THE CRITIC.

Observer, Volume 4, Issue 86, 6 May 1882, Page 117

THE CRITIC.

—Bent and Bachelder are at St. George's Hall. Bf — "LaFille clv Tambour Major" is drawing crowded houses in Adelaide. &'■ — Mrs Langtry is, an aesthete, at least so Oscar "Wilde says, and he ought to know. — Alice May is playing Pekoe in the burlesque •of "Alladin," at Liverpool. — Burnand's latest comedy, " The Manager," is aiot a success. — H. J. Byron (author of " Our Boys " ) is iseriously ill. — In most of the London theatres they charge for the programmes. — The Montague-Turner Company are playing «,t the Bijou, Melbourne. — John jack is playing in the same piece in N.Y., with another company. — Johnny Go urlay is with the Troubadors in .America. — George Loyal and his wife, Zuila, sensational ■circus performer, are coming to the colonies. — Baker and Farron were last heard of in '.Pennsylvania. Farron was very ill. — Charles E. Verner is negotiating with George Darrell for a joint visit to Australia. — Byers has been playing " O'Callaglian on his "Last Legs " in up-country townships in N.S.W. — Fred Marshall has abandoned his proposed New Zealand tour. — Williamson gets Abbott's Opera House free for the first fortnight after opening. — At latest, Haselmeyer was about opening at ■Codktown, prior to his departure for Batavia. — The act drop at the Surrey, in London, used to he one vast sheet of glass. — H. E-. Harwood, the popular manager and •comedian, contemplates retiring from the stage shortly. — Bland Holt has scored, a big success with "The World " at the Eoyal, in Sydney. — William Hoskins has been forty years on the :6tage. — Emily Soldene will shortly arrive in Melbourne with, a new opera company. — Keogh and Steele are now the lessees of the Queen's Theatre, Sydney. —Miss Louise Pomeroy gave readings at both the Olde Englishe Fayres in Sydney. — J. L. Hall, with an indifferent company, is -playing to had business in Brisbane. — According to the Sydney Bulletin, tho only noticeable feature about Mr Steele's Mercutio was the liearse feather he Wore in his cap. -—Harry Sefton is playing in the Richardson's ■•Show at the old English fair, in St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney. — Irving's revival of Eomeo and Juliet at the Lyceum was on a magnificent scale. In the first scene there were 80 persons. —Mr Gladstone lately called on Mrs Langtry, :and expressed the high estimate he had found of her histrionic talent. — The London World speaks of Arthur Sketchley as "an extant luminary." Eather rough on Mrs Brown. — It is said that John Hollingshead wrote many of his articles for "Good Words" in the office of the Alhambra Music Hall. — It is rumoured that the Queen intends shortly -to visit the Lyceum Theatre to witness the performance ■of " Eomeo and Juliet." — Johnny Hydes is lecturing for a diorama of the Polar World. He warms up for the work, however, with extra strong ginger-beer, with a dash. — Mrs Lingard has been engaged to play Cyprenne in "Divorcens," at the Park Theatre, New York. — The name of the new theatre, we hear, is decided on. It is to bo The United Service Opera House. — " Youth. " was only a partial success at the Uoyal, Melbourne. Eignold intends to produce " The Xights of London " next. — Eleanor Carey, at latest dates, was playing Hetty Breeme in the " Lights of London," at the Union Square Theatre, N.Y. — Miss Ethel Adele lias been engaged by Garner land' Williamson to support Miss Jennie Lee at the Princess' Theatre, Melbourne. — The Chicago World says : — " Nearly all the American actors who went to Australia are ' dead broke ' sand unable to get away." — Frank Towers is doing a magnificent business &t the Cape diamond fields. He comes to Australia -about August. — Emmett (Fritz) has been sober for six months, is reconciled to his wife, and doing the biggest business in America — £1000 a-week I — Pollard's Liliputians were still at the Sydney Opera House, but the public were growing tired of the ■continual harping on one string. — Fred Lyster is doing musical criticisms for -the -New York papers. He is coming to Australia with ;a new electrical invention. — J. H. South is fitting up the Albert Hall, Brisbane, with a proper stage, and intends shortly -opeijjug in the "Grand Duchess." — -Charles Wheatleigh has been playing the Hard-hearted Parent in " Hazel Eirke," in New York, •hut the piece does not " go down." —Sweeney has been playing in " Captain HypoJite " at the Queen's, Sydney. The Bulletin says the only featuie in his part was that his clothes did not fit him. — A Sydney paper speaking of Miss Leaf (who lias recently appeared as Maritana in that city), says :— " She has a sweet voice, but, like most sweet things, ifchere isn't enough of it." — The Christchurch Operatic Society are at work on Lecocq's Comic Opera, "La Petite Mademoiselle." Miss Amy Horton has been engaged for the principal part. — At the dinner lately given to several leading members of the theatrical profession by the Prince of "Wales, one of the " perfesh " present started to give a ■.naughty song. He was promptly sat upon by his Ibrother pi-os. —George Darrell has been severely handled by i;he Boston critics for his performance of Arinand Dv "Val in "Camille." Miss Anna Dickenson, whom he •>was supporting, has in consequence engaged another a,ctor to play the part. This has riled George considerably, and he has instituted an action against her for — A Hamilton correspondent informs us that -the Coinns Dramatic Company have a new piece in "hand, but he thinks that a change of management will Tie necessary to make tho company efficient and popular. He suggests that the leading amateurs should form a <club on a proper basis, and not merely to gratify the personal vanity of one or two members of the comxnunity. — Mr Arthur Elliott (one of the most capable and deservedly favourite stock actors we have had in Auckland for some years past) intends taking a farewell at the Choral Hall next Monday evening, on ■which occasion will be produced, for the first time here, IRobertson's celebrated comedy, "Society." The cast ■will include, besides the beneficiare, the principal remaining members of the late Dramatic Company, several amateurs, and last, but not least, Miss Mabel "Vaughan (a new arrival), who has undertaken to perform "the leading feminine role; so that altogether a very jpleasant evening may be looked forward to. The tickets, ■we are informed, are' going off rapidly, and. we shall be very, much surprised if a large audience does not assemble next Monday evening to greet for the last time •one who is generally acknowledged to be a good actor .and a good fellow. — Tlie theatre reopened for a short season on .last Saturday evening with, to quote the language of -the advertisements, a grand Gladiatorial, Athletic and Dramatic Entertainment, the principal interest of which centred in the first appearance of Prof. Miller, the champion wrestler of the world, and Mons. Victor, ;a wrestler and vswordsinau of high repute in La Belle .France. Professor -Miller is simply a marvel j the

dexterity with which he wields the clubs, the easy manner in which ho lifts a dumbbell weighing ISOlbs, the combined skill and strength ho displays in his wrestling, together with his magnificent physique, justly entitle him to the appellations he has assumed of " The Modern Hercules." Mons. Victor, though inferior to the champion, is a skilfnl and agile wrestler, and performs his duties in a highly satisfactory manner. Mr Mace and the Professor concluded the performance with a boxing display, in which, though the gallant Jem got the best of it, Miller exhibited a more than ordinary amoixnt of skill, forcing the retired champion to disx>lay more science than he had hitherto shown here. The dramatic portion of the entertainment consisted of a drama, entitled, " A Life's Eevenge ; or, The Idict Witness " — a fair sample of those trashy productions which were so popular in the early part of the present century. We never saw before, and we sincerely trust we shall be spared the torture of witnessing it again. The performances have been continued during the week. — The opera of " Maritana " was repeated in concert form at the Theatre Eoyal on Thursday evening, the 27th ult., by Mr Gordon Gooch' s class, and again secured a crowded house, despite the threatening state of the weather. The first part of the concert did not, in some respects, pass off so successfully as on its first production in the Choral Hall. This appeared to be in part owing to Mr Gooch having taken his position in the conductors' usual seat in the orchestra, and some of the singers not being able to see his " beat," there was a certain amount of hesitancy in taking up their respective parts. In the second portion this was remedied by Mr Gooch conducting on " the boards " in front of his class, and they umnistakeably sang with much greater confidence and success. We have not space to particularise ! the performance, but must again give much praise to Miss Sykes's singing of the solos, and to Mrs Stevens for her exquisite rendering of " The Harp in the Air." Miss Annie Hargreaves again surprised her auditors by her magnificent performance of the gem, " Scenes that are Brightest." Misses Tapper and Mendelssohn also contributed to the success of the concert by their songs. Mr Edmiston's singing of the charming ballad, "In Happy Moments" was simply grand, and in every respect worthy of the furore which it caused. We have never heard this gentleman to such advantage before. The other soloists were — Mr Gooch, who was of course beyond criticism in his song, "No, My Courage;" Mr Austin, " Let me like a Soldier Fall ;" Mr Eussell, " All the World Over" and "There is a Flower;" and Mr Stuart, " Hear me, Gentle Maritana."

— It is not true that Mr McGregoi', son of Captain McGregor, became a Mormon during his brief residence at Salt Lake City last March. He was, we have heard, much enamoured of two auburn-haired damsels, but had strength enough to tear himself away East on remembering the paramount claims of the new boilers lie is f etching out for his namesake, the steamer in the Manukau.