Dramatic and Musical

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 111, 16 August 1902, Page 10

Dramatic and Musical

By Footlight.

THE Pollards commenced the week with the ever-gieen 'Gondolier " Pei haps, the Pollards are wearying of it Certainly it lacked the Mm that is usually associated with the name Everyone is famihai with the tale of the two gondoliers w ho unexpectedly became the one king ot Baratana, pio tern, and of the drummei boy who was rung in as the true and only monarch after a delightful series of songs and satire had been expended on the political situation Mr. C Caiter, as Marco, was responsible foi the brightest gem in the opera. "Take a Pair of Spaiklmg Eyes" was encored twice, a,nd the encores were well deserved The Giuseppe of Mr. D. O'Connor might have been worse. Mr. O'Connor smgs finely, but he does not execute his speaking part always so well. Some of the choice love songs entrusted to this pa\ gondolier -were exceptionally well rendered. ■p- * * As the Duke of Plaza Toro, Mr. W. S. Percy, of course, shone. He the patter song of that august consequential personage with capital effect, and was sufficiently absurd to have been the greatest auto>crat the world ever produced. Harry Quealy, as the Grand Inquisitor, supplied the heavy comedy of that nart with his usual promptness and despatch hut the part affords him no opportunity for dancing. As general adviser to the gondolier kings, he filled the bill and the throne — for the purpose of singing the celebrated song of ad\ ice to the monarchs. -L * * Mr J. Ralston, as the rightful heir to the throne, made a great deal of the delightful duet with Casilda (Miss Connie Buttel) Also, he easily beat anything e]"=o in the king line on the sta^e as far as regal bearing is concerned * * * Miss Connie Buttel sang exouisitely the fine solo, "Dear One, Why Didst Thou Fill Mv Heart " This lady is remarkable for the purity of her English. She certainly is very charming, and eminently suits the parts with which she has recently been entrusted. * ♦ * Gay Gertie Campion, as Gianetta the frolicsome fairyhke wife of a gondolier, is, as ever, hesh and piquant, and in contrast Miss Nina Osborne as Les-sa the wife of the second gondolier was hardly as lively as could be desired. Her voice, adorned with a little lisp was heard to advantage in several quartettes with which the "Gondoliers" abounds. Miss Metcalfe, as the better half of the giddy Plaza Toro, adorned a stukina; gown, and said what was written for her with reasonable distinctness. The choruses', the well-remembered minuet and the trimmings generally, are un to the best Pollaid standard and the crowd at the Opera House w as the best evidence that Gilbert and Sullivan's opera will always be listened to with attention * * • Dixs Gaiety Company, at the Theatre Royal joyfully frisks on its sparkling way with its accustomed success. The coronation crowd from the country have been much m evidence, and a chorus of substantial 'Or-s'" from bucolic admirers of vaudeville gems has gone domewaids the last few night* -<. + * Miss MolK BentJey, who is just the same cheerful, engaging, and talented lady she always was, has come back to Dixs land, and, once on the boards she has some difficulty in setting off for necessary rests. Her deeply sympathetic rendering of gems from her fine repertoire gives her a high place in hei art and the demand of the audience foi "moie Molhe" is responded to main times bv the favourite singer ¥ * * The American Vitagraph, which apparently, suffered on its first appearance with a chill, or something that made it shudder perceptibly, has recovered, and is an exemplary machine, showing unfamiliar pictures with commendable clearness It is hardly < so trying to the eyes as some of the animated pictureengines are, and the usual cinematograph forked lightning is happily absent

Arras and Alice, nfle ihots, gymnasts, and acrobats, are giving then* exhibition of muscle, agility, and marksmanship The finish with which the agile Anas and the athletic Alice get through apparently impossible antics is the most sin prising part of the show. It is thought that the muscular Airas would prove useful at the geneial elections if he could be peisuaded to iemaiii A man who can suppoit with his teeth a rapidlv-revoh ing rope with a lad\ suspended theieon would be invaluable * * * Mi. Carl Collier, who wliiles a-vwr> ten minutes or so with a. trio of banjos and a couple of songs, with a joke thrown m here and there for makeweight, is still successful with his banio imitations. There are many feet unable to keen themselves from "tapping" when Call commences a nigger "breakdown " * *- * Miss Stella, Rangei gets all the music possible out of the daint-s ballad, Our Hands Have Met," and the pretty little songstress, bright and pleasing as she always is, might well be satisfied with hen- nightly reception The effervescent Florrie Ranger, who is engaged in vocally denouncing 'A Nice Young Man." this week, performs the operation successfully, and Miss Connie Devereaux caressingly chants, "The CainavaJ " * * * Frank Clarke fools frequently, and as a fun-maker easily keeps ahead, while the smaJl, but nimble, Joe Cowan combines 1 a grotesque figure with a hiehpvtched, rancous voice eminently suited to his stpeoial style of work. Mr. Chas Howard, with "The Singer and the Sone," keeps the place in the favour of his listeners that I am "sure he oupht to hold and the humorous Frank Clarke gives the tip that the show is nearly over bv assisting in a wind-up farce which he calls "Poisoned Milk " * * * Those who have revelled in the delights of Mark Twain's "Hucklebem Finn" will rejoice that it has been dramatised. It is to be played in America next year When it is stale there it is bound to come this way.

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"The Messenger Boy" brought £380 to the Pollard coffers in foui niphts in Christchurch. On a previous visit, £2(-> was the nightly average, which is an indication of the prevailing Chnstohurch operatic appetite. • • • Some of Melbourne's wealthiest wool monarohs are not going to allow their Melba to starve. Already a gilded Toorakian has offered Madame £1000 to sing four songs at a little private concert he is giving to a few friends Madame Dolores encountered the great Australian courtesy while singing at Charters Towers a few weeks since It is the custom on the Toweis for white, black, and piebald to smoke. Everybody smoked while Madame sang her soulful songs, and, as the not always fragrant combination of Chow, Kanaka and paleface cremated weed rose to Madaine's eyes, and filled her mouth.

she coughmgly piotested The manager rushed out to get the policeman to quell the fire. He was smoking a big cigar 1 It was the custom, he said. Madame Dolores will probably not tour the ' Towers" way again hurriedly. ■* * * "Tommy" Hudson seems, to be fair game for Thespians. One well-known basker lived in a boarding-house in Sydney for quite a while, and paid his board with religious regularity during a protracted "rest." After he had left he found out that the house was owned by the genial "Toramv " He kicked himself all down Oxfoid-stieet and ur> Elizabeth-street for not living rent free there for the lest of his life' • « • Madame Yeamans-Titus, whose "turn" w ith the Rickards Company, round here with Oinquevailli, was a good second on a programme that tailed off badly after the two "stais" had shone, has only re-

cen/fcly gone into her impersonation business. Formerly, she sano" in American comae opera. The aristocratic Professor Titus who agitates the piano for the clever impersonator, was formerly a cycle-racing champion, but latterly took to "spec" aud the piano, and is not a bad hiand, either

Do you remember Professor Powell, who, while in Wellington with the World's Entei tamers, angled goldfish out of the foothehts, and at whom the audience grinned in amazement at so palpable and poor a trick? Said that Professor Harcourt is doing the same thins ait Sydney Tivoli with more success He w ould need to.

Quaintest taradiddle from theatrical London. One Bordeverny, who easily beats any New Zealander at Bisley with the nfle. is doing a "turn" at one of the London 'Alls, in which his wife and daughter hand him magazine rifles, with which he shoots at a piano, and knocks the "Cavalleria" intermezzo out of the instrument. The melody is perfect, and the time a special feature. It is not stated how the rifle shooting piano-slayer gets his wire s mended during the progress of the piece, or how bullet holes thiough an upright grand

The Crages, who made Wellington marvel lnuohly not so long ago, have bounded homeward, and are causing ticket-sellers to perspire at the London Pavilion. One of the team — he who usually did the supporting of eight — has given the business best, fat having overtaken him. He is tackling acrobatic comedy at a rotund wage.

If you play extempore music, and waint to remember it, you had better get a Little machine now on the market which is a cousin to the phonograph, and can be attached to an instrument Playing on the piano registers the tones on a wax cylinder. These can be read after some practice, and the music transcribed.

affect the purity of the tone.

Sandow, who is at present lifting enormous weights of Australian gold nightly, remarks that he does not care a copper for fame or money if only he can improve the physique of the race. He has 2000 agents working on his system throughout Europe, and every town in England has deputy Sandows, who are said to pay him a royalty, possibly based on muscular increase in pupils. Philanthropy is not a bad line if you use that gift cannily.