STAGE GOSSIP

Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 68

STAGE GOSSIP

Mr J. C. WftKamson has le»s«a Hke Wcllingtcn Opera Souse for fiw ye«ire. Little Tich i» now in Sowfih Africa -fuMTling engagements -with &» M*ser* 'Hymasn. That clever actress Mi«e Bohmd Watts Phillips hes formed & dramatio ola«B in La Belle Maie> the handsome vire-walker, and -Billy Akozntan's'' widow, is -showing in London. Claude Wh«ite Ims gone to New Zealand ahead of the Herbert Flemmiag Comedy Ocan^vuny. Phillip Newbury and Madame Emily Spad» are on Tjoard ihe Asturias, due at Sydney on March 6. Dainty Alice Pollard is appearing as Haiaee in "The Taieves^ at His Majesty's, Joh ann ?sburg. George Xiauri will talce a long and muchneeded rest at the close of " Th« Dairymaids" season. Mr "WiEia-m Anderson I*9 been doing particularly well in Ade-laidb with " Th» Squatters Uwugnter." Rumoured that Harconrt Baatiy will b* seen" <again with. Nellie 6te»wri'« Company "when it starts operatd-ana. Mr AJbert WheA*n is among the .lucky stream of vaudeville arti»t» to nnd its way across to the American Italia. — The -BidboelLs who wer» in New .Zealand, -frith the Stin.e-Eva.ns Gonxpmay, <az« dancmg ut the Oxford Music B»U, London. Mrs • t TV>ntt«j» Kingston (Miad<i.TW> Adelina d« Lasa) "has completed another «ong cycle, and d'ecticated it to Esta D'Acgo- <HB«y Hotoydj. Messrs Luttrell -Bros., of Otraftchiirch, have "been conrmi»9ii>aed to prgpare plans for the improvement of tJte Tbeatre BoyjaJ, Timaxn. ' Mr Harry Ittckards leaves Awstrali* <on itis next visit to England on XLcrch 18. • H« win be accompanied by all the jneanbera al "his family. Mr. Harold P«*ke% of "Hke' B1q» ."Moon" Company, was ±ak<m suddenly J.H s«ith. appendicitis on January 26, mad haA ta enter a. private hospital. . • The Itute Sir Henry Irving- d*cl»red that ihe dialogue in the garden scene of. Shciridan'e "School for' Soand*!" -w«w -&« 'finest «7«r iheard , cm. th* .stage. The -veteran oomto -open comedwa, Sir .John, Wj2tt«», iwi Tx*a. «neaged to nAmtmasi<age Sir Soon Wtobl'« inoomine dto«a a-6" Mr John T*. SJierKkn'* voxa/pmaj, 3nn/it(g con eluded ite -aeawtt *i KtuwwrfUn, -will atour tour Kew Ze&land, -probrf»% pJawnr "The Bill «ad the Girl and otlm &ms*s. Marie Lolta«, who has just 'co«clu3ed % veiy successful eneasemeat at. 4h* 'Iiv«li»

Capetown!, anS' Empire, Johannesburg, U resting in Capetown- prior to railing for Australia-. •^**e > -^^ Mr William Dempster^ the well-known elocutionist, advisee toe thai, he ha« secured the sol© rights 1 of producing " School," and his dramatic class has at present the play in rehearsal. -v *-l& -*A^ King *n4 Benson, the^c-leyer. vaudeville •rtists- who visited Dunedin £with Mr Riclcards's variety company last year, were on tho Christmas week programme at the London Tivoli. ~^P«-^. ■"■«■»- Ada Baker, who some yeara ago*-was< a fontralto soloist for H*rry Rickards's vaudeville shows, has returned to Sydney from (Perth, and is training a. juvenile * musical cometly company. '^iTj^"— !>»s During last year the Bank of New'SoutK •Wales .Musical and Dram-atio Society^ (Sydney) raised 1 £124 for charitable purposes, making the aggregate for charity the substantial total of £500. ***t, ■ Signor Florence Constantino, the wellknown Italian- singer, at present in America, is reported to have challenged Caruso to a singing contest. Constantino proposes that eoch shall stake £2000. Frederick Clutsam, inventor of a circular keyboard for the piano, is introducing his innovation to the pianoforte-makers in London. He is a native of Sydney, and brother if George Clutsam, the composer. Mx Bert Royle- has been busy during the yast week booking tours for the J. C. Williamson management. He has been 90 successful iny'bia efforts that the firm has dates booked right up to the end of 1910. Mrne. Pertoldi, thY famous dancer, who waa a favourite prima. donna, assoluta at the Alhambra in the seventies, when the theatre was noted for its' operatic productions, passed away recently at the age of 62. Madame Melba proposes to visit Australia •gain in about three years* time, when she ■will bring out a grand opera company of the "be3t «nd greatest artista in the world." Such a scheme, she stated, was the dream of her life. " Charlie's Aunt " was revived at the new Royalty Theatire, London, on December 26. It was preceded. by a little sentimental play from the pen of the sam» author, Mr Brandon Thorn*», entitled " The Lancashire Sailor." The authorities have determined to remove the remains of Haydn, the composer, from the church at Eisenstadt, in the Tyrol, to the Wahringer Friedhof, outside Vienna, and iplace them beside those of Beethoven and Schubert. The Pope was present at the recent pirlorman'co of the new oratorio by the Abbe Perosi, called "Transitus animre," in the Sala Jfegia, Rome. He warmly congratulated the •bbc, an intimate friend of his, on the success of his oratorio. The directors of the Queen's Hall Orchestra Limited, London, announce that they have engaged Dr Richard Strauss to conduct . the greater portion of hia music drama. "Salome," at Queen's Hall on Thursday evening, March 19 A project is being considered by a number of gentlemen connected with the musical profession in Sydney to organise a band of between 40 and 50 performers representative of Australia's' best instrumentalists, to tour Great Britain and the Continent. The Easter, attraction for Wellington will !>e dramatic in character. On the conc'urian of the Sydney season the Julius Kuighl-Ola Jane Humphrey's 1 Company leave direct for ■Wellington, and will inaugurate & tour of tne Dominion »t the Opera House :n " The Scarlet Pimpernel." 3 . Ford was at latest at the London 0xf0... He is described in, an exchange as " a clever facial artist who gives a good and turhackneyA^ " •"■-.ith " On the same bill {January a, vy .« Alice Pierce, mimic; Bijou Stussell, Kurkamp, Flo Esdaile, Sisters Ciselli, and the Craggs. The " Dolphin " violin, so named on account of the beauty of the wood on the back of the instrument, resembling the colour of a dolphin, was made by Stradivarus iii 1714, and is «add to be the most beautiful violin in the world. Its owner, an Englishman, values it at £5000. At a benefit concert in London to M. Percy Harrison, held «t the Albert Hall ]at<> in last year, quite a galaxy of stars — old and 1 new — contributed to- the programme, including Madame Adeiina Patti, Sir Charles Santley, Mr Ben Davies, M. Edouard de Seszke, and Miss- Ada Croesley: The large hat nuisance is eiill a, bone of contention in Parisian theatres, and out of 24 houses 11 have been 'wholly »r in part proscribed the hat in stalls and balconies. In the official theatres — the Opera, Opei* Comique, and Comedie Francais — the wearing of h«t» is absolutely prohibited. The Pollard Opera. Company will commence » season at PalmeTston. North on February 26 to 29', Feilding, March 2; Marton, March 8; War.ranui, March 4 to 7. A tour of the West Coast will . then be undertaken, after which the principal towns in Canterbury, Otagc. and Southland will be visited. Many ways have been tried to damp the enthusiasm of the encore fiend, but Mischa Elm»n, the brilliant violinist, adopted a novel and telling method at Leipeio recently, where he had been, recalled six times. He oame on the, platform in his overcoat— ttma dumbly expressing to the audience that he iras " off." In aid of the eick fund o.f the Par^s Opera •nd of* the Opera Comique a performance of " Carmen," hitherto confined to the latter, was given at the former- Toreadors, mu'es, «nd the trappings for the bull ring were all brought from Seville, and the combined orchestras and choruses of both houses gave th» music. The cheapest seat cost 169 Bd. The- Pollard Juvenile Opera- Company are booked for- » tout through Tasmania, 'JNew South' Wales, «jid Victoria at the end of their peregrinations through New Zeal*nd in June next. New attractions in the shape of operas to be obtained from. .England •nd America. The Australian tour will last about six months, and then New Zealand will be revisited. J. C. Williamson has just acquired the Australian rights "of "The Catch, of the Seaaon," a- musical comedy by Seymour Hicks and. Cosmo Hamilton, the lyrics by Charles H. Taylor and the music by H. E. Barnes and Evelyn Taylor. It has a London record of a three years' run — from 1904 to 1906, — and will doubtless be listed! for early production, on this side of the world. Clyde Meynell, of the firm of Meynell and Gunn, will shortly leave for a. trip to England, necessitated by the news cabled him that the disastrous floods in the Thames ValDeyhad not only submerged his own private residence, but damaged his other valuable property in the neighbourhood. Mr Meynell will take the opportunity of securing new attractions for Australia while in Lonoon. Mar Tora Pollard has purchased from Mr Ihomas Humphreys the Australasian rights Si- i» Jitter's musical comedy, "The Tea Giri/' Mr Pollard will produce the piece in Chnstchurch in April. " Ptah-Piah," pomio opera in two ac&, the scene of which W l«id in Egypt during the y«ar 823 8.C., BW so pleased Mr Pollard l that he has comjniaaionea Mr Humphreys to finish the work for him. ft« *naat mifinwnntiag "tvua" » j*usfeyille

Been in Australia for some time is that being provided by the Artois Brothers' at the Sydney Tivoli. They are horizontal bar artista of the highest class, and what they cannot do on the bars is not worth considering. But in addition to their gymnastio -skill they are comedians with «n original line of humour in dumb show. The act induces tears.

An interesting experiment has been initiated at Bournemouth, England. A grand hall has been built on to the Theatre Royal, dn which people can wait before the theatre doors - open for the performance, «nd _to which the^ audience are requested to retire, between the acts-, to permit of the theatrebeing thoroughly ventilated. Tea will be served! im this halL and the orchestra will play there during the intervals. 'llie. attractions at the chief Melbourne theatresi .are-— Her Majesty's, " HumptyDumpty"; Bijou Theatre, "Miss Lancashire, - Limited "; Princess, "When KnigMs W«ie * Bold " ; Opera" House, Tiyoli Vaudeville C\.mp.\ny. In Sydney the principal bills of fare are —Her Majesty's, "The Dairymaids";. Criterion, "Lured to London"; Theatre 4% Royal, " Ckudian " ; Tivoli. Rickard^'s Vaudeville Company. According tot a Chicago newspaper, J. C. Williamson has" engaged Orrell Humphrey for an Australian tour- Mr Humphrey, who is said to be very handsome, is a brother of Ola Humphrey, Julius Knight's leading- lady, and has- for some time been juvenile leading man* in Daniel Frohman's companies. Mr Humphrey will appear with Margaret Anglin in "The Thief ("Le Voluer"), the opening production of the season in Australia.

The death is announced of Mr Jas. Henry Stoddart, who, although a Yorkshireman by birth, was the doyen of the American stage. Mr. StcxkWt, who died at Sewaren, New Jersey, was the son of an' actor, and! was born at Barnsley iff 1827. He commenced his theatrical career in Glasgow, where for 25 years hi» father was a member of the Theatre Royal Company, under the management of John Henry Alexander, who "has bsen described as one of the most eccentrio of men.

Except on subscription nights at the Opera Comique, it has always been the custom in Paris for ladies- to attend the theatres fully dressed and wearing hats, and net bareheaded as in London. Two hundred invitations to theatrical performance last month, however, bore the words, "Ladies should wear white mantillas, and not hats." Many of the most aristocratic women in Paris were present, and everyone of them wore a white mantilla coquettishly draped into the hair and falling artistically over the shoulders.

Many Australians will regret to hear of th-e recent death of Mr Luscoznbe Searelle ad> the age of 50., After leaving Australia (says the British Australasian) Mr Seaie-lle sought, theatrical fortune in all quarters of the globe, and until the South African war broke out was proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Johannesburg. Subsequently he went to America, and collaborated with the poetess, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, in writing a religious dtrama, "Mizpah," fox the London production of which arrangements, have been* mode with the Lyceum proprietary. Mr Dudley Clinton, the sterling character actor, is returning io Australia to take up work with the Julius Knight Company. Since leaving hero two years ago Mir Clinton's knowledge of the United States must have grown like Sam "Waller's knowledge of London — " extensive and peculiar," — for he not only toured the States in Mrs Minnie Maddern. Fiske's Dramatic Company, but also on his own account, covering it thoroughly and accumulating a fine, store of interesting experiences. Mr Hurry Fragson. the well-known variety comedian, is setting a good example to paa- - tcminie cunedians. At each performance of " The Babes in- the Wood " at Drury Lane, in which he pjays the part of a French governess, he sings a different song, and he states' that he means to 3o ©o during the entire run As the 'life of a pantomime at " Old Drury " is usually well over 120 perfoTvnances, the Anglo-French actor must have an extensive repertoire. The task is companatively easy for Fragson, who accompanies himself on the piano. There seems to he a perennial fascination — Some spell of eternal youth— about " Peter Pin," in which Miss Tittell Brune is to be welcomed back* to Australia at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, on Easter Saturday. This year marks its third revival at the Duke of York's Theatre, London — or four productions all told, — and yet by all accounts the public are just as keen as ever in their desirrf to Tenew acquaintance with "^the boy who wouldn't grow up." J. M. Barries delightful phantasy gives its hero perpetual boyishness; it has apparently given itself perpetual youth. ' Miss Florence* ChalEs writes from the Alhnmbra, Brighton, under date January 3, to Melbourne Sporting and Dramatic News : " Knowing your readers «re interested itf the career of artists who have visited Australia-, I am. glad to tell you I have made the biggest success of my fifei in pantomime, I am playing prinoipal boy in ' Cinderella. ' rfc the above house. This time of the year we are nearly «11 frozen, and I long for ' sunny Australia/ but fear I shall not be able to visit you all again for -at least three years', »s I have a fall date book until 1910. Best wishes to everybody." Wellington said' farewell to " Brewster's Millions "• in the name of New Zealand last week, and. on 'Saturday, February 22, Monty will explain his system of dissipating an inconvenient legacy to Hobart for the first time. A four-nighta' season there will be followed by iwo nights in Launoeston before the company crosses to the mainland. The whimsical comedy on C. Barr M'Cutcheon's novel was exceptionally well received throughout the Dominion, not only in the large cities, but also in the smaller provincial towns, where the audiences were consistently crowded, some of them, indeed, equalling those which gathered together to witness the play in. Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin.