roberts ought to have, and why, oh why, has Mr WTilliamson not selected a few of our S\dne\ letter earners for training purposes 0 -Sydney Newsletter" • # • Mrs Sims Ree\ es the widow ot the wOlw 01 Id-famous tenor, was married in London last month to a Mr Haitlev who is described as "aged 21, soldier." The bridegroom, on the day of the wedding, received his medal tor service in South Africa Although Sims Reeves was an old mau his widow has only placed shghtlv over twenty summers to her credit She will continue on the music balls a' Mis Sims Reeves • • • According to a London papei some wsitors- to Paris recent h heard Miss Aim Castles sing, and were astounded at the progress she has made in the culta vat ion of her beautiful voice, which M Bouhy continues to describe as of <|Uite icmarhahlp quahtv Speaking to one of her relatives this distinguished teacher expressed the opinion that hei future must be a brilliant one, but of course, owing to her extreme youth, she must, under any circumstances, keep on studying haid for vea.rs to come