STAGE GOSSIP

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 67

STAGE GOSSIP

j Miss Maud Allan has bsen engaged for a series of performances in America a<t a fee of £25,000. Over £260 -was realised b> the Brunton 'memorial matinee at the Theatre Eoyal, Sydney, recently Exchanges say that Oscar Asche was paid a retainer of £7uO and guaranteed fiOD a , week of his '&trai!an s*ason. Over 70,000 people witnessed Bland Holt a I " The Great Rescue " during its eight and a-half weeks' run in Sydney. \ Mr G S. Titheradge has invested in a house situated in Rose Bay, Sydney The actor's hobby is flower cu/ture. Mrs Brough Bell was accorded a hearty ' reception on her initial showing in Melbourne with Hugh J. Ward's company. Miss Irene Dillon, formerly of the J. C. Willamsoli Company, is appearing in a new musical play, "The Yankee Mandarin, m Boston. • . Miss Hilda Spong, wac recently arrived in England from America, may possibly be seen m a- Lond^r theatre in the autumn in a new play. „ , Mx Ben Fuller, the New Zealand vaudeville manager, left New York on July 31 to complete his tour of the world. Mrs Fuller is travelling with him. Mr and Mrs William Anderson, who have just concluded a torn of Great Britain, are now in Paris, and will leave for Australia about the middle of September . There are degrees in everything. An attendant- outside * theatre was heard on a resent Saturday night shouting to tbe passing crowd: "First-cass standing 500 mm the cirole.' ' Miss Olive Wilton and Miss Daisy Scuda- J more, the two English artists recently sent out by William Anderson, will make their . first appearance in Australia in " The Bushwoman." -^ So strong is the cast of "A Bachelors Honeymoon" that the smallest part is played by Mr H. H. Wallaoe, formerly a leading comedian under J. C. Williamson's management. , Miss Majorie Chard, o, the Nellie Stewert Company, is a daughter of our old friend of comic opera fame, Miss Kate CJhard, who did great work here, and whose daughter has emulated her. "What started the riot at the perform^- ' ance of 'Hamlet' last night ? "—" Why, Hamlet held the skull up, and said. 'Alas! ' poor Yorick, you are not the only deadhead in the house.' " Mr William Anderson intends to produce ! " The Babes in the Wood at the King's Theatre- at Christmas. ana 1 is engaging several well-known Engist pantomime artists ' for the production. Mr Georg-e Titheradge met with a popular reception in Melbourne at the first presentation of " The Flag Lieutenant." Mt Titheradge is well and in good heart after his .prolonged illness. • The memory of Georges Sand is to be kept green in- Paxis by an inscription being " placed on the house. 4€ Rue Meslay. where the celebrated novelist and dramatist was born on July 1, 1804. ' According to the Paris Figaro, the remains ' of Oscar Wilde, who was 'buried at Bagneux nine years ago. »r< to be transferred to Pere-Lachaise, where -a monument haa been ■ erected to his memory. - - • The Julius Knight Dramatic Company, piloted by Charlie Berkeley," who rah the • Red Mill " ami worked " The Cabbage Patch" as well, opened its Dominion tour at, Auckland on Monday. A matinee benefit was given to Mr Albert , Norman, iate of the Bland Holt Company. ' in the Melbourne King's on September 6. at 2 pm. A substantial cheqoie has been forwarded by Mr Bland <fcLolt. ' Mr Rege Robins, the scenic artist at tho King's Theatre; Melbourne, h«s put some fine work into his scenic studies oi various 1 parts of the Commonwealth for the production of " The Bushwonvan." I Miffs Gertrude Boswell, who was here with ! Wilson Barrett in 1901, and appeared as Stephanus in "The Sign of the Cross" and ■ other parts, has returned here from England. Miss Boswell bas done good work in her I absence. It is not generally known that Miss Nellie 1 Stewart and Madame Melba once went to I school together. That school must indeedbe proud of itself to have helped to educate two of the greatest " Nellies " that we know of: The Author: 'Well, how did you like my play?" The Critic: "Oh, it was very nice." ! The Author: "Didn't you Ihink the church , scene realistic?" Tba Critic: "Intensely so. 1 Why, a great many of us actually went j ! seep while it was on." j Miss Maudie Coshsin- bd.llet mistress at the King's Theatre, Melbourne, is already at work on the ballets for the next Christina: pantomime. In answer to an advertisement for .children over two thousand applicants arrived at the stage door. "A play," remarked the theatrical manager. "13 like a ,cigar." "What's tbe answer?" inquired the innocent reporter. "If it's gcod," explained the manager, "everyone wants a box, and if it's bad, no amount of puffing will make it draw." Mr George Alexander has been made a iustice of the peaoa for tbe County of Lordon. A oi&t:nguish«d addition is thus made to the lisf of actors who have been raised to the Bench, an*ong whom Mr Edward Terry is an honourable example. Mr J. C. Williamson ha 9 engaged Miss Fanny Bauer, late of Sydney, is one of the principal sopranos for the Royal Comic Opera Company. She will appear in Melbourne at Her Majesty's Theatre where the company aro giving a season in October next Writing to Mr Edwin Geach ifrom London last month, Mr Frank Thornton, the wellknown comedian, says that things theatrica'ly were never as bad p.s now. nor the outlook worsa. Still, there are soraa hope's of improvement as the spring season approaches, i Business with the Nellie Stewart Company | in Ckrietchurch is simply phenomenal. On the first fou" days of her season in that city the whole ot the hou=e was sold out 'before midday, so that all the management had to do at night was collect the tickets at the doors. The death in America is announced of Miss Sarah Orn-e Jawett. a we'l-kvown authoress. Born in ISI9, Miss Jewelt began ' her work as a writer in 1877 with " Desw- ' haven " was followed by " Old Friends and New." " Country By-Way," and ' " Strangers and Wayfarers" Among attractions shortly appearing o y i J the Rickards circuit are La Fteury Dua, ' Jenny Gray, tha Trepnells, Bertha Stuart. J Franoo Pirer (tha banjo exi>ert). Mtle Do ' Die. the Willie Bros. Lily Lang-try. Peg^v Prydo (return visit). Vasco (the mad mudi- * cian), and Alexande- and Bertie. I M'sq Florence Baines ("Miss Lancashire, < Ltd.") vnis at latest advices touring the 1 English provinces. She opens a season nt t the Fine Arts Theatre, Chicago, at Christmas, after which site appears in Nw York. 1

A 'return tour of New Zealand and the Commonwealth will afterwards be undertaken. Nan-c© CNeil has been making a hit in the striking play entitled " Agnes," in New York. She is being " starred " by the Shuberts, and it is aaid that her pouniding of «. door (a la Miladi in "The Three Musketeers ") has staggered New" York. The piece is described bj one jritic as being , " novel and strong." A cable received from London conveyed the news that J C. "Williamson has reengaged Mr Arthiu MacCunn, who put in such fine work as conductor of the Royal Comic Opera prior to his departure for j England some two years ago. Mr MacCunn's I last appearance in Melbourne wa with " The Dairymaids," in 1907. At a recent meeting of the committee of \ the Melbourne Children's Hospital, the following resolution was passed : " The committee of the Children's Hospital rtesires to . express to Miss Nellie Ste rurt its appreciation of her generosity 'n endowing for £500 the Sweet Nell «~t, md Ibank her -for the final payment of J6lOO. A New Zealand soprano, Mass- Marjarie Tempest, made her first appearance in public in London last month. Besides being a singer of unquestioned* ability, Miss Tempest has in turn stcdied the piano, the violin, and the barp. Her delivery of the famous Jewel Song from "Faust" was as brilliant as it was marked "by a strong sense of drama. It is * stated that the company supporting. Miss Nellie Stewart is the most 'expensive combination yet sent to New Zealand by J. C. Williamson. It certainly includes & number of leading English artists, amongst whom are Mr Claude King, Mr Frederick Moyes, and Mr Itanghorne Buxton, also Miss Roslyn Vayne, Miss Majorie Chard, " and Miss Madeline Meredith. A German woman has invented an arrangement of mirrors on the stage which will throw a lot of ballet girls out of employment. One ballet gdrl will look to t-he audience as if she were 20 or 30 of her kind. The Johnnies who tfSag round the stage door waiting for the ballet Jeanuies won't have to spend so much on fancy boxes of chocolate when that machine is fully in operation. Miss Harrie Ireland, who bears one of the best known ' theatrical names in Australia, and who has been with Mr Bland Holt for something like 15 years, is connected by family ties with the Cargills, who were the pioneers of Otftgo, New Zealand. She is exceedingly tasty in -the matter of dress, and has given some renuarkaly good performances, especially in '" La Tosoa." Matheeon Lang tells a good story about his recent experiences at the London Lyceum. "So you enjoyed my Hamlet," he said to a dear old lady who had been saying complimentary things. •" I am glad of that. So many people nowadays -do not enjoy Shakespeare. ' " I know that. But the way you play it, it doesn't seem the least bit like Shakespeare," said the nice old lady. A humorous incident once occurred at a performance of " Bilack-eyed Susan " in a oountry theatre. The jury, .no doubt carried away by the cunning of the .scene, when asked for their verdict, " Gtiilty or not guilty?" at once exclaimed, "Not guilty," whereupon the Admiral observed, sotto voce, " Gentlemen, you know the piece cannot ] proceed unless you reconsider your verdict," which was reversed accordingly. Miss Stewart's American tour was a great j success. She told an -.interviewer at Welling- j ton that ob 'her opening .night in S,an Fran- | cisco all the Australians there "turned" up en masse, and after- the last curtain fell they threw wattle blossom 'on her. and some even let down lilies on strings fttwn the gallery, j while the theatre rang coo-ees. -All '• the members of the company were Aus- J tralians, the dresses were Australian made, and the entire scenery was painted in Australia. The Nellie Stewart Company is certainly a ' sporting crowd." No sooner do they settle in a town than they at once begin to look around for opportunities for athleticism. Mr Frederick Moyes, who is an officer of the English Yeomanry, h»« formed a fencing clasw, and the* clash of rapiers resounds every morning on the etage. Both the l.adie' and the gentlemen seize "the opportunity to become proficient in foil play. It is quite a sight to see the ladies in correot fencing costume, parrying and . cuttinsr under the ea^le eye of Mr Moyes. 1 On the day of her Melbourne opening, Miss , Nellie Stewart was surprised, on leaving the theatre about midday, after attending a final rehearsal of " Sweet Kitty Bellairs," to find that there were already over 300 people waiting for the doors to the amphitheatre to open. She immediately ordered afternoon tea for the whole of them, and soon they werp a bappv lot. To show their appreciation of " Nellie's " thoughtful act. the sralleryites clubbed together and purchased their idol a wreath of flowers made in the ! form of «. boomerang, with the inscription "To our own Nellie." MUi Meredith Meredro. like many other prominent actresses, receives innumerable requests for autographs and photos, and in connection with the former a- peculiar - incident once occurred in London. With one of the requests for Miss Meredro's signature a piece of blank paper was enclosed, on which she wo« asked to sign her name. Mi-^s Meredro did so. and subsequently found that above the <»igrnature thn words " P«y bsarer the sum of one hundred pounds " had beon written, and the naper presented at her bank. Since *hen Mv»s Meredro has been ratHer «hy of the autogr»r>h hunter. t For *hp opening production of " Sweet Kitty Be'lriS'S '' in Sydney end Melbourne the v>rice« charged for »3nii»«ion to the rep»rved stalls were 7s 6d. and so err&at wa9 the demand for Beats that the whole of the dress oircle *nd reserved stalls was booked un within two hour? and in order to gain admission to the pallerv. for which 2s admission wm vi'jit-'ws to thi>t portion of the theatre assembled outside the entrance as early aa midday. The prices to be charged for the Duned'n BPV^on are miich m/ire reasonable— viz., 5s for Hie dre-ss circle prri re«erved stalls, and only 13 for the gallery.