FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 163, 3 November 1883, Page 14

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

— , - — Jennie Leo ;it Sandhurst. — Billy Hoskins is in Melbourne. — J. 13. Steeie has joined the M.tjoronis. — Bachelder's Minstrel.-- at Eockhaniptoa. — Frank Weston is out of collar in London. — The Montague Turners appear in Brisbane shortly. — Joe Brown, Majeroni's secretary, ia going on tlie stn.i^e. — Johnny Hall has been setting Sydney on the broad arm. — Woodycur's electric light was a failure at Wangiinui. — 'ill' Pooley will hold a band competition 0:1 November Otii. — The MacM/.ihon-MacCullun-i "Youth" Combination i« at liall:i7\t t. — a. P. Caivy played " O'Callaghan on his Last Le.as " at Jlouio. — Hauler's American Y/ar Diorama is making a tour throiurli Victoria. — Miss Martina. Simonseti takes the part of v jiretty widow in " r/Ombva." — Mr and Mrs Polk were very Kuccossful with. " Sam o' Posen " iv .Svduoy. — Miss Pouaeroy during a season of eight weeks in Hoburt and Lamice.stou netteil £1100. Miss Ada Ward, after her American tour, re-visits Australia and thence to England. — Mr Fred Marshall had not sufficiently recovered to accompany the Langtry Company. — The Montague - Turner Opera Company opened at Adelaide ia " The Bohemian Girl." — Mr Welsh must be congratulated on the manner in which the amateurs worked together. — Williamson's Opera Company was to open in Sydney on the 20th Oct. with " Tambour Major." — Professsor Simon, who was in Auckland two or three years ago, ia holding public seances in Queensland. — Miss Maggie Knight opened in " Love or Money " at Sydney, Oct. 20, with Wybert Reeve's company. — A one-time New Zealand actor, Mr J. F. Graham, has been engaged in London for the Barry Sullivan tour. — Miss Boaudet closed on Oct. 12 her season with Mr Bnndinann in "Bast Lynne." Who is Mr Bandmann'a next star F Hem ! — Johnny Hall, Mrs Hall, and family played one night at the Victorieral, Sydney, in " The Seven Ages of Man. The show goes to Parramatta. — Mr Bland Holt's talented company has closed after a successful season at Sydney. Mr Dampier, the leading man, has organised a company for a tour. —From a Melbourne paper we learn that Mrs Warren, wife of Dr Warren, late of' Wanganui and Patea, has taken to the stage. No doubt she will have many admirers. Harry Lyons has been in Melbourne last week and completed arrangements for a tour through New Zealand, commencing at Christchurch , Ist November, Wellington to follow, commencing 011 Boxing Night at Auckland. — The popularity of burnt cork in London appears by no means on the wane. The Moore and Burgess Minstrels reckon their audience by thousands. On a recent bank holiday 9000 people attended their two pei'formances, and over 5000 people assembled at the Agricultural Hall to welcome the Mohawk Minstrels back to the metropolis. We understand that it is the intention of the Waitemata Minstrel Troupe to give a benefit in aid of the Artillery Band towards the end of this month, in the Theatre Royal. This band is well deserving of the above, they having made it a custom to play on the Hospital grounds, and given their services ior other charitable purposes. The band, not having been in receipt of capitation for some time past, has .been entirely self-supporting, and they are in every way worthy of the help they are about to receive.

— Tbo Variety Entertainment given at Abbott's Opera House was a great success, and reflects much, credit on Mr Doran. Notably praiseworthy was the duet, " The Salvation Army," by Messrs Barry O'Neil and Williams. Mr Lissant also gave some of his choicest songs, which gained as usual loud applause. The athletic feats and dances were first-rate ; especially to be complimented were the Mettaua Brothers. Mr Doran appeared in the farces, and threw an amount of fun and humour into his playing which gave additional life to this first-class entertainment. — At the performance of the two principal parts of " Haydn's Creation" by the Choral Society, in the Choral Hall, there was a crowded attendance, the Hon. the Premier, the Hon. F. Whitaker (ex-Premier), the Mayor, and most of the leading families being among the audience. Tho oratorio was sustained by an unusnally strong orchestra and choir. Herr Schrnitt achieved a great success, which was flatteringly acknowledged by the audience and the performers. We certainly congratulate the Choral Society on the remarkable progress it has made under Herr Schmitt's conductorship. — Mr Pooley's last Saturday competition concert was for humorous songs and recitations. The best items of the programme were: "The Rocky Road to Dublin," Mr E. o' Hare; recitation, "The Hostage," Mr Thos- Webb; humorous song, "Madame Lecharty," Mr Johnston ; recitation, " The Bridal Wine Cap," Miss Surah Fronde; humorous song, "He's Got 'Em," Mr Lecdham ; humorous song (Ethiopian), " Where the Native Roses Blow," Mr E. O'Hare; recitation, "The Maniac," Mr James Eoss; recitation, " The Charge of the Light Brigade," Mr Francis Martin ; humorous song, "The One Hoss Sh'iy," Mr J. G. Chambers; humorous song, " The Butter Boy," Mr Leedham; Mr Ralph Hood gave two of his fine pianoforte selections during the evening, which were both well received. The result of the voting was in favour of Miss Sarah Froude for reciting, 162 being recorded for her. Mr O'Hare, for the humorous songs, polled 139. Mr Pooley is inn/dng arrangements to hold n band contest. •—Tims tho Judge, an American dramatic paper : — " Wo are proud to fiwd a woman of moral courage, sufficient lo set tho whole vile crew at defiance, and assert her right to be the best judge of her own actions. Such women are rare ; but, they exist, and Mrs.LariKti'y is one. The nature of her friendship for Mr Gebhardt is nono of our business or theirs. Yet, there are thousands of people who have set their tongues wagging on this topic, and then finding their impertinence ignored, hare pronounced Mrs Langtry as altogether shameless and aoandoned. Why ? Because she does not see fit to let the tenor of her life be disturbed by the clacking of a set of insolents, who are and who can be nothing to her. These people resent as a positive injury the very existence of a woman who shows she cares no more for them than they are worth —which is nothing. Whatever Mrs Laugtry's private life may be is not their concern, and her bearing under the vituperations of the mean crew, who have assailed her, shows her to have more womanhood — aye, and manhood— in her little finger, than they have in the whole aggregation of their cowardly carcases." — The amateur performances in aid of tha funds of the Fire Brigade at the Opera House on Monday and Tuesday were well attended. The amateurs had the assistance of two good actresses, Miss Lucy Ash ton and Miss Charpentier. The plot is simple in its construction. A house, which is let to an old bricklayer, named Old Honesty (Mi: Tongue), is owned by a y>tiir-r follow i:i flifncuiHos, who is obliged at last to sell tho ])ou f ;e to :i lawyer, who bolievos there is treasure l>uri"u in it. J?i i-he lust fact ho is right, but the money bciiii; found by Old Honesty the day before the sale, ie lioc'Miiius tin; rroporty of the; former owner, young IWiorou-jh. Tli..- play depicts the struggle Old Honesty Mas v, ith his nonscioiico before he reveals what he has found iiml deliver-; it up ; also the flirtations between lnV daughter Mary [Miss Chiirpentier) and young Besliovough, and her ultimate acceptance of her father's apprentice, Toby Birch (Mr Alnyes). Dame Bradshaw was very nicolv plavod by Mis.s Ash ton. But dear, {Esthetic Evanu an'-l Keosing — what false friends persuaded them they were actors ? " I snw him but a moment ; Methinks I see him n»w, That funny little Keesing With a frown upon his brow." 31r Keesincf, wo are sure, felt the burden, for " His brow was sad, his eyes wore dull, His mincing srait was pitiful, To right ami left the H was flung By the accents of that dreadful tongue Of Keesing \" — On Thursday evening, tho 25bh ult., MiMartin Swallow repeated, with slight, variation, his pianoforte, recital and concert which he had given about v fortnight previous, in the Theatre Royal, to a fair house. Mr Swallow's selections were admirably chosen, and phi veil with great skill, as well as an appreciative taste. The fir.->t was Beethoven's Grand Sonata in F minor (op. 2, Iso. 1), comprising allegro, adagio, niiiinotto, trio, and prestissimo; the next, Thalberg's grand concerto on "'La Sonnnmbnla " ; then ('hopin's Nocturne in F minor (op. 55, No. 1) and Polacco in E flat minor (op. 2<5, T?o. 2)— both excellent pieces ; and, lastly, one of Liszt's beautiful solos, comprising an arrsingouient of .Schubert's "Am Weer " and the " Jkukoczy March." Mr Jackson's A7igelina's fantasia ovi airs from " I Vosj)ri Siciliinii," on the clarionet, with JjJr Swallow's pianoforte accompaniment, was iilso ii irrand piece of instrumentation, nnd was well deserving the applause it received. Mr Jackson's rendering of Bassi concerto or. airs from " Rigoletto," with pianoi'.irtc nccoiupnnini'?nr. was tilso good. Mr Russell and Mrs Ccoper were the only simrers, and each gave two selections. Mrs Cooper's first was " Softly Sighs the Voice of Evening" (Weber). She was not able to do full justice it, ns she was suffering from a slight cold. She was, ho we vor, heard to bettor advantage in "The SLadcw Song," by Meyerbeer, which produced an encore; she responded With the pretty ballad, "Love was Once a Little Boy," which she gave in excellent style. Mr Russell gave the recitative and cavatina, "0 tv, Palermo" (in English) and Robaudi's "Alia Stella Con fid en to " (also in English). Mr Russell scored a decided success.