Dramatic And Musical

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 106, 12 July 1902, Page 17

Dramatic And Musical

By Footlight.

DIX'S Gaiety Company, at the Theatre Royal, is playing to crammed houses. Ido not mean that the seat® are full only. The promenade, on Monday night, was hlled with a four-deep crowd of spectators, and they all seemed glad they had come. Adele Libra is a handsome blonde, whose stock-in-trade consists of an invisible wire, a big gilt globe, and a "see-saw." While kneeling on her wire, facing the audience, she performs the unusual feat of picking up a handkerchief from it with her teeth Of course, the beauty of the feat lies in the fact, that the performer faces her audience, and the wire runs from wing to wing. Madame Libra successfully propels a large gilt ball wi/th her feet, climbs the usual plank with it, and gently slides down the other side, besides juggling generally with hats and things while the- ball is rolling. * * ■* That sterling comedienne, Miss Lizzie Kirk, has returned. Miss Kirk easily outclasses the majority of vaudeville ladies seen, in New Zealand. Her humour is exquisite, and her facility of facial expression is quite irresistible. "Awkward Moments," in which the matrimonial pitfalls usually set forth in the average comic song are invested with new interest, is thoroughly artistic. "When a man's in love" he makes a fool of himself, and you would believe it if you heard Miss Kirk's vocal explanation. « * * Mr. Frank Leon, comedian and champion clog dancer, gives the audience ten minutes of rousing good laughter. His comedy is not as good as> his dancin"- but it is sufficiently funny to keep one in a simmer of merriment. Both Miss Kirk and himself are very warm favourites in Wellington. Clarke and Cowan, who have re-a,ppeiared , have some real "swaite" little Irishisms and they manage to adorn their "turn" Avith many aitistic and grotesque flourishes «o dear to the he^rt of the music-hall goer. Cunning; makes a sort of hotch-potch with some borrowed ladies' rings, rams them into a gun, and shoots them into a box which, nestles in the heart of a series of boxes. Here the rings piece themselves together, and thread themselves on a bit of ribbon. Of course, the usual shudder goes round as he mashes up the valuable jewellery. He does, some smart clairvoyant Avork with a boy, a little curtained cabinet, a hank" of rope, and other paraphernalia. The boy becomes trussed up like a fow 1 m five seconds, and is released in four and arhalf. I should think Cunning would be a useful adjunct in the Divorce Court. * * * Miss Stella Ranged- sings "Beloved" as if she meant it, and that nice voice of hers is improving all the tame. She plays the mandolin with much vivacity, and is a sweet and winsome lass, Avhom the audience likes Miss Florrie Ranger is a seno of the boisterous order, and I cannot help thinking, that she is rather too nice for her business to suit her. lam sure her natuial gait and less extravagant, use of a good voice combined with her prettiness, could be used with more pleasing effect. ■» * * Mr. Miller Fraser. the olanon tenor, gives a splendid rendering of "The March of the Cameron Men." This is. undoubtedly, the best of his series of remarkably well-sung songs. Mi. Charles Howard gains in popularity as the Aveeks roll by. The lengthy bantone and stage-manager invests "A Letter from the Front" (sequel to "Dolly Grey") with much interest. Dave Frohman, Arthur Elliott, and Bert Gleeson pop up to fill in any gaps there may be. Finally, the Wellington Gaiety orohestra is probably the best in New Zealand and the Avay those musicians get to work on music given to them by artistes arriving by a nigrht train, and who "show" the same evening, is not the least commendable item in the bill. Mr. Ben Fuller laughed his wav into my sanctum on Tuesday last Ben is button-holed on wery side as to his prolects for New Zealand, but he is keemne a still tongue in his head The Fuller shows elsPAvherp are doi>i<r stood bus-i-

ness. Ben rejoiced oven the fact that Ben junioi completed his sixth month on tins world's stage on Monday. Father John is in excellent lettle in Tasmania. • ♦ • Pollards put up a record by running for six weeks in Dunedm with ''The Messenger Boy." Throughout the season the Princess Theatrei was crammed and many people were disappointed. Pollards open with "The Messenger Boy" in Wellington on the 26th instant. They also bring ''The Runaway Girl " which has, up to now, not been seen even in Australia. Brinkman, the beauteous baritone, with the frizzy haar, who owes his success to looking quite pretty, has left New Zealand. Harry Rickards is said to have scouts out looking for him, so that susceptible Sydney ladies may once more gaze on his sweetne-ss. * • • The pupils of Mrs. Adelene Izett gave an elocutionary recital at the Sydneystreet schoolroom on Tuesday last, and deserve much congrafcul a/tion upon the success of the evening. The stage was prettily arranged, and the hall was crowded with a very appreciative audience. Mips Rebe Richardson's first contribution was the "Famine," from Longfellow's "Hiawatha," and the intensely sad sitorv was described in a manner that evoked great applause Miss Richardson was even more successful in her second contribution. General Lew Wallace's "Chariot Race," from 'Ben Hur." From beginning to end

the intaiest or the audience was held, and the race was described with great toice and dramatic power, and her giaeeful gestures and pleasing appearance added much to the success of the performance. Miss Mabel Seager's most popular item, "A Southern Lullaby," was an exceedingly charming recitation, and a storm of applause was the reward for ' Bairnie's Cuddle Doon." Miss Seager also showed much power in "The Rhyme of Duchess, May." Miss Belle Hyams convulsed the house with her clever description of the "Matinee Hat,*" and t.he trouble caused thereby, and was equally successful with "The Cap that Fits," and, with Mr. Tingey, in the "Quarrel Scene" from "School for Scandal," Missi Hyams was splendid. Tins scene wasi acted in character, and both performers surprised everybody \Mth their clever and natural acting. * * * Mr. Tingev also scored a great success with "The Return of Regulus." Assisting the pupils were Miss Gladys Watkins. who contributed two enjoyable piano solos ; Miss White, who sang "The Slave Song" (Riego) and "If this be Loving" (Hope Temple) ; and Mr. Tfliss who sang, in capital style, "Beloved, it is Morn" (Alyward) and "Still asi the Night" (Bohrn). It was announced that a, second recital will be given on July 29th, when another successful and pleasant evening is anticipated. (Continued on page 18.)

There seems to be some cliffeience ot opinion among tlieatricaL scribes as to whether Mr. <- harles Cai-tei is going to marry Miss May Beatty or not. I feel that Pollard's Percy has been responsible for a gond deal of wholesale matchmaking in the theatrical columns. If one or other of the interested parties would wnte a letter, and own up the minds of thousands of anxious people would be relieved. * * * The Fulleis aie repenting of then decision to gno New" Zealand "best as a show place Ben, of that ilk, has been buzzing round, and he h,as decided to give Duiiedm an opening show on August Ist Bv the way. the Fulleis are pushin" their outposts further afield John, of the silver tenor is running a show in Hobart, and the firm has several small companies playing under it* fegis • * A chorus lady, employed in an opeia company at present touring New Zealand sent in the following apology foi her non-appearance • "Dear Sir,— l trust you will forgive my not appearing this evening. At the request of several friends I got married this moinin«r and I feel quit! unfit to appear. Assunne you that it shall not occur again and trusting you will kindly overlook it this time. — Yours, etc ♦ * Rignold looked at him for a moment in silent fury and then, taking m his determmed manner and Heicu lean proportions, dissembled "Humph- h'mnvou're a fine build: of a man he said "now h'rnn' what do you measure ro^Td the chest?" "Forty-four inches, sir," came the reply. Humph nmn and I suppose you're about six foot three 0 " "And a half, sir. Wen, I'll tell you what, I'll do You can hay the extra sixpence, but the other adjective substantives can go without Now clear out." • * * Queer little tale told by »f median, who has just arrived, * rom * he ,,f| te ; They believe in realism, do the lan keSf and during the progress of a t lently to the parties that he was a "sure enough" minister. The bncie iSto Dacota for ninety day. f divorce suit «as brought against him for desertion and tw o young lives were once Tore made hanm mid smglv blissful Tittie yarn about Geoige Rignold. from Sydney "Newsletter " Mr. KigSwTproduoing a piece that recced a number of supernumeraries l |ief Wnbfe but necessary artiste came to thTconclusion that they wanted oHixpence, so they called a meeting shortly before the curtain ro«e and emited one of their number, a tine bio JtrapoiSg fellow, to beard the lion in hi s den and ask for the ose The deputation knocked at the door and was bade to enter in a deep scrawl. It did so. "Well, what do yon want roared out the star. The bie fd o« braced himself up, and stated his -nosage in equally stentorian tone* The tendency to combine reheion and sensation in drama possibly to °et the sympathy of the churches is very marked Marie Corelli's "Barabbas ' dramatised by Mr. Williamson, has been going its gruesome wTiv at the Svdne* Criterion^ Theatre lately. Barabba, does not appeal to me as a popu ai hero, and I am not in love with Judas as a subiect for frantic hand-clappina Neither do I think that a description of the thief and the scourging of Christ would be appreciated in Not Zealand although we are threatened with tnn latest hideousness With all due irspect to the people who are jai«ine the "Sta«e " the performance of the clem oomedv the Brouehs srive us i«= <™pp+pi than the whole contingent of veli<no'ic niece- from "The Sien of the Crops'' to "Barabbas" the last and mo«t nocome catchpenny. * * Mr. Geqrge Cluteam, the Dunedm musician, is steadily making his « as a composer in, London. At the Pliilharmonic concert, on May 2J AllKennerley Rumford introduced a cycle "Four Songs from the Turkish Hills with orchestral accompaniment bv Mi Clutsam, who is yet on the happy side of 40 He is an excellent accompanist and assists frequently in this capacitx at London concerts, besides having toured through America with Padarewsld Mr Clutsam is best known hero by his coon song, «O Ma Babby." which was introduced some years ago ny Mdme. Amy Sherwin, and "caught on. As a boy he was sent to London tor his musical education, and. on his return he taught both in Dunedin and Auckland. During a New Zealand tour a number of vea<rs aeo Mdme. Sherwin engaged him as accomnanist and Mr Clutsam finally returned to London where he has lived ever since