Dramatic and Musical

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 205, 4 June 1904, Page 16

Dramatic and Musical

By Footlight.

FULLER'S Entertainers, at His Majesty's Theatre, are engaged in the very necessary occupation of keeping old and young blood wanned up this cold weather, and are stiengthened m their purpose by the advent ol new people. Mist, Doily .Lamont, the comfortable-looKing balladist. who uearo some nice clothes with distinction, pervades the cosy theatre with a caiefully-nuitured voice. In the immortal "Ben Bolt," and the no less heart-searching "Trust Me Still," she takes tli© audience into her confidence, and makete it loth bo let her go. Mr. Joe Rocks, of the great army of corked comedians, is programmed to eject thei classic "Toodle-oodl&-ay," but is. persuaded to oblige with four other equally classic items of even merit. Worse comic soagst-ers have soared on the wimga of vocatisni. Mr. Ben Menzie^, also a comedian of pronounced tendencies, is a coon singei and comic vocalist. He sings of his love m Alabama, which, foi the purposes of entertainment, has no colour-line and no negiclynchings. • • • Some, of these, days the nigger pi\uice win give place to something not so darkly-coloured, but, in the meantime, Miss Kitty Lenton dances to the btra-ns of "My Lady Hottentot," who may be presumed to be a bit yellow ci tjian the- Southern State, coons. Miss Kitty infuses the necessary pertness into her skilful work. Victor the "magician," is still b'lled big, and consumer a very interesting ten minutes in the manipulation of his mysteries. • • • A young pantomime is well done by the supple Stagpooles, who are still in the hey-day of their success. Miss Addie Wright, with her exclamatoiy psalm, "Oh, Mr. Morgan," and Miss Connie Denton, in her little hymn "Mankind," laise smiles even on melancholy faces. Adventures, fortunately raie to the tansoridl profession, eventuate in "The Barber's Shop," which is a signal that your electric oar is waiting foi you outside. * * * Mi\ Justice Hodges, of Victoria, has 3ust expres&ed his judicial opinion that "engagements for juvenile opera are outrageous, and ought to be stopped " A good maniT of these "juveniles" are not Jietir)y so juven)e as they look. In one of these companies a mother and her daughter both appeal, and the mother is billed as "Little" — well, say — "Flossie." * * * My. Peter Savien, of Wellington, who played low comedy parts very effectively m the Fitzmaurice Gill productions severed his connection with that company m Dunedm, and returned here this week in order to join the Woods-Wil-liamson Dramatic ompany. Miss Gill's company, after doing not too well in the South, left on Sunday last by the Warrimoo for Hobart, and intend torevisit Dunedm in about six weeks' time Continued on page IS.

One of those pleasant little "spreads" which cement warm feehngs between employer and employed eventuated at "Carroll's," Willis-street, an Tuesday night. Mr. Goldstein the well-known mercer and hosier, of Cuba-street, commemorated the opening of his Willisstreet premises by entertaining his employees at dinner The cateiing was in "Carroll's" best style, and fcbe greatest geniality prevailed 1 .

Haroouirt Beatty is playing lead at Home in the new farce, "The Electric Man." • • * Reported that Justin McCarthy, of "If I Were King fame, is dramatising Longfellow's "Hiawatha." • • • Cuyler Hastings has just appean ed vi a new piece in Sydiney. It is the "burglar" play of "Raffles," which made such a "hit" in New York. • • * WaJtier Rivers, otherwise Walter Haybititile, of Wellington, is stage manager amdl interlocutor foi Jim Barn's Gaiety Entertainers at Hobart Temperance Hal. • » • Miss Lloyd Hassell, who was heard, mi Wellington a few weeks ago, gay© a souse neaital in the Ohiistchuroh Choral Hall the other day. But the audience was thin. • * * A new song, which is much inquired after ait the. "Dresden just now, and is v/orth .having, is "God's Chaneeless Garden," words by Alison Dene, music by Hamilton Gray It may be had in four keys in D, E flat, F, and in G. Tiyit. # Mr. Louis A. Benzoni has sent me a copy of his latest song, "Do You Remember?" both words and! music being his own. It is a love song, of course, and is cast in the key of A major. The melody is simple and pleasing and is easily picked up. • * ♦ The Willoughby-Geaoh Comedy Company is to disband at Adelaide on Friday next, 10th inst. Geo. Willoughby has taken his berth for London, and Edwin Geach is going to rest there also prior to a flying trip through England and America. • * * Miss Maggie Knight ,a popular actress of the 'Eighties, hailing from Auckland is about to return to the stage in ome of Mr. Williamsons companies. Miss Knaght first took to the stage in Auckland but New Zealand is not the lamd of her birth. • * * "The Girl from Kays" is to be the next Gaiety production, at Melbourne Princess's. It is described as "a feast of good things," the best numbers being "The Bonnet Shop," "I Don't Care," for a baritone; "Glass, Glass," "Love at the Door," and "Mrs. Hoer^enh earner." • • • Ben Fuller was in Wellington the ctthea- day. Came up from Dunedin in response to an urgent wire. Something fcmipoirtant m respect to Fuller rai-.deiviilile is likely to be the outcome. Fuller houses naturally lead to fuller vaudeville. Seems logical, doesn't it? • • • In Ernest Fitts and Miss Maud Beatty. now singing in Rickai ds's Melbourne establishment, the public gets a substantial amount of musical humanity for its money (thinks an Australian writer). Fitts the mellow baritone, would probably weigh a ton with a little assistance from a thumb under the scale, and Miss Miaud Beatty. who wields a nicelyroumded) and modluilated 1 contralto, looks quite tremendous in a neat 1 ig-out of mandarin and black. • • * In point of popularity, the Three Musical Johnstons — two ambidexterous men and a fair young girl, all in military costume — shared the honours with Nawn and Baker. Their xylophone playing is tin-top. There are also Miss Dorothy Drew, a singing comedienne; Miss Katherine Dahl, who rattles off the solo in the "Hiawatha" soene, with a chorus of male and female Indians ; and Miss Ethel Holdsworth, singer of screen-pictured ballads and some moving pictures. » • • I am in receipt of a copy of "The Blue and White," a song written for St. Patrick's Collage by the versatile rector, the Very Rev. Father Keogh. and set to music by Mr. Laurence F. Watkins. I should say it will prove highly popular with the collegians. The words incultate esprit de corps, perseverance, loyalty. no surrender, and the music is martial and inspiriting, with full provision for givine rousing effect to the refrain, "Three lusty cheers for the blue and white," which, of course, are the College colours. • • • Tom Nawn's "Polite Vaudeville and Comedy Company," from the Land of Wooden Nutmegs, has oaught on all right, at the Sydney Palace. Nawu himself, as the "stage Irishman," is the lion oomique. He is also great as a fancy skater. Pete Baker is the same old favourite who, with Farren, toured! tlbe colonies a quarter of a century ago as Dutch and Irish comedians. He is still the "oomio Dutchman." Melbourne "Punch" says he is a trifle tihriminer than he was, but his "broad gf tniality" and 'his vocal organs are still unimpaired. He now imitates th© dialects of all nations.

Association Football. The matches at Miramax on Saturday were without exception, disappointing. A cold, piercing southeily somewhat spoilt the enjoyment of the spoit. Had a few of the City Fathers been piesent, the necessity of up-to-date leoreation recreation grounds would have been bi ought home to them in moie ways tli an one. The neatest interest was centied in the Swifts v. Diamond*, fixture. Many evnected that the Diamonds would receive a check to their all-conquering Seer But, though the Swifts showed Toofd f,ont, and had the majo. amount of the play still when it came to the art tfior&g they were sadly wanting. In these columns I have repeatedly ext» tied an opinion that the Maroon forSarfJ retire to put a little moie energy mto then play when in front of foil Their want in this respect was Sn very noticeable on Saturday. Anker with the goal at has mercy m half of the game presented quite a vision of possibili ties bu£ through lack of energy, he was faulv bluffed by the Diamonds' custodian. I was not captivated by the way Steven cleared ashot from Cheshire, previous to Hathaway scoring the Diamonds' first goal. To concede a coiner instead of throwing the ball to the test of the Diamonds' forwards, would have served better. Very indifferent form was f^ l^: ing in the Parks and Peai Is match Both clubs were short-handed. Even those partxcipating did not present anything near senior form, and the game at times resolved itself into a farce, in which line the Parks shone to advantage. The only one to take things at all seriously was Clapham On several occasions he had very hard luck with some magnificent shots, sent m from a twenty-five yards' radius. One terrific drive, which struck the cross-bar with a bang fairly sent Colpus's hair on end The Pearls' custodian thought the 24 x 4 was coming all of a heap, and the anxious look he gave heavenwards was a treat for the "gods." The Rovers and V.M C.A. fixture was devoid of interest as, far as the latter was concerned. The former romped home with a thi ee-nil victoiy, and there was perfect harmony in the Rover camp. The wooden spoon is evidently not coming Frank's way this season. As usual, the visiting team to Petone returned homewards with two points, and an avalanche of goals to thencredit. When a senior match is won bv such an overwhelm-in?: balance as half-a-dozen goals, it needs no argument to convince even a suburbanite that some of the visiting teams now look upon the Petone fixture as a picnic. • • * What was described as the record match of the world was played on the Bristol (England) ground, on Friday, April Ist, 1904, when eleven membere of the Wren family met a team of referees, and beat them bv three goals to love T. Wien, a gentleman aged 84 years, started the game, and the_ whole of the players engaged on one side were his descendants — sons, grandsons, and great grandsons. Tne names of this unique combination deserve to be preserved, and so we give them, with their relationship to the old gentleman already named- — F. P. Wren (grandson), goal : Bert and Sam Wren, (grandsons), full-backs, Jess and Tom Wren (grandsons), and Johnny Wren (great grandson), aged ten, halfbacks : Jack Wren, Fred Wren, Frank Wren (grandsons), and John and Ted Wren (sons), forwards. Jess Wren scored two of the goals, while John Wren, the oldest man in the team, got the third from a penalty. But, seriously, why is not some credit given to the Jenny Wren of this family. — From the "Athletic News." • • • Although Maoriland has not as yet equalled the above, still in Dunedin we have seen, five McMillans in one team. And, as late as last season, three of the Macs assisted Otago in the "rep. matches, viz., George, Dave, and Jack. According to Sydney paiagraphs, a couple of inter-district matches wei eai-

ranged for the Prince of Wales' bntliday Both matches will probably be played on one ground, so that the selectors of the team to tour Ne-w Zealand will be afforded 1 an opportunity to witness the play. In the match, Sydney v. Navy, at Moore Park fully 2000 people watched the game. The fixture, according to public opinion, was the best Association game played in Sydney for some time. In summing up the players, special mention is given O. Mason, a playei jufet arrived from London. The scribe states that "he played an exceedingly brilliant game, and one need not be surprised to see him selected 1 to go to New Zealand as 1 epresentative half-back When reading Sydney press reports, one cannot fail to observe that some brilliant bouts of combination are given by the kangaroo teams. In on© fixture in particular mentipn is made of the ball being passed' and repassed 1 nearly the full Length of the field by the five foiwards and halves. If everything we read 1 is gospel, the New Zealand public should see the forward game played as it ought to be played. And the New Zealand full-backs and 1 halves are evidently going to have a "hot" time of it. Wellington, however, should have no fear m this respect. In defence this province is stronger than ever it hare been. In fact, we have a surplus supply of capable backs and halves. The following, to wit — Amies, McNair, Lane B. Clark, Taylor, M. Renai, McWhannell, White, Roberts, Clapham, H. Renai, and Yah Clark. Good forwards, however, are as scaice as backs are plentiful. Mawson and Phillips are missing this year, and their places will be difficult to fill. • • • In the friendly match against Canterbury to-morrow (Friday) a trial is given Reddy and Godber. The former is new to "rep." honours. Godber has, however, represented the province both at full and haJf. This year, the Roverite has blossomed out into a scoring forward, which may possibly account for his selection in preference to Airey, Cunningham, or Brodie. Whether Godber will prove a success as centre-f orwai d lemains to be seen. The selection is bound to raise adverse comment. Scoring centres are, however, at a premium in Wellington, and a tiial of Godber — who invariably pilots the ball to the desired haven when an opportunity presents itself — may possibly be found a wise one.