By Footlight

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 91, 29 March 1902, Page 17

By Footlight

DIX S GaioU is thieatenmg noiv week to echp'-e its fun lecoids and tin- seats in that comtoi table hall ot Immom, the Theatre. Ro\ al aie o-enerallv hlled with a happih expectant ciowd when the cuitain goes up -Mi Albert Athas is getting in good woik on his tew suuaie vaids of sandpaper, and his steps " I notice, arouse even the people in the boxes to enthusiasm. Athas' imhecilrt\ of expression duimg ] v «, turn" is not tho least of his diollenes. When Miss Lizzie Collins and himself eive their edition of an American cake-walk the audience is noticed to shuffle in unison. It catches the infection and, as the damtj lady and her red. ercen, and black consort get a full head of steam on the whole audience wants tv tret up and wneele to ° Lennon, HMnan and Lonnon the stnngy-bark and fencing-w ne gentlemen from the land of the blue-gum still pretend they aie blackfellows with a disposition to contort at the siHit of a white man The excellence of then perform Mice is helped along bv the excellence of then properties and the diverting da^os" set such applause fhat it would take a good healtln automntic claquei" to beat The inimitable Sniom still holds the audience in the hollow of his hand The Gaiety audience knows Siv." vei\ well now and it ne\ei tnes of him Kithei sino-h or in combination with the mauteous Silwm, he gives a turn that is always novel. He is genuinely good at a gag " too. and he gets a chuckle out of the most hardened show critic The Lennon Brotheis as burntcork aitists. fill a gap with excellent results, and dance themselves piebald to the orders of the audience Art Inn Albert says things vocally that sound funny and Alf "Law ton's patter keeps evervbodv on the broad grin * * * Wallace King lanks veiv high in the estimation of the audience. The vetelan tenor gn es of his best and the people listen with all their ears. He is most liked in his old favourites, and he can always be peisuaded to give them Miss Stella Ranger's fresh young v oice it a treat to listen to, and her dainty appearance and manners help that sweet voice along vasth Her mandolin ltem^ a.re nightly encoied Miss Flome Ranger is never senous. and she is as evanescent a^ fizz " and sparkles similarly and Miss May Mailo tells stone* in the key of G about gentlemen who are oti tee-totallers and fills the hall vph comfortably with a voluminous voice There is no wind-up farce at piesent on the bill, and as fai as T know no one has complained. Anyhow- the bill is sufficiently long and *paikling to make the final "side-spht-tei" unnecessary • » * The Parsons family aie as well known in Wellington foi their musical gifts as the\ are deservedly popular. It is some montlis now since the \oung ladies of the family ret in nod fiom a coulee of artistic stiuh in London extending ovei several veais And the concert winch they gave in the S\ dnev -street Schoolroom on Monday evening, was the first opportunity afforded the public of Ridging of the decree of excellence to which the\ have- attained It was at once a re-union a welcome and a professional display In all these respects the affan passed off most prosperously.^ Miss Phoebe Paisons, whose caieei at the Royal College of Music was maiked bv quite exceptional success was of rourso the principal performei Although handicapped bv a certain measure of nervousness which, in one moiceiu at least, interfered with a perfect control of her breathing she acquitted heiself with signal and decisive talent Her contributions covered a wide range The first two weie sune m Italian Mendelssohn's suave and beautiful concert aria Infelice " eiven with full 01chestral accompaniment, was thevoune cantatrice's introductory number. It showed off to advantage the even quality of her voice the fineness of her upper register her skill in phraisiiw and her artistic method In short it was a performance of very great merit and proved how- erreatlv Mi« Pheebe Parsons has benefited both in vocal development aaid in refinement of style h\ her training at Home * » * Tn the second number the gay tripping little bolero from Verdi's opera

The Sicilian \ espois, ' ga\ v a capital exhibition ut hei command of tlio mnato. \oca.l technique, that nwuks the likuuw st\ it> m music An mipciatue cue cue biouglit rlie smgei back to the platfoim when she losponded with that c-haiimng little trifle Yiolet.s 'b\ hllen Wnght In tins, as in hei dosing numbi'ii, a, ba.llad b\ Del Riego O Dn Those Teiais," bc^i pow ci of sw e<-t an<l s\mpathetic expiossion was bi ought into adnuiable relief. Miss Julia Moiaai pla\ed the uohn obhgato to the ballad \ei\ tasteful 1\ indeed Mim Xelhe Paisons contubnted hei full shaie to the success of the concert Her \oice has developed m lonndness and depth She made a \ei\ fa\ ourahle impulsion b\ hei execution of the striking ana 0 Lo\ c horn Ma Powei fiom Samt-Saens' opera of Samson and Delilah " Tt «,i maiked b\ cleai euunciation, and s;ood intonation Tlie duet Bieak Di\ mer Lislit " bv the Misses Plicrbe and Nellie Parsons as notable for its sue^tne^s of haimom, the. two \oioes chordiug perfecth Miss Kthel Paisons who is a pupil of hoi sisti 1 Phcrbe made hei debut in Sullnans song, M\ Dealest Heart," and the sweetness oi hei ficsh \ouug \ oice (jinte chaimetl the audience Sho was prompt h c v nooied and lesponck'd with The C'astihan M^aid" (Lehniann) Bishop's (juartet. Where Ait Thou, Beam of Light," was niccK .sung b\ the Misses Xelhe and Ethel Paisons and Messrs. J. H and "W Pai&ons Tlieie weie a numbei of extiaineous selections winch lounded off the piogiamme and (enhanced the eniovableness of the concc^it For instance, Mendelssohn's engaging oveiture The R-eiuin fiom Abioad " niceh pla\ed bv the oichestia, undei Mr. Robeit Parker, and also a couple of antuiue madnsals, a modem part song, and a homorous glee bv Mi. Parker's Glee and Madrigal Soeietv, who showed bv the artistic merit of then peifoimance in phiasmg and modulation of expulsion, how carefulh they have been tiamed Mrs J K. Russell, of Chnstchuich (the eldest of the Paisons sisters) is an accomplished pianist, as her giaceful mtei preiation of C'hammade's Autumn" and her s\mpathetic accompaniments undoubtcHllv proved Mi^s Grace Kennech contnbutwl a vorv fino \iohn in the foiin of A'leuxtemps-' well-known Reverie," and Mr Foit. Row 1c j a played in capital st\le the pianoforte accompaniment to the humorous elee Take it all in a.ll or review it in detail it was a■v em fine concert Now that the ice is broken J hope we shall hear the Misses Parsons vei-s fieouenth in music. (Continued on page 7<S.)

Miss Tn\y Lemai, the well-known dansouse, who appealed in Wellington a few years ago with the Collosophone Company, died m Western Austinha lecently Anotlier \ <ui(lo\ ille no\ elt\ winch we shall piobabh see at the Gaiot\ eie lona i? Kid Parker — the Champion Ball Puncher of America He keeps the baJl going uitih hsK and elbows at .) great rate ■* * * Poggv Pr\ de's song The HoncvMieklo and the Bee " is the popuUu ditt\ just not\ 111 the pla°uo-smitten nt\ 1> is now going at three difteieut theatres over theic t- * ■■ Wai w ick Ga\noi, the handsome bai itone singer who wa« m Wellington some \eais ago died at Roose\elt Hospital in New Yoik CiH on Jan nan 21st The remains weie bm ied b\ tlie Actors' Fuiul •• • * Walter Bentle\ opens in New Yoik two months hence in "The Gipsy King " a new piece for w Inch he lias been specially engaged to torn the United States Miss Minnie Brandon leaves S\dnev in June next, to play leading lady foi him * * * When Wilson Bariett heard that Mi^ Salhe Booth was stricken down with the plague at Sydney he cabled over from New Zealand ' Youi strong constitution is sure to cairv yon through " But the encouraging message arrived too late * * • Edgai Givimille is the most populai man in Dunedm just now He is champion, revivalist at Dixs Gaiot\ down there, and the local papers aie trying to outdo each other m the production of puff paste in his honoui ' Times" says ' This artist is all that was said of him. and more His quaint patter caused screams of laughter He sang throe songs that had the merit of being new r . while his changes of costume f i om male to female and vice versa were made with such rapidity that there w >i^ a doubt m the minds of patrons as to there being more than one performei " • • • At the Sydney Tivoli, Harry Rickards is making a hie draM with the Net Bal' Game, played by five young ladies renresentine England and five ropiesonting Australia Stace entiielv suirounded by nets, about twelve feet high and a baer is suspended at e-ieh of two extreme corners Each te-im his to place with the hands onh a round football in its own bao- The enils wen white iersevs flannel nf)nt= and pur'--etinor cl lO es They ee+ feii Fnllv evrited at tames null one anothei about nid «cream out Ensland lia« the hon\ io<-t team Ausfiaha's i« the most n^ilo Po^i T^ix h,->,s his no on them