Dramatic And Musical

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 272, 16 September 1905, Page 14

Dramatic And Musical

By Footlight

THE Fitemaurice Grill Company, at the Opera House, are "ranging the 'changes" -with commendable frequency, and the melo-dramatic heroirue and the soulful but harassed hero are getting a variety of hiard luck in different lines of life. "The Girl of My Heart" has one or two novel points, and is as wildly improbable as the average playgoer could hope. Will Stewart, a merchant seaman, has left the girl of his heart to do things at sea, and comes back to find his name "mud," a gallant officer of marines, having told everybody within a radius of twelve yards that he has been a bold, bad man, and the girl is in the mad-house. Will Stewart therefore strolls in and kisses his girl, and the dreadful major thereafter begins to get angry because he loves the sailor's girl too. The major picks up a table-knife, and, in the usual melo-dramatio struggle that ensues, the awful weapon pricks the major, and makes that soldier faint. With the inconsequent rashness of all melo-dramatic heroes, the sailor man feels the officer's tunic, and finds him "Dead! Dead! What have I done. Oh, < what have I done!" and! hides the major on the verandah., where the whole world may see him. The major recovers immediately, and the sailor, who is now scorned by has aged parents and the "girl of my heart } " joins the navy, and! henceforth Will devote hisi life to king and country. The audience cheers. There is a courtmartial scene excellently dlone, a flogging seen© realistically put on, and, altogether, the story is dramatically told and capably handled 1 . *.* > * Moss Fitzmaurice Gill, as the redeyed heroine, who is having a bad five minutes most of the time, plays acceptably, and 1 Mr. Blake, the sailor hero, has a manly voice and a manly presence, and is capable andl convincing. Especially good is the "mad girl" of Mass May Glanville. - Also worthy of » congratulatory pat on the back is Mr. Peter Savieri, who, as the comic mad-house-keeper, i makes his part most amusing. The Major Fulton of Mr. Lambert is good, andl the laundry-man of Mf . H. Douglas was marked by true comedy. Altogether, ftoe piece is nicely handled, the' scenic effects are Worthy of the company, and the interest of the audience is sustained 1 to the fall of thf* last curtain. * * * The Hugardes, at the Theatre Royal, moist be commended for a distinct departure from the well-worn path of magical shows. Theor new trick, "Invulnerability," is sensational. Three soldier men, with their own rifles and marked bullets, shoot ait a HugardJe, Who is good enough to catch their marked bullets — which, of course, are travelling at 2000 yds a second— andl hand them back 'to the shootdsts. "Invulnerability" if taught in the Army would save a lot of good men. * * « The "thumb-tie" trick is clever. One man's thumbs are tied, and! another throws hoops — one on each arm. You don't know how the hoops pass the tie — but the Hugardes do. The Hugardes' "Aga" triek — the raising and suspension of a lady in the air without visible support — is nicely done, tthe conjurer passing the usual hoop round the ladjy to show there is no deception and no joints. A hoop is handed to the audience for examination. * * ♦ The most interesting, andl perhaps the cleverest, act the Hugardes do is the magical illusion sketch, "The Embarrassed! Comjurejr." It would be more expl&ntotry to call it "The Embarrassed Policeman," for a man dm' blue, evidently "after" the conjurer, grasps at the conjurer and catches a Chinaman,, or a man with check pyjamas, or another policeman, or anybody. The invisible changes are effected with much smartness, and the show goes well. The Hugttrde who is the conjurer shows many feats of dexterous sledght-of-ihand during the playing of the sketch. * « * Miss Louie Fisher is a balladist with a strong, dear voice, and! sings "Fm Trying So Hard 1 to Forget" acceptably. Her "Clematis Queen*' also was a good number. An ifiusbrafcedl song, showing

a humble American bugler-boy leaving a luouse worth £10 a week in rent amd a mother who was dressed, well enough to be a general's widow, to fight for his country, is well sung by Mr. Clifford Thomas. The bugler-boy is last seen dead, with his little bugle resting on his chest. Most affecting. There are some excellent moving pictures, notably the pictured story of three naughty lattle girls, who play pranks. The Hugardes, with some necessary improvements in regard to stage management, should 1 dlo well, for the show is cleverly conceived, and well carried out in all other details. * * * Fuller's tell you that "Women will wonder!! Men must admire!!" Whom? The Modern. Milo. Milo, the statuesque beauty, poses as many lovely malrbLe masterpieces to-night (Friday) and. Cruikshank, the caricaturist, also drifts unto the bill. It is claimed for him that he is the "Golaath of Black and White Humourists." The prevailing bill at Fuller's is good enough to fill His Majesty's, a chronic condition for the Courtenay Place theatre. Miss Kitty Beiresford and "Bob" Scott have a novel sketch, farcically pourtraymg the troubles of "Poor Peck," a wifeworried person, who has a comic paper time at home. Both these people are humorous and convincing, and there is breeze in their work. Wellington folk are glad' to see tuneful and bright Ceha Mavis again. She always got a good hearing when with "Johnny" Sheridan, and s!he is gettmng a igood hearing now as "Australia's Prim a, Donna and Comedienne." She knows how to avoid being tai-esome, and her voice is in. good going order. It is wearing well. Fired 1 Rvenhall, who was telling his friends about has departure for lands unknown a week or two ago, hasn't departed worth a cent. He is still singing for half-an-hour a night, and nobody has told him to clear out. He is an important Fuller circumstance, and can, be funny in large patches. The Dmscolls do not deteriorate on familiarity. like wme, they grow miellow with age. They must be nearly twenty-one a-piece by now. They damce well, and rake up a few new jokes per night. Mr. Chas. Stanley, the "Man with a woman's voice," sings "Bid Me to Love" in a ladylike manner, and other feminine items, with a good deal of musical ability. Miss Mabel Lynme is a serio-comic who "Wants a Man Like Romeo." . Awful taste in one so young and talented! Mr. Chas. Howard, the tall gientiLenuan, who gracefully presides m, the "coircle," throws nis baritone voaoe at the audience with thie usual success, and balladhst Miss Etthel Laurie, a newcomer, trolls forth a valedictory item to "Little Yo Sea" which ought to keep that Chinese person at home. Miss Ivy Goodweir is the sparkling serdo who tells about "Barney," Who seems to be Irish. To-night (Friday), in addition to "The Modern Milo" and Cruikshank, there will appear Miss. Malvena Moore, a well-known serio, and Muss Violet Price. * * ** Every seat in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart was occupied on Monday night: oiTfche occasion "of Mr. Robert Parker's organ recital. The pieces were well chosen to display the power, beauty, and 1 responsive ease of the organ in which every Catholic in Wellington must feel a justifiable pride. And Mr. Parker As an organist who does full justice to his instrument. The recital began with a chamber sonata in D, by Dr. Peace, the organist of St. George's Hall, Liverpool. It embraced three movements, a very sweet romance in the andante cantabile bringing out into relief -the mellow sweetness and pearly brightness of the softer stops. An allegretto' in A major, by the late Charles E. Stephens, followed', and,' was chiefly notable for the smooth and graceful theme, with which it opens, for th]e soft stops of the swell and choir in combination. There is also a fine pedal part, in which Mr. Parker put in some fine* work. ♦ • * A transcription for the oagan of an adagio in D major by Mozart was unmistakably characteristic of the great master of limpid melody. A solemn march in C major, by A. Mailly, a distinguished Belgian organist, was full of sonorous dignity and pomp. In striking contrast was the next number, a suave, flowing, and' dainty "Spring Song/ by Alfred Hollins, the blind English organist who gave a series of delightful recitate in the Sydney Town Hall last year. • • ♦ A charming mioroeau was Guilmant's "Cantilene Pastorale," which is practically a duet between the oboe om the swell organ and the flute on the great organ, with an interlude for the diapason. The gems of the recital, however, were the lovely largo in D from Beethoven's second sonata and a choice

selection from Rossini's "Stabat Mat- i er." They weire worth going miles to hear, and will not lightly- be forgotten. * • » Mr. Parker's performance throughout was marked' by artistic taste and force of expression The best of the vocal iontrabutions was Rosewig's "Salve Regina," by Muss Toohill and' Messrs. J. F. Carr and J. Flanagan. Mass Raibone sang the Handelian solo, "Oh, had I Jubal's Lyre," and Mr. R. A. Loughnan gave the "Pro Peccatis" from Rossini's Stabat Mater." A collection was taken up in add of the organ fund, and Archbishop Redwood took the opportunity in one of his happy and direct little addresses to return thanks to the performers. Miss Lilian Irvine, the gifted girl, and gold medallist, who has surprised her fruends by the power and qualut/y ot lier voice, is a pupil of whom St.. Mary's Convent may well be proud. Moss Irvine is quite young, and it is thought that her vocal powers, under the most expert tuition available, would become phenomenal. It is with the object of raising funds to defray the: cost of further study for the talented young lady that a concert is to be given in the concert chamber of the Town Hall on the evening of the 18th September. The concert is certain to be a musical success, and it is hoped tflaat the financial result will be as satisfying as the responsible persoms have every reason to expect. * • * "A Moorish, Maid" draweith nigh. Consequently,^ the public of Wellington are on the tiptoe of expectancy as to what Monday, September 25th, will bring forth. Soth composer and librettist have settled in Wellington, and, although Auckland first saw the joint work of Mr. Alfred Hrll a&d Mr. J. Youlin Birch, Wellington will! happily have an opportunity of witnessing a mare complete and more elaborate production of the opera that has earned so much well-deserved 1 praise for the two gentlemen named. * • # The "Moorish Maid" is fufll of hauai'ting melodies and fine harmonies, written in Mr. Hill's best style, and the music will stay. He has excelled himself in its production. The "book" is strikingly original, and the loealty and colour introdluced! have previously not been drawn upon for operatic ornamentation. There are lyrics in "A Moorish Maid" that deserve to live as long as the lyrics of Gilbert and! Sullivan's works, and, with the wide knoiwledgie of them ttet the colonies, and ultimately the Old: Land, will have, there must be familiarity with & work that is not amate<Uirisih, and, in comparison with standard opera, is not "odorous." t The cast of characters is an excellent one. Mr. Fred Graham, the wellknown comedian, stage manages, and is Gastro, a part that fits his peculiar capabilities excellently. Miss Rosma Buckmann will play La Zara, and it is claimed that the part might have been written for her so well does it suit hex and her voice. A striking Princess Hashma has been found m Moss Lloyd Hassell, whose capabilities are known so well locally, and Miss Nellie Dent (Mrs. Fred Graham) will glory in the part of May, leader of a corps de ballet. * • • The important part of Prance Omar, in the 'hands of Mr. Leslie Hill, should be satisfactory, and the no less important character of Elferino — whose name explains itself — has been given to Mr. E. H. Parker. Mr. Charles Grey enjoys unique titular distinction as "The Divorcer-General." The chorus is fifty strong, and the management claims that the whole is to be presented on a scale of elaborate completeness. « • » The "Moorish Carpet Dance," by Miss Jenny St. Just, is a special feature, and the "Hockey Dance" and "Double Sextet," taught by Miss Estelle Beere, are going to be a papular item. Mr. Alfred Hill will himself conduct tihe orchestra, while Herr Max Hoppe will lead it. The season begins on September 25th, and will last for six nights. A musical event of much interest will be the return of Mr. Watkin Mills, wjbo appears, together with his English Quintette Party, on the 21st September, at the Town Hall, giving three concerts. Mr. Watkin Mills, on his previous visit raised the enthusiasm of music-lovers here, and a most pleasurable season is anticipated. The success of the "Party's" season at Dunedin — a particularly critical community — and the crowded' audiences seen at the concerts, is an, assurance that Mr. Mills's party is one of great excellence. * ♦ * The Salvation Army Biorama Company, -which opened a season, of four nights at the Opera House on Thursday, claim to have the) best picture show on earth. There is no douibt as to the capability of the "Army" to put on an entertainment that is instructive

and -enjoyable. Mr. Perry's company hare a brass band, a. capable orchestra, a good glee party, some oreelleat soloists, and a series of illustrated songs that are bound to "go." (ConUiiueU on page lti.j