DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 151, 23 May 1903, Page 7

DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL

By Footlight.

THEMajeroni Dramatic Company, at the Theatre Royal, feeling a trifle gory, selected that tragic circumstance, "The Shamrock and the Rose" to draw Wellington's myriads this week. The yarn turns upon, the fact that a young cad marries a. sweet Irish lass. The young cad thinks it is a, mook marriage, but it isn't. The young ■nife has previously scorned the honest love of at "broth of a bhoy." The youthful villain has a hoary father, \\ho is a bigger villain, having had more time to learn the business, and he feels that if he corald get his son married to an English heiress he would die eoutent. with a big bank balance. • • • The girl won't have the youth, of course, because she loves a beautiful lover whose soul is as clean as a parson's conscience. Then the delightful pair scheme to ruin the girl's lover, get him turned out of house and home, sheet home a lurid crime that he kno^vs nothing about, and ar every wicked indeed. The young villam> learns the tricks, of the fathers trad© so rapidly that, he "goes back" on the old man, and. during an interesting little conv 3risation on the cliffs, he just empties h : s pa out of the world. • • • If he could now kill his wife, he would bei free to marry the girl who does not want him, so he lovingly interviews her, gives her a sleeping draught "wid a bit of a blackthorn/ and throws her into the mill race. Finally, feeling anyhow, he rejoices the audience by shooting himself. Don't imagine that the villains crawl through their criminal programme without hindrance. Comic policemen fall over them, and a glorified shaughraun pops up ever and anon to see that the murders are kept down to ordinary melodramatic numbers • • • As Dandy Dunraven, the wild Irish bhoy, wid the big heart, Mr. Geo. Marjeroiu is; worthy of a Hibernian surname, for he romps through a heap of trouble with a broad gran, and a merry jest, sprinkling bits of Irish brilliance ■with much talent. As the junior villain, Mr. Mario Majerom is> so natural that one shudders for his hereafter. As thorns in the path of virtue, Mr. Chas. Knight, as 1 Nicholas Flint, and Mr. A. Douglas, as Mrxy Mulcahy, were a® excellent as possible, while Mr. J. B. Fitzgerald, as a good, kind doctor, made rather a hit, as also did Mr. Frank Grist and Mr. F. W. Mercer in sinless parts 1 . • ♦ • Sergeant Drake and P.C. Jones, both of th© Rile Orrish Con-stab-lery, were successfully buffooned by Mr. P. A. Savieri and Mr. P. Badham. Miss Nellie Ogden, as Morna Moore, gave i delightful portraiture of an Irish orirl, and Miss Kate Gair as Rose Rivendale, again, showed her exceptional versatility. The oast was a very long one, and a very satisfying one. The hearty appetite shown! by Wollingtonianis for lurid melodrama has led to an exceptional attendance of delighted playgoers. m # The Hawtrey Comedy Company uas obliged to keep the dehghtful "Message from Mars" on up till Wednesday naght, the audiences having been highly satisfactory throughout. As handled bv these first-class people, th© "Message" has been a common topic of conversation throughout the city. By the way, the "Horace' Parker" of Mr. Gregan MacMahon grows on one, and forces one to admit that it is entdrelv artistic. Very few latter-day comedies 1 have such a deep purpose as this arnusiner and pathetic sta?e sermon. It is clever stuff handled most capably by adepts. • * * "Diok, Tom, and Harry" bounded into view last night (Thursday), too late for notice this week. I know, however, that it is a clever "screimer," and^that the Hawtrey Company force all the fun there is in it to the surface. • * • The Fuller Entertainers, a,t the Choral Hall, are still engaged in dissipating the meerrims brought about l>y the reign of King Winter or something like that. There is a sound of revelry by night, the classes and the masses mixing readily in the democracy of fun, frolic and fancy. Many people who.n vaudeville won't ''fetch" have been lured from the fireside by the clarion tones %f

Tenor John, who is still in. as good singing form as he has been any time these twenty years. John hasi been regaling has adorers with "On the Banks of the Wabash," and "Sally in Our Alley," lately, and he always oarnes a trifle extra in order to assauge the tempestuous thirst for more. » * • Will Stevens, "the sad-eyed shriek," has wound the tendrils of his noble art round the heart of his audience. See him before he vanishes. It is stated in all seriousness that the Jones Bros, are going away, that the MoKissons are packing their kits, that Ada DuvaJ. disappears almost immediately, that Jack Steele steals silently hence, and that Annie Ellershe evaporates. Much sadness is dissipated when I learn that these several stars are to give place tr> a constellation equally brilliant. ♦ * . The members of the Ponrua Asylum staff deserve great credit for the excellent manner in which they produced the comedy "Caste," on Tuesday evening of last week. That their efforts to please were much appreciated was repeatedly shown during the course of the play. The piece was well staged, the costumes appropriate and artistic, and the scenic effects admirable. Prompting — invariably much in evidence on such occasions — was conspicuous by its absence. The orchestra, consisting of a large family of local musicians, wasi led by Mr. Brady, and the musical selections given materially added to the evening's enjoyment. So smoothly ran the whole performance, that it is 1 to be hoped it will be reproduced in the near future. Miss Jansen, as Esther Ecclesi, gave an excellent rendering of the part assigned to her. Whether as the affectionate wife, proud of the man of her choice, and of the station to which he had raised her, the loving mother, the sorrowful and impecunious widow, or the determined and self-reliant woman refusing the monetary assistance tendered by her aristocratic mother-in-law, 'he was equally successful. • • * Miss Mitchell, as Polly Eccles, a smart, piquant "lady of the stage," was an undoubted success. The delivery of her pungent witticisms created lively satisfaction to the audience, to which her buoyancy of spirit, love of fun, and smartness of repartee materially added. Miss Tuersley, who appeared as the Marquise de St. Maur, an old and aristocratic lady, ever mindful of her oaste and family traditions, made the most of a somewhat unthankful part.. • • * Dr. Barraclough was quite at home in the character of Sam Gerridge. The grim humour, biting sarcasm, and smart rejoinder of the irrepressible mechanic, were admirably shown, and not less -O his distrust of all "swells." The passages of arms between himself and his sweetheart^, the account of his purchases of furniture and fittings for their future home, and the reading of his tirade circular to the "nobility, gentry, and inhabitants of the Borough-road and its vicinity," oreated roars: of la,ughter. ♦ ♦ * To Mr. Barnes was entrusted the part of Eccles — a, dirty, lazy, worthless, and dissipated ne'er-do-weel — and he played it to the life. The stolid indifference of this reprobate to the welfare of his family, his abject servility when attempting to obtain funds for the gratification of his drinking propensities, his inflated notions of his own importance, and the hound-like way in whooh he tried to evade the verbal castigation of his daughter while robbing his infant grandchild of his necklace to obtain drink, were as artistically rendered <■ & they were warmly recognised, and would have passed muster in an audience even more critical than, the one assembled. Mr. Owen as Captain Hawtrey, gave great satisfaction. His — haw — superb assurance, his — haw — mrmitable> drawl, Ins — haw — cynical defence of his caste,

and his — haw — sublime indifferencei to the strictures of his fellows, were the source of much amusement. Mr. Prebble, as the Hem. Geo. D'Alroy, created a very favourable impression, and it w ould be difficult to decade whether his portraiture of the ardent lover, the devoted husband, or the delighted parent, did him the greatest credit. Mr. Donald, as Dixon, had little to do, but did that little well. ♦ » • Obituary Charlie CogjU, one of the smartest funny men ever in New Zealand. Died in 'Frisco, having wasted from comfortable stoutness to a shadow. (Continued on page 20.)

"Masie," the tropical trifle attached to the 'Messenger Boy " and made a good deal of by Miss Alice Pollard, :s chapped out of "The Toreador," foi which it was written. * * * Dainty Olive Lenton one of the {nicest little girls ever around for Percy Dix, and daughter of the late Lance Lenton, the journalist, has gone ovei to musical comedy for Williamson. * * * Stated that the R,oyal Hungarian Military Boys' Band, of 54 performeis, will visit the colonies after a tour c p South Africa, under the direction of Heibert Fleming and Harry Friedman. * » • Stated down South that Mr. Geo. Ldying, the American tenor, of ' Clorine" fame, is about to marry Miss Ada Morrison. I had always been given to understand that there was a Mis. Lading still in. the flesh. * * * "Uncle Tom," who was thrashed to death by the lovely Legree, for pmposes of Harriet Beeoher Stowe's book, was a real character. The original, however, has only lately been "emancipated," at the age of 111. * * * Although Mi?s Nellie Stewart lias pteyed "Zaza," the blue she doesn't like it. She says she does not intend to play it anywhere again. She knew that New Zealanders would not dare to patronise it. The reason given for Miss Stewart taking the part at all ,s that, she desired to show that her versatility was equal to the task. * • • Stated by a capable critic that Heibert Ross, who played Horace Parker 1 "Mars," for the Hawtrey Company, during its previous tour, is consititu- • tionally adapted for that one part only, and can platy nothing els© with success. Also, that Mr. Gregan MacMahon is "away ahead" of Ross in, the character. Personally, I consider the work of the latter to be inferior in comparison. Mr. Ross is playing m "The Londoners." °t the Apollo Theatre, London. * • • The "Bulletin" has words to sa.y about Arthur Adams's "Tapu," and in the course of a verbal "pot boiler" remarks — "The Maori is an admirable creature in books , and a nice neighbour a long way off. He used to be a valiant animal in battle, and a 'iol!y good fellow' at a cannibal feast. But, on the stage, he and his whares, his pahs, kaingas, mats, meres, moko, utu, tapu and all the rest of it, aren't worth 4d as operatic assets." * * • Walter Baird, of Greenwood's theatncal company challenges any actor In Australia to an encounter with the gloves, and claims the theatrical championship. Slappoffski is the most enthusiastic boxer in the profession, but Alf. Woods, Walter Baker, Georee Lauri, and Hugh Ward all do a bit. From recent published accounts, it is an absolute necessity for a company touring Australian backblocks to "do a bit," especially when the coffers don't bulge and the bills do. * * * Londoners are being mystified by the. performances of Frederic Trevalhon, who poses as a "human doll" with such superhuman rigidity as to deceive the keenest onlookers In, America, and even in England, it is related that all sorts of devices have been tried to startle, amuse or agonise "Phorso" (as the doll is called) into betraying sensibility. An inquiring young lady went so far as to thrust a hat^pin right through the muscles of his leg, and ingenious investigators have several tim»^ tried to set his clothes alight * • • Whispered that a len.gthy and large actor not unknown in New Zealand, recently 'bossed" the show to such a distended extent in a Melbourne theatie that a small comedian "took to him," and used him as a combined dust-pan and hand-brush. There was a difference of weight between the two. of five stone. The facts having got. know n the little chap is getting ovations, and the large dark man is below par in the latest stage quotations. * * • Madame Slapoffski was recently observed, at Melbourne "Princess's " to be whistling and talking at the same time. Fact is, however, the whistle emanated from "behind," and was ill— timed. Melbourne scribe describes how a manager once put on a siffleuse, who formed her sweet lips into a cupid bow and blew until she coughed. The whistling still went on! Reminds m? that during the playing of "Trilby," in Wellington, Trilby apparently sung "Ben Bolt." She evidently w^asn't a bit musical, for two bars before the screened singer had finished, TriJbv closed her singing mouth, and went ahead with her speaking lines. Probably, the villainous Svengali had something to do with it.