DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 160, 25 July 1903, Page 16

DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL.

By Footlight.

TEE persistence of the huge crm\ ch that fill Fuller's Choral Hall each night is remarkable. Theie is no diminution m attendances, and it is absolutely impossible to squeeze in if you are not on time when the bell rings. They have hit upon the only way of giving Fred Bluett a wellearned rest. When the management think Fred is going to faint from exhaustion, they just let the curtain dou n. The ordinary method of "going off" is not any good. If you desire to enjoy a genuinely clever and humorous turn," you must go and hear the hilarious Fred sing "A War CorrespondMiss Amy Blackie sings "Daddy" this week. The beauty of the fine old song is brought out very vividly by this charming singer. "From grave to gay, from lively to severe," and you have the lissom Phillip sisters, whose speciality is fun of a gay and festive kind. "I Have to Mind the Baby," poetically considered, is not T'ennysonian, but it fills the place assigned to it in the universal plan, and wins a laugh or two solely on account of the way it is engineered. I might tell you, before I forget it, that the youngsters are to have a chance of prizes at to-mor-row's (Saturday) matinee. Boys with the gift of the nightingale, and budding Melbas. will sing "Cheer TJp, Buller." The youngster who cheers up Buller most melodiously will gather in the prize. * * * You know all the rest.. Lent on Sisters, lithe and winsome, in "Maud," a small comic classic , Jack Steele, whose charm is not waning , Tim Hots ard, the uproarious burnt-cork professor ; and Ted Herberte, who is in the same line. Add to this galaxy of talent, "Mixtures," a dramatic work of great comic power, by that luminous playwright, Mr. Tim Howard, and a comedietta, in which the best brains of Bluett have been at work, and you have the bill that thousands of eager ' hallites" are crushing in to see. Dixs Gaiety Company, at the Theatre Royal, are a cheery combination just at present, and, consequently, there are few vacant chairs in this comfortable hall. As before, the startling act of the cyclist geniuses, Hill and Silvainy, is the finest "turn" among many excellent ones. The interpid Hill has introduced a further novelty in that he does his sensational ride downstairs on a buggy wheel. Once he "falls," halfway down, and the people take a big breath, and wait for a ghastly heap of cyclist's remains. However, Mr. Hill turns a couple of Catherine wheels in the atmosphere, and arrives on the stage in time to stop his buggy wheel from making hash of the orchestra. As he rushes down the stairs, guiding his spoked steed, there is a little scream from the box. The wheel will bound over, and hit the playgoera. It races furiously to within half-an-inch of the box balcony, and then halts. The audience rises en masse in thankfulness, and cheers vociferously. It is a great act. Those exceptionally clever people, the Williams Quartette', have a firstr-class '"coon" song and dance, "The Charcoal Charmer." It is picturesque, graceful, and musical. Their statue clog dance is a lesson in pose unsurpassed m recent times, and their pretty elec-tric-lighted club swinging is a fitting wind-up to a bright act. Mr. Robin Hay is a new tenor-robusto, who tackles his work manfully, and makes a success of "A Tar of the Queen's." He has excellent style, and a fine voice, and is penalised in. the old way. * * * That cheerful pair, Miss Jessie Thorne and Mr. Steve Adson, are doing a genuinely humorous sketch, "Actors in Hard Luck." It is the best thing these artists have show n us. Miss Flo Williams's descriptive song. "A Pack of Cards," is a vocal tale of human interest that sinks like balm upon the troubled heart, or words to that effect, and Jim Marion the odd gentleman, with the -wide smile, tells you how he "Diddled 'Em," and many other things in reply to universal demand.

Mi. Tod Callauay surpasses any of lus previous effoits in an excellentlypoi formed "sneezing" song. That lio lias acute influenza is veiy apparent. The adventures of a person who expects to be commiserated because He was a married man," had a fnvolous effect upon the house, and Tod got an encore. It "Serves Him Right." That bieezy busker Geoige Dean, ha.si levived the moving tale of 'Tw o Little Drummer Boys " than w Inch George ha& nothing better ,111 a very full repertoiie There is the sparkling comedietta, "In Hot Water," to open the performance, and the ten-minutes' "screamer " The. Lawyer's Clerk," to wind up the plethono bill. 'Are You a Mason," at the Opeia House, died away to an accompaniment of laughter, on Monday night, after a highly successful run. Nothing more genuinely funny has been seen on the local boards, and no combination of comedians could have handled the material with better result® than the fine company sent bv Mr. J. C. Williamson. Miss Ethel Knigbt-Mollison, who so charmingly played the part of Mrs. Pery, left Wellington on Saturday last, 'en route for Sydney, where she plays at the opening of the new- Her Majesty's Theatre. Her place was taken with gratifying results by Miss Claire Berry, daughter of Sir Graham Berry, and wife of the well-known Australian journalist, Mr. John Sands. Mi&s Berry's striking peisonahty and charm of manner eminently suits her for a part in which, however she shows some slight self-eonsciousneiss. ■* * *■ Oh, What a Night" is a happy name for a farce-comedy, m which the company is equally successful, and which is productive of immense merriment. A lady, who feels the indifference of her husband, endea.vouis to cure him with a dose of his own medicine, and the results are comic beyond compare. As before, each of the clever people in the comedy have a good share of the fun, and succeed m leaving an impression behind that the combination is one of the best companies of comedians that we have, seen m Wellington. * * * The Wellington Amateur Opeiatic and Dramatic Society open a season of seven nights on Wednesday, 29th instant with "Ruddigore." As usu?) 1 the Society intends to produce this evergreen favourite with the utmost lavishness, and as the leading parts are to be taken by amateurs who would grace professional opera, the success of the season is assured. ■* * ■* A large and appreciative audience, consisting mostly of ladies, was present at the Liedertafel concert, on Friday. The programme was of a pleasing description, almost every item being enthusiastically applauded. The accompanied part songs are always a feature of these concerts, and of these ''The Toast" was one of the most successful. "Hie the-e, Shallop," a tenor solo, nicely sung by Mr. James Searle, w ith a good chorus by the members, was a fine number. The nart song, 'Sunrise," was exceedingly bright and tuneful, but was somewhat marred by unevenness. * * » Mr. Arthur Ballance was the soloist in • Tears of Anguish," a solo with a peculiar humming accompaniment. This was one of the best items, but the encore demanded was not responded to. Mr. R. Burden, though evidently handicapped by nervousness, sang Berthold Tom's "Because of Thee" very acceptably, and Mr. J. F. Carrs sweet tenor voice w as heard to the greatest advantage in Tosta's "Down Tide," and, being encored, sang a pretty Irish ballad, Pride of Killarney," which also won a storm of applause. The members were assisted by Mrs. Revell and Miss Janet Ross, the latter being an exceptionally talented pupal of Mr. Robert Parker. Her performance of Schubert's "Fantasia in C Major" was a brilliant success, and well merited the encore demanded. Later, two bracketed items, Rubenstein's pretty "Valse Caprice" and ' Si Oiseau j'etais" (Heuselt) were given with excellent expression. Mrs. Revell has seldom been heard to greater advantage, and scoied a great success with her first solo, "Oh, Bid Your Faithful Ariel Fly." An encore being demanded, "Where the Bee Sucks" was very sw eetly sung. * •* + In the second half, Mrs. Revell chose ' Solveig's Song (Greag), and a quaintly pretty ' Finland Love Song" (Miss Maud Y. White) each item being loudly applauded. The concert terminated w ith a spirited chorus, "Comrades in Arms," which was very well sung. Mr. Robert Parker conducted the pait songs. (Continued on page 20.)

Mr. Alec Berne, ahead of the Johnny Sheridan Company, is due in Wellington on the 30th instant. * * * Luscombe Seaielle, once well-known in New Zealand, Mas recently ran over by a motor in Amenca, and sustained a broken ankle. * * ♦ The furniture trade will rejoice. In Bland Holt's next production, "The Great Millionaire," 142 chairs are required for the Guildhall scene. * # * Minnie Brandon, once Walter Bentley's leading lady, and now the wife of a French nobleman, is about to tour Queensland with a dramatic company. * • 'David Harum," the profoundly humorous book that has had so great a vogue, has been dramatised, and is doing good business in the United States. * * * Victor Kelly, Les Wharton, Ernest Fitts Pearl Lovell, Arthur Elliott, all well-known on this side, were at latest with Rickards's Adedaade Tivoli Company. * * # Vaudeville in Auckland has been compelled, in order to keep the doors open, to fall back UDon dumphng-eat-ing competitions and prizes to baldheaded men. * * ♦ You remember "Billy, the good boy," m "Sherlock Holmes" ? Young Reg. Carey, who did it so well with the Cuyler Hastings Company, struck mumps in Tasmania. * •* * William Fields, the latest rival to Cincjuevalli in the juggling line, is appearing at Rickards's Melbourne Opera House. His apparatus consists of a hat, cane, and a few bouncing balls, and out of this sJender material he provides a very clever "turn." * * * Harry Phmmer, whom we always associate with the role of the manly hero, is now playing the villain with the Neill Frawley Company, in the Commonwealth, but the gods will not hurl imprecations at him. * * # ' Considering the lamentable scarcity of plump and attractive young women who can be broadly comic, the public gratitude for May Beatty cannot be too warmly exoressed," is a criticism of May Beatty m "A Chinese Honeymoon," by "Stargazer," in Adelaide "Critic " * * ■* An "unacted" American dramatist "w reaks vengeance" upon managers w ho persist in rejecting his plays, in these lines — • The Drama's svndicators deal In plays as Morgan does in steel They buy and sell m foreign mart, And never care a — rap for Art. Yet suddenly, when we propose A tariff on imported "shows " The syndicate is first to civ "Art has no nationality!" * + The veteran, Mr. George Coppin, was recently paid a surprise visit at lus home at Richmond (Melbourne) by the surviving officers of the first Masonic lodge established m Victoria. The worthy doyen of Australian fieemasonry and the theatrical profession was presented with aiu illuminated address, and his daughter (Miss Gena) was given a handsome souvenir of the occasion, and in recognition of the high esteem in which the craft hold her father. *■ * * Sousa, the 'March King," is bkely to have a nval. A German policeman, who composed a march, oame under the notice of veisatilc Wilhelm, and his music is now played throughout the German Army.* English military bands are asking for new stuff, and the Continent is humming Teilke's marches. By the way, if an English policeman had dared to write a march, he would be sent to gaol. It is against the stuffy law for a soldier, sailor, or policeman to do anything except what he is paid for ' * * * Dm ing the short Hawtrey season at Timaru, the people in the theatre indulged in one large smile, not connected with "A Message from Mars." After the thud act, about seventy per cent, of the men in the theatre filed out- — on business. The fact that the local hotels closed for the first time at ten o'clock that night prevented the gentlemen from doing their business, and the laugh came m when the drought-stricken wanderers returned to their seats chap-fallen.