STAGE GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 69

STAGE GOSSIP.

Mr George Musgrove has sailed for England.

Pollard's Juvenile Opera Company is touring the North Island. Paganini gave his farewell concert at the Victoria Theatre in 1834. "Brewster's Millions" is at present at Christchurch Theatre Royal. Carl Hertz 'has returned to London after a, -successful tour of South Africa.

Coming visitors to Australia, next year — George Titheradge and Kyrle Bellew. After the Melbourne season Mr Herbert Plemming's Company will four New Zealand/ * / Herr and Madame Slapoffaki shortly proceed to Sydney to -take up their residence A cable states that Philip Newbury, Madame Spada, and company are sailing for Australia. Miss May Beatty appeared as Dick Whit- „ tington in the pantomime jf that name at Newcastle (Eng.). A letter at this office for Mr Edward Travis, of Montgomery's Entertainers. Pleaseforward address. The first melodrama was "The Talo of JMvstery," which was produced at Covent Gard'an in 1802. Miss Nellie Mortyne, after a long sojourn abroad, is back in Melbourne with the DayPlemming Company. A son of G-. fi. Snazelle, the famous entertainer, died in West Africa on October 10, at the age of 33. Dave O'Connor, Late of Pollard's Opera Company, has made -something of a -iit in "The Girls of Gottenberg." x "The Blue Moon" Musical Comedy Company will visit Dunedin in March under the management of Mr Richard Stewart. In the couize of an interview published recently, Padereweki said irankly that he saw no future for American composers. JTpi W seaspu in Melbourne Miss Flfirj&c.e.

Baines ha-s engaged Miss May Hillas (of Comic Opera fame) and Victor Dougall.

Mr Victor Gouriet, whose injury incapacitated him. for so long 1 , is now well enough to take his place in the cast of "The Blue Moon."

Maskelyne's Mysteries visit Maoriland after Easter under the management of Mr Henry Hayward, , late of West's Pictures and! the Brescians.

An Australian favourite, Miss Henrietta Watson, is playing in Mr Arthur Bourchier's new play, "Simple Simon," at the London Garrick. _

A society is now being 1 formed in Rome to help poor unknown or unacted dramatists to have their plays printed for private circulation.

Mr Alfred Woods and Miss Williamson have postponed their visit to Australia for three months, during which time they will remain in South Africa. "If the public is frivolous, the drama will be frivolous, or the. actors will starve." So says- Arthur Bourchier, the prominent London actor-maaager. Ballet girls have just gained a footing in trades unionism in Paris. A retired dancer, an elderly lady, who still has- a figure, has bsen appointed secretary. \y Leoncavallo's new opera, "Maja," will have its first performance in Mexico this season. Jt will be sung in Spanish,, and the composer will superintend the production. "The Ticket-of-Leave Womaai" is the title of a dramatic sketch which Walter Bentley (who toured New Zea ] and some years ag-o) is now successfully doing in the 'alls of London.

Mr Fred. Graham and Miss Nellie Dent return to New Zealand, under -engagement to the Fullers, next month. After a season of 17 weeks th-ey leave for Sydney, en route to England. "Les Cloches de Corneville" was first produced at the Folies-Dramatiques, Paris, on April 19, 1877, and was given for the first time in London at the Folly Theatre oh February 23, 1878. Mr Snazelle,' an old favourite with Australian audiences, is included in the cast of a neiw humorous sketch entitled "The House of Lords," which was produced at London Tivoli Theatre recently. Madame Lina> Cavaleri, who is said to be one of the most beautiful women in the world, sailed for New York on October 30 to fulfil c five months' engagement with the Metrdpolitan Opera Company. The first performance of "Hnmpty Dumpty" -at Melbourne HeT Majesty's lasted from 7.80 to 11.30./ It was so crowded with turns that a number have had to be cut out to shorten the production. Carrie Moore has been making 'her final appearance in the 1 northern provinces in "Tom Jones." She goes to Birmingham to rehearse for the "Cinderella" pantominie, in which she is to play th© Prince.

Miss Beatrice Holloway has signed an engagement to appear in one of Messrs Meynell and Gunn's companies in the principal part in "The Little Breadwinner," the new play the firm intend to produce shortly. Miss Maggie Moore, who is at present touring the United States with a son of the famous actor Jseeph Jefferson in "Rip Van "Winkle," is returning to Australia with Mr Harry Roberts shortly, with a number of new plays.. Miss May Moore Duprez, who was so great a success under Mir > Rickards'a banner a little while back, will, it is said, revisit Australia in the near future to fill the title role in the new musical comedy, "Miss Hook of Holland." _ The Philadelphia Ledger credits William Henry Rice, the old-tircie minstrel, with a discovery from its files that a play made from) Buuyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" was produced in that city at the Chestnut Street Theatre in 1855. Miss Elizabeth Watson, a great .favourite with Australian melodramatic audiences, thr-ough her long connection with Mr Bland Holt's Company, appears in the production of "Csjsar and Cleopatra," at the Savoy Theatre, London. In 1903 Mr George Titheradge played with Miss Margaret Anglin in America. As this actress is one of Mr J. C. Williamsons visiting stars for 1908. it may be concluded that Mr Tithercdge and Miss Anglin will again act together in Australia. It is understood that James Brenn<an, of the National Amphitheatre, Sydney, intends to import artists from abroad, and that it is not unlikely James Bain, his manager, will leave for London early in the new year to make the bookings. Those who know him say that Dan Barry is on© of the richest men in the profession In Australia. Dan started) -. in the show business with £3000 left him T>y his father (Mr Atkinson), a one-time prominent barrister, and has been making money ever since. When Harry Rickaxds leaves for England again on March 18 to secure more newartists, the members of his family, also Mr and Mrs Edward Ma as and family, will acompany him. Mr Rickards expects to be absent from Sydney for about seren months. Herr Haas Mohwinkel and Carl Suidemund, late of Mr George Musgrove's Grand German Opera Company, returned to Europe by the Bremen. Herr Mohwinkel hopes to return in the near future to give a series of vocal r-ecit-als in Australia and New Zealand. "The Squaw Man " rechristened An English Cowboy," and now to be called "Jim's Way," is to be played in London, with Mr Lewis Waller as the central figure. The play proved such a huge success in America and Australia that its introduction to London was assured. "The Merry Widow" has beaten all records at Daly's Theatre, London, and the booking of seats has become a task of difficulty. It was originally intended that the opera should run only through the summer season, but now it looks as if it were settled for another 12 months at least.

Since leaving Australia Mr Titheradge has l>een almost continuously at work in prominent companies, both in England and America, appearing in. support of such widely-known artists as Mrs Patrick Campbell. Miss- Margaret Anglin, and the SothernMarlowe combination.

Miss Nance O'Neil has created the greatest sensation, ever kno-wn in vaudeville in San Francisco, at the Orpheum Theatre. By special request Miss O'Neil has baen t>laying the "Steep-walking" scene from. "Macbeth." a role> in which she was greatly appreciated l in Australia. Since his arrival in New York Mr J. C. ■Williamson has been able to induce Miss Margaret Anglin, one of the leading American actresses of the day, to engage with him for an Australian tour. She will make her first Australian appearance in the highly successful French piece. "La Voleur."

The dresses -worn by Miss Beatrice Day in "The Mummy and the Humming Bird" 'are attracting great attention -am^ng our leaders of society. Every dress worn by Miss Day waa imported from England. They are cer■ta.in.ly the most elaborate seen for a long time on the Melbourne stage, says Punch. Mendel, a blind pianist, appearing in London, plays c different tune with each hand, and at the same time sings a third. Some little time g«a A gentleman -wrote to ask if

he could sing the words of- a different song to the tune selected for singing, and if so, would he decide a wager by giving the same at a perfcitnnnce at the Tivoli. Barnuin and Bailey's "Greatest Show on Earth" was, on October 22, sold for £30,000 to the American showmen, Ringling Bros. The Ringlings are enterprising men; there are seven of them, and they started out originally on a farm, working up from a very small beginning, until now they own several large circuses and travelling shows. Madame Rhodesia, the comely and clever lady juggler -who was in New Zealand with Fitzgerald's Circus, is still winning popularity under the Rickardian banner at the Melbourne Opera Hou&e. She has now added a quick change act to her deft juggling, with a number of nnoonsider-ed trifles, and her turn is one of the star attractions. Miss Marie Lohr is shortly to rea-ppear before London audiences as the heroine in an English version, by Mr Michael Morton, of "Son Pere," the play which was recently produced 1 at the Odeon Theatre, Paris, with great success. Miss Lohr has been freed from 'her engagement to Mr and Mrs Kenda-1 to return to the Haymarket Theatre. Mr John Fuller, sen., leaves Auckland on Bth February for his tour of the world. He will first visit the principal towns of New Zealand, and will finally leave Sydney on March 8 per Bremen for Naples, "travelling overland to England. America and tbe East will be visited, and Mr Fuller expects to return to Auckland by next Christmas. The first women to appear upon the English stage were a troupe of French players who gave performances at Blackiriars in 1629. They were not < kindly received, however, the aidience preferring to have boys in women's xoles. The first English actress was probably Mrs Coleman, yho in 1656 appeared^in Davennaut's "Siege of Rhodes." The of Messrs Meynell and Gunn's new Musical Comedy Company wiil leave England in about five weeks' time. The organisation includes Misses Ruth Lincoln. Alice Russon, Emmeline Orford, and five other ladies, Messrs Arthur App]«by, Vincent Davidson. Edwin Brett. Willie Cromwell, and Charles Weumann. The manager is Mr Walter Everard. Writes the New York correspondent of London Stage : "There is evidently something very wrong with dTaniatic" affairs in this country, for never before have I seen so many actors out of work along Broadway; their name is- legion, and every day brings news of attractions disbanding, and. consequently adding to the numbers of 'inspectors of pavements in thia city.' " William Anderson is lucky in securing a lengthy leas© of the new theatre to be erected between Collins end Bourke streets, in Russell street. The new theatre, of which all sorts of rumours and contradictions have been about for months, is to be erected on j the plans of Mr William Pitt, is to cost over £40,000, and will be devoted mainly to melodrama. Mr Anderson will make it his head- ■ quarters. Signora Fatinua Miris. an Italian actress, is described as being "by herself, .an entire theatrical company." Twenty-four years of age, she can sing alto, baritone, soprano, and tenor. In some pieces that she presents she enacts the parts of the dozen or so principal characters, plays for three hours with- i out quitting the s^feage for aa long as half I a minute, and changes her costumes more than 100 times. The world's record for continuous pianoplaying has been broken by Mr C. W. Healey, who commenced 1 playing a piano at Prince's i Court, Melbourne, at 8 o'clock on Thursday evening, December 19, and played continuously until half-past 10 on Saturday night, a period of 50i hours. The longest time before this was 48£ hours. During the performance Mr Healey sustained himself on beef tea and chocolate, which he> took while he was playing. In Parisian theatres the large hat nuisance is being di&cus&ed. Out of 24 playhouses, 11 have either wholly or in part proscribed the. hat in the stalls and balconies. In other parts- it is permitted, with an appeal to ladies for moderation in size. ' One manager says his chief worry is from ladies who wear a hat only 3Jft across, and protest against one 3£ft. The official theatres, the Opeua. Opera Comique, and Comedie Francaise pro^ — 4 be hats altogether. Since he was last in New York city, in 1904, Mr J. C Williamson's business has so increased that 'he has found it necessary to take into partners-hip Mr George Tallis, of Melbourne, and Ml Gustavo Ramaciotti, of | Sydney. His business, however, is still car- j ried on under the firm name of J. C. Wil- j liamson. He told an American interviewer that during his absence fromi Australia the business of all his theatres has been most prosperous under the direction of his partners. I When Mr Cyril Mavd© went to Sandring- j ham for the ooinmand performance on th« ' King's Birthday, he probably was not troubled by the nervousness that he says affected him! on his first introduction to royalty. As ' he tells the story, he was, at that moment, j carrying his opera hat pressed' against his | chest. In making his loyal bow he relaxed j his pressure on the hat, and it sprang up ' with a tremendous pop — to the amusement of the royal party and the confusion of Mr ■ Maude. j At the present tima the number of people ' employed by William Anderson in his various enterprises totals about 1000. His attractions comprise Wonderland City; two pantomimes — "Cinderella," in conjunction with Mr Sheridan, at the Palace, an 3 "Robinson Crusoe" at Wonderland City; a J dramatic company at the Biiou Theatre, ' Melbourne; No. 2 Company at Her Majesty's Ballarat; and Andrew Mack, who is appearing in Perth under Mr Anderson's, management. Mr Anderson also has two biograph companies, one in HobaTt, the gther in Fre-mantl-e, both of which have as the star film the "Robbery Under Arms" pictures. The Australian jolony in London tell^ an interesting story about Mr Titheradge and one of the parts he "played — Cofonel Lukin . in. Pinero's pliay, "The Magistrate." Tithe- ! radge took his own reading of the part on playing it here with Brough and Boucicault, and when he appeared later in a London i revival of the comedy Mr Pinero was I amongst the audience. When the author and actor met ' after" the" curtain Titheradge expressed some doubt as to whether Pinero would consider his a correct estimate of the character. Pinero's reply was perhaps the highest praise an actor could desire. "My dear Mr Tithexadge," he said, "you are showing us how to play the part." Many anecdotes are told of the late Richard Mansfield. He hired a private secretary a few years ago, but was compelled to dis- I charge him because he could not spell, andt was otherwise rather lame in the matter of 1 education. When the young" man had re- j ceived the notioe of his dismissal he went j to the actor, and asked for an explanation. | "The fact is," he was told, "your education is too meagre for' the> requirements of the position." Greatly offended", the ex-secretary exclaimed, "Why, sir^ niy, parents spent 5000dol on my education/ "Then 1 , my dear boy," said the actor, "I should advise then* ' to institute" proceedings for -the recovery of .- the money. Th«y were swindled^"- i