Dra Matic And Musical

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 269, 26 August 1905, Page 14

Dra Matic And Musical

By Footlight.

FULLER'S New Entertainers, arf> His Majesty's Theatre, cannot grumble at the business they are responsible for, and, -as far as I know, they don't do so. Wellington has been filling all its theatres lately, and I aan inclined to think that Fullers is the fullest. One of the chief causes at present is the return from Manila of the Driscoll Boys, who are comedians fitted with high-pressure cylinders, amid warranted sound in the joints. The terrific rigour Alfred' and Robert infuse into their respective legs makes the audience want to keep them dancdng till djewy mam, and the "boys" don't seam to mind. They are in good, hard form, and come up to the scratch, every time. * • • Charles and Laura Rollo are musical ooonedy sketcixists of much merit, Nature having supplied them, with excellent voices, a good, breezy style of comedly, and the "Dresden" having supplied them with a good piano, which. Charles plays in his character as a tramp, with results that don't hurt the valuable instrument, and do good to the audience, "everything in the garden is lovely." The Irish croon and the Hibernian iig are excellent things, and the musical playlet gives the Rollos lots of opportunities for giving mirth a. chance to circulate. ♦ • ♦ Ted Trevor and Little Cora, in their acrobatic antics, were assisted an Saturday night by Fred Alton, an. old Wellitigtonian, who is not a bad' aoroibat. Miss Nellie Power is a powerful attraction jusbnow. She isprettv witty, and clever, and with "Rosey Carey" she gets right to the heart of the audience, and' wilfully invites a lot of hard work by being as skilfuil as noeeible. She impressed one youmo: fellow so much tihe other nierht that he fired successive boxes of ohoolate at heir. Oi her last encore the chocolate nrani failed to come to licht — his> ammumition. was exhausted. Still, thp "potfe" sain,? out • "More chocolate for Nellie!" * * • Fred Rivenhall hasn't disappeared yet, and everybody is glad, for the ttxatiy Fred is an enlivening comedian, •who -draws like a dentist. There aire disappointingly few Freds about, and he is worth the enormous salary he "-ets, whatever it is. Mr. Charles Howard, the stalwart baritone, with the nice figure and the dramatic voice, sings rousing songs, and Kitty Stanley sinigs "Sometimes." There are also comic singers George Pagden and Harry Wilford, serio-comic Mabel Lynne, and clever dancers the Valmore Sisters. The Stewart Trio have reappeared for a few nagh-ts, and to-morrow (Saturday) several new T>eople will show. "• • • The ■Wellington Amateur Opeonatic and Dramatic Society are feeling pretty good. And no wonder, for the season of "Dorothy," closed! on Wednesday night, has not only been highly successful from a financial point of view, but has thoroughly satisfied 1 and! pleased the large audiences that have witnessed it. On© fact worth mentioning is that, although the first night's audience was looked on as a very good one by the management, the public was so impressed with the quality of the work done by the amateurs that eadb successive evening of the season drew still larger audiences. • • • The small faults occasioned by the pardonable nervousness of a few of the players, and condoned on< that account, -were not observable after the first night, and the succeeding presentations of the charming opera were neariv all •that could be desired. Not only did the principals acquit themselves well. "but the gentlemen and ladies who filled subsidiary parts worked with excellent effect towards the success of the whole Reason. # • * The choruses have been a marked feature of "Dorothy," and' one cannot helw being sroeoiallv pleased 1 with the excellence of" the old women's MHxrn=. "Dancing is not what it used to be.'' and" the rousing "Tally Ho" cho^ra. i" ■which Miss Murohv abandons herself entirely to her rnsiwrrbing work, and adbieves a triumph. • ♦ • A happy memory, "too 1 - '^ * ne F rr » f>o 'f T >l work done by Miss Esteflle Beeres little

pupils, Whose dancing has delighted the audiences. 1 would like to add that the singling of "Qui&en o* My Heaiit," by Mr. Ballance, after the first night, wut, a decided hit. The excellent orches>tra, under Mr. Maugiian Barneitti, was very eftective. In fact, the amateurs of the company will probably look back oui the season as one of the most successful from an artistic point of view, they have hed since the formation of the Socie+y, and I sincerely congratulate all concerned on their very fine perfornianoe. The Stanford-Howard Dramatic Company finished a successful season of melodrama at the Theatre Royail on Wednesday night, with the heartpsttu-r-ing, ever-green "East Lynne," without which the repertoire of a melodramatic company is as naught. The clever principals of the company, particularly Mr. Stanford, Miss Idla Gk-esham, Miss Betterton Glover, and Mr. Alf. Boiotihma>n, may claim to have thoroughly satisfied the lovers of melodrama, and in "East Lynne," no less than in the varioute drama© produced' during the' season, they have shown a refreshing luattoralness that is essential in the uJiniatuiral events that go to make up the heartsearching melodrama. Audiences at the Theatre Royal during the season have been satisfactory. Mr. Thos. Pnngle has earned a meed of praise for the bright and instructive nature of his lecture on "Japan. — Past, Present, and Futnure," given in Victoria Hall, on Monday niorht, and presided over by the Hon. T. Hislop (Mayor of Wellington). Japan, its methods and manners, amd the marveflilous progress it has made since it adopted western ideas, are a source of very great interest to those who are able to gauge the importance; of the "awakening," and when Mr. PringLe dua; deep, into amcdent -history, in order to fin<J parallels for the enormous objanges observable by contrast', he had his audience with him. • • • During bis extended 1 tour through Chrysanthemum La/od, Mr. Prdngle succeeded) in getting a very full coMe-otdon of photographs, and these he exhibited and spoke about in a luoidl amd often amusing manner. There was a mot© of adttnaration for the Jap throughout Mcr. Pringles excellent leotfiire, and! he gave in an incisive way his reasoins for believing that Japan would become one of tlhe world's greatest nations as a oolonisins: and manufacturing po>wer. The Heermann concerts, at the Town Hall last week, were very severe frosts from the financial point of view. Meanness in advertising invariably defeats itself in the show line as in other things. Mr. John Tait would do well to paste tibia axiom in the ha/t of th& next touring manager whom he sends forth. In the present case tihe stapid save-the-bawbees policy was all the more legretibable, because the Heermanms are artists of the highest eminence.. Herr Hugo Heermann, the father, is a cansuimmiate master of expression., as his performance of the lovely adagio move-

ment in Biuoh's concerto m G minor and Bach's well-known air for the G string abundantly attested on riatuiday night. Like Wilhelnvj, lus t&mpei ameuit ib too carious for the t>nowy fiieworks in which many other violin celebrities induJge. His work is solid, altogether admirable in method, and his tone is rich and sweet, and full of delicate nuances. Herr Emil Heercnaaiin, the son, is ako a very fine musician, affecting a moie dashing style than his father and, luke him, displaying a facile mastery of technique. Mr. John Prouse was a welcome figure at the oomaerte. Hls platform style has notably improved, and has voice 1 us as rich and sonorous, as ever while be has learnt a good many points in its artistic management. Mr. W. A. Layer, brother of the Australian cricketer of that ilk, is a capable pianist, and plays his accompaniments with moe discrimination. Miss P rouse played her father's accompaniment with the taste which always distin.guis.foes her. «■ * * Mr. M. B. Curtis's American Novelty Company is putting on its first, show at the Opera House as we go to press, and from the success the company achieved in Auckland, the season of six nights and a matinee ought to "go big." The presence in Wellington of a real Cheyenne (American Indian) girl, who is a princess of her tribe, is a novelty, and, as the "redskin" lady sings the weird song® of her folk, dances the native dlanoes, and is very aeoomnlished 1 p>eneraJly, she should be a distinct attraction. Olive, the conjurer, has a reputation that assures success for his mystery show. The suspending in the air without visriJble support of a lady, around whom Olive passes a hoop to show "there is no deception," is among his beet acts, and the general quality of his work is avowed! to be very high. Major Neiwall, the "cowboy juggler," jugieles pretty well with the tools of his trad© — the six-shooter and the carbine — but he is redkoned to "cut some ioe" a® a manipulator of other odds andi ends, and has the additional advantage of being pictuiresque amd wild-westy looking. • • • Ernest Barbour is billed as America's finest monologue entertainer, ansd a monologist who is worth his salt is always a most welcome addition to a slhow. Ernest, with that reputation of his, oudbt to draw like a claw-hammer. Miss Edith Challis is ooncedled) to have a rich voice and a knowledge of its use, and her songs are illustrated' in the best way. The bill bulges with bright bits of novelty. In fact, it is tihe novelty of the show that forced Auckland papers to spread' themselves in admiration of it. Don't forget to let the juveniles know that the oompamy gives a matinee on Saturday. •» * » As the Free Lance goes to press, Herr Max Hoppe's concert, in the concert chamber of the Town Hall, is proceeding, and, having regard to the" excellence of the vocalists and instrumentalists who are engaged, music lovers

are enjoying a musical feast. The concert is being held under the patronage of the Wellington Savage Club, and Lady Plunket was to be present. Miss Amy Murphy^ solos consisted of Chanunade's "Summer" and Gounod's 'Serenade." Mi. John Piouse, recently returned to New Zealand, is sanging Tschaakowsky's ''Pilgrim Song" and Ronald* 'My Dream of Lore." Mr. J. Curr was programmed to smg "My Rosary (Los^.). Herr Hoppe (violinist) and Miss Taylor (pianost) a/re playing Beethoven's sonata (Op. 24), and Hoffmann's ''An Italian Love Story," whole a strong quartette, oonsistang of Messrs. Hoppe, Cohen, Oimaio, and Cohen, are playing Mendelssohn's quartette in E flat manor, and Haydn's "Theme and Variation." Mr. Alfred Hall is, unfortunately, unable to take part, owing to the death of his mother. * * # The mew show which, opened) at the Theatre RoyiaJ as we go to press — — or rather the central great attraction around which the rest revolves— is somewhat briefly described by the mamagem'ent as 'The Magic Kettle." Mr. George Stephen&on is resspotnsaible (or, should we say, rewardable?) for tthe introduction to New Zealand of this remiarkabJe novelty, better known to the scientific world a? "liquid air," winch, at the hands of Professor Andrews, is placed before the public in a fascinatHj.gly popular and understandable form. A high-class and somewhat out-oi-the-oommon company of entertainers supports Professor Andrews in producing an evening's entertainment which, on all hands is said to ba of a very unique and delightful character. The wellknown theatrical a^ent. Mr. Joe Brown, hlas made the most careful arnanjgeimeints to ensure the complete success of the Wellington season. The Messrs. MacMahon have anramgßd for a season of special inteirest, commencing at the Opera House on the 31st insb. The popular young Australian actress Miss Fitzmaurice Gill, recently returned from a very successful tour of the AxisrtraMan cities, and still more reenfcly endorsed by a brilliant month's business in Auckland, mil appear in a series of big dramatic productions (for the first time in Wellington) of some of the latest London successes. The opening bill will be the very interesting and powerfully attractive drama entitled "Bearing Her Cross." Mass Gdll will be supported by an unusually complete dramatic company, twenty-five strong, including old favourites and some faces new to New Zealand. * * * The sale of Mrs. Brown-Potter's effects at Bray Lodge, Maidenhead 1 , was completed recently, and realised altogether m-arly £3000. A full-length portrait of Mrs. Brown-Potter in the roile of Miladi in the "Three Musketeers," by the Hon. John CoJlier, painted in 1899, and exhibited in, the. Gr&fton Gallery in 1900, was knocked down to Mr. Arthur Aldridge, Mrs. Brown-Pot-ter's former private secretary, far £75. * * * "The Walls of Jeridho," by Mr. Alfred Sutro, a satire upon the London, "smart set, has produced a strong impression m Melbourne as played' by the BroughFlemming Company. Mr. Flemxming pjays the part of the Queensland 1 squatter, who becomes so disgusted 1 with the doings of his fashionable friends. The other Queenslander, Banndsteir, is impersonated by Mr. Brougih ; and Miss Day is the titled wife whom Frobisher wins, and l with whose frivolities !he becomes alarmed. And! Australian papers (even the most frivolous ones) say there is a good deal in "Jericho" that ought to be kept out. (Continued on page 18.)