Dramatic and Musical

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 186, 23 January 1904, Page 17

Dramatic and Musical

By Footlight.

ANEW circus by aii old firm. And a good one, too ! People rofess to be bored by circuses, and so they roll up in their thousands until the canvas bul3es, the seats creak, and all the spare ground is dotted with people for whom there is not a "four-by-two" left. Fitzgaralds have performed the astonishing circus fe&t of presenting twenty - one displays, all of which are quite unlike those attempted by the average circus, which travels the old groove year in and year out. # * * Madame Onra's display is worth travelling in. a broken-down buggy, with a, spavined horse, to see. You've seen wire-walkers often. All previous wire-walkers haven't walked. They have slid gingerly, hesitatingly. Madame trips. She is costumed for the street. She smiles coquettishly, and doffs her lovely hat. She is shy, and her shoulder-wea.r is gone. Her little son has caught it. A pin goes, Madame's gown gees too. and Madame blushes. She is standing on her wire clothed — not in walking attire. There is a subtle charm about this lady's work that gives great piquancy to a faultless act. * * » Fitzgeralds have done away with the costuming we all remember for the past fifty years. There is less tinsel than formerly. No flaming rings, few of the gauds that were merely wonderful to the ohawbacon. There are feats of equestrianism certainly. Mdlle. Millie Dagmar's menage act is picturesque and novel, all the more so because she employs three terriers, who dodge in and out between the feet of the grace-fully-stepping Napoleon; — a pony that is a picture. Oardello, physically a pretty specimen of Australian aboriginal boyhood, is perhaps 1 the finest balancerider seen here, while his white mate,

Shand, helps in an act that calls foith enthusiastic huzzas. There are clowns— plenty of them. Their wit is old to adults, but the ehildien will talk clown until the lxexfe circus comes this way. Clown Gilleno is a musician as well as a, comedian. His chief charm is an aluminium peal of bell-counding instruments. ft if ¥■ Marizom's dogs are perhaps the most interesting feature of a fine show . One feels that those dogs know more than a gieat many of the people who patronise circuses. Billed big is Dr. Gordon,, the gentleman of muscle, who carries a horse up a ladder, toys with weights that a pack-horse would jib at, and breaks split link "jack" chains by chest expansion. Dr. Gordon lifts terrific weights with his teeth. The Flying Meteors have a sensational act on skyscraping trapezes. Time is the essence of this contract, for, with his head in a bap the lesser Meteor swings giddily, revolves rapidly. and dangles momentarily from his brother, turns in the air, and blindfolded finds his own trapeze and perch aeram. This is the creepy act of the show. * # * A thrilling wind-up is the fine jumping performance of Newhaven and Stockman. Curiously, the already densely-packed tent was still more crowded for this performance, and the horses got well over six feet. Altogether, a novel circus, hugely patronised, and worth it. * ■"■ •*• "Man's Enemy," typified in one of the Anderson Dramatic Company's posters setting forth an alluring lady and a barrel of intoxicating liquor, is a stage sermon, intended to sear its lesson into the heart of the playgoer. As is usual in most dramatic productions in which a man is led astray, the muchabused feminine gets in more fine work than the grog fiend. Still, the latter is very helpful. In> "Man's Enemy" the chief man is handicapped. His 1 people have been drunkards. He gets absolutely the giddiest chances for alcoholic stimulation, and he loses no chances. No drama worthy the name wants the hero to die a drunkard's death, and a white-souled woman is tlie only implement in the: hands of the dramatist to wean him, from whisky, and place him on the pedestal of respectability. * * • After a gorgeous time of sin and drink insanity, the hero thinks it is time to give the wretched temptress a spell, and become reclaimed by using the good lady to that end. There is a realistic wife-beating scene in the

drama, that niakes one want to heave rocks at the sodden crowd that enjoys it. ♦ • * As the tempted man, who is as clay m the hands of the plotter and pot-boy, Mr. George Cross does the "horrors" « ith sufficient realism to coavey the necessary moral. The calm and diabolical temptress is pourtrayed with exquisite intensity by that excellent actress, Miss Eugenie Duggan, and one is absolutely glad to feel that Miss Duggan is really a charming woman outside dunk drama. Miss Nellie Ogd'en, as the sinless syren whose voice beckons the reforming soul to better things, gives a mellow presentation of a nicelyfashioned part. Comic relief is Cockney relief, as usual, and Miss Hilda Fraser uses it with advantage. The Hebrew of Mr. George Care" is characterised by the faithfulness to vernacular detail and mannerism that always distinguishes the work of a particularly fine actor. The old-fashioned, but much-loved thriller, "East Lynne," reappeared too late for my attention. Who hasn't seen it, and who does not want to see the tragic tale re-enacted ? * * » Mr. P. R. Dix, although a harassed man, is not necessarily unhappy. Percy beamed benevolently on his friends on Monday nagh x . in gladness at the practical demonstration of their feelings. The Gaiety Company gave the "old man," a benefit, and the people rolled up in larger numbers than for some time, and enjoyed themsleves. The tactful proprietor, always a popular man, said some easily-spoken words about the test of friendship, and the people liked it, if their reception' of Mr. Dixs parting words is a criterion. • * » When Percy said the curtain was going down but temporarily as far as Wellington was concerned, the habitues who have made a practice of taking their weekly dose of fun at the Theatre Royal said they were glad — by applause. I hope other bright days are in store for the "Gaiety." •# i * Fuller's Entertainers 1 have faded temporarily from view, and are now engaged in exhilarating the Christchurch public. In the meantime, His Majesty's is being clothed in garb worthy of the royal name, and the always crowded theatre will, when it re-opens, be able to accommodate those luckless people who arrive late, and get no seats. * * • Those public benefactors, Messrs. Willoughby and Geach, in bringing "A Stranger in a Strange Land/ prove that the name of the firm is not to be considered seriously. There is a lack of seriousness and a whole-hearted regard for the fun-loving proclivities of New Zealand audiences in all the productions that this firm gathers into its long list of comedies. The "Stranger" put up a bigger run in New York than, did "What Happened to Jones." so that if American appreciation is worthy of the consideration of New Zealand playgoers, the Opera House will be all too small to accommodate the crowd that ■will throng that artistic building on Saturday night.