WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 69

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS.

By Peter Pan. March 5. Dear "Pasquin,"— Wirth's Circus and MJeragerie arrived -ieie by special steamer ' on Sunday night, end unfolded its tent on a site in Adelaide road. Its stay, nowever. is a short one, for afteY to-morrow night a performance the tent will again be f.oldert, | and it will steal away in the track* of fhe *»rergetic Petersen. who is heralding il in the Wairarapa. Despite the fact that the location was what is considered "out of town," and that the weather has baen wet, excellent business has been done. Funny how a circus —especially Wirth's — brings a-long the weepin? clouds t" thi« city. j Madame Clara Butt and her talented corr- j pany concluded the New Zealand tour at the Town Hall last night, and were given a fitting farewe'l- B.oth concerts' were attended by very large audiences, the final especially— the hall being packed. Talking with Mr Nevin Tait the other afternoon, he expressed himself as highly pleased with the success of the New Zealand tour, the financial result being fully yip to expectations. This assures the visit t6 the Dominion of every "star" the enterprising firm of J. and N. Tait may import from the Motherland and foreign part". Madame Butt and her company left for Sydney by the Marama to-day, and there \va<? a huge crowd on the Queen's v/harf to bid farewell to the possessor of " The Voice." | Other notab'e passengers by the Marama •were Mr and Mrs John Fuller and Mis» May Fuller. They also were accorded a hearty farewell by a large circle of friends, "^or | several nights this week the doyen of vaucle- J ville in the Dominion has been Kiting up | his voice in song at the Theatre Royal and receiving his three encores nightly. "Mr , Fuller's voice is as good as ever, and when • dining with him. the other evening lie informed me that it was his intention to rnaVe melody in some of the balls he was wont 1 to frequent in London in the days that have gone. Mr Fuller has not been Home sinoe 18S7, and he is keenly looking forward -(o renewing old associations. I suppose you know Uiat he wa& one of the famous Mohawk Minstrels, and was personally iesponpible for the great vogue "Wait till the clouds i roll by,- Jenny," had. May he have an enj.oyable time. By the Ulimaroa on Wednesday there arrived Mr and Mrs Shelenhamer from Hongkong. Mrs S. is better known to us as Miss Hetty Fuller, so there was a happy family gathering of the Fuller clan. The arriva 1 . of Miss Fuller was adroitly managed by Ben , Fuller so that father and daughter could meet before the latter's departure for England. Mr Shelenhamer is to manage the Auckland Opera House during Mr Fuller's absence, and so as not to put tea great a tax ( on the inhabitants of the Queen City will in future be known as Mr S. Hamer. 1 Wirth's Circus sustained a loss on Wednescday through the death of Hilda, the leader of the bronchos. She wa3 so Beverely kicked by another horse in the morning tha< she succumbed in the afternoon. The Royal Pictures are now entering on their eighth week <at His Majesty's Theatre^ and their popularity does not seem to be waning. Fred Graham and Nellie Dent are at present the headliners at the Theatre Royal. Last week Miss Dent received from England news of the death of her mother. Manners street seems quite forlorn without ' the bright arcs of the Opera House Haming. However, the doors -mil be again thrown open on Thursday, when B&win Geach's Dramatic Company will commence its New Zealand tour with "A Modern Adventuress." Albert Clark has come on ahead of the combination, and already the town bears the impress of his handiwork, for startling posters ar© everywhere. The oompany is Headed by Misa ' Helene Burdett© and Mr Harry Diver, and includes Messrs Merry, Lynch, Kenneth Hunter, B. H. Longford, j^dwin Gre«n, Wilton W«lc£, W. H. Ayr, A. Baiabird, Jack Pb.il-

lips, Wm. Franks, "Walter Edmonds, Misses Mabel Lynne, Georgina Teniperley, Rosa Browrigg, and Maud Anwin. On the completion of the tour of the Dominion of Geach's Dramatic Company Mr Albert Clark /will proceed to Invercargill to join the Thornton Company, and will pilot "When Knights Were Bold" through these parts. Wanganui Maoris were much interested in Madame Clara Butt's visit, and arranged an exhibition of poi dances for her and Mr Kennerley Rurnford. The visitors were greatly interested in the remarkable twistings and twirlings of tire poi, and much surprised at the rhythm maintained. They agreed that the Maoris had a perfect idea of time. By this exhibition Mr Kennerley Rumford was enabled to gain* a good idea of the sentiment of Alfred Hill's "Pcd Waiata" song, which he sang at the faiewell concerts. Mr Harold Parkes, who was operated on in Auckland a month ago for appendicitis, has made a quick recoveiy, and rejoined Williamson's Musical Comedy Company in Christchurch this week. Fred Graham's son, who is studying dentistry in Philadelphia, has passed his first examination- He was sixth on a list of 137 candidates. The following is _the_ route to be taken by j Edwin Geach's Dramatic Company, which is being piloted, by Albert Clerk: — Commencing Wellington, 12th March, for 10 nights; Christchurch, 23rd March to 4th April; Aahbuiton, 6th April; Timaiu, 7th ana Bth April: Oam&ru, 9th and 10th April; Invercargill, 13th to 16th April; Dunedin, 18th to 28th April; Blenheim, 4th to 6th May; Nelson, 7th and Bth May; Wellington (return), 11th to 22nd May; Carterton, 25th May ; Grey town, 26th May ; Masterton, 27th end 28th May; Palmerston, 29th and 30tu May; Marton, Ist June; Wanganui 2nd, 3rd, and 4th June; Feildmg, Sth June; Dannevirke, 6th June; Hastings, 7th and Btli June; Napier, 10th, 11th, and 12th June; Gisborne, 16th to 20th June; with Auckland and probably the west cpast of the South Island to follow.