FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 231, 14 February 1885, Page 12

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Fred Millis still on the "West Coast,

Montague-Turner Opera, Company haveopened their season in Brisbane. Chairini's circus arrived in Hobarton Sunday next.

Jennie Nye is a country favourite in Victoria. :

The Stanley Juvenile Company, have just concluded a nine weeks' season at Brisbane-

Messrs Inigo, Tyrell, and Linklater, have just arrived in Adelaide. They intend astonishiugthe Southern Hemisphere by producing " East Lynne " in the shape of an opera.

The " Fun on the Bristol " Company are doing good business in Wellington. They will appear in the Opera House at the close of the Pollards' season here.

One of Hoskin's pupils is making great headway in the profession. Hoskins taught him " Hamlet." He is now leading the Salvation Army in the Melbourne Opera House. -

The Pollard opera talented troupe of juvenile vocalists cencluded a very successful season in Wanganui on Thursday last. On Monday evening last this excellent com--pany opened in the Theatre Royal, Napier, in Lecocq's sparkling opera bouffe, " The Little Duke." After their season in Napier, the Pollard troupe will proceed to Auckland. . We understand they will perform here for three weeks.

The sudden death is announced from NewYork of the ancient tenor, Signor BrignolL. He was well known at Her- Majesty's Theatre and elsewhere in Europe, but for a long time • past has had his head quarters in America. He was the original Edgardo at the New York debut of Madame Patti, a quarter of a. century ago. In the United States Brignoli was very popular. His title of "the ever-silver-voiced," at first applied in joke, came to be religiously believed in, and brought theancient tenor an income. ." . ' . '-If

During the first appearance of. Henry Irving, as Louis XIV., hi Boston, a young, lady found Jierself seated next to a party of three intensely typical Boston' girls, whoobserved the development of the play xyith that reserved, serene, and critical aspect forwhich their cLtss is noted; The lady was more enthusiastic than they, and at various points which the actor made was not c<jsary of applause. At last, when a particularly^-^ strong situation had been met with and 1 mastered, she exclaimed, sotto voce : ' Ah, he is, indeed, great ! ' The . three young, women who sat beside her immediately put up their-eye-glasses and looked at her in a quiet, but superior way, and the nearest of the party,, in a calm and very distinct voice said:

• Pardon me, tmt 1 have not yet experienced auy thrill.' Afterwards, in relating this, incident, the lady said: 'I had in my dress at the time a long shawl-pin, and I was awfullytempted to jab'it into the cold creature's arm to see if she would feeTany : " thrill 1 " at that.'

All last week "Forget-Me-Not" had a

•^successful run- at the Opera House on — gave place to the ' ' Queen's Favourite," a dramatic comedy, in four acts > -of an historical nature, the principal character being Sarah, Duchess of Maryborough, impersonated by Miss Ward. Sarah Jennings, Duchess of Marlborough, was usually called' Queen Sarah, and an old journal ■makes the pungent sarcasm that " Queen Anne only reigned while Queen Sarah .governed." To those who have read Harri- ■ "son Ans worth's historical novel. " The Court ~*4oi Queen Anne," the character of the haughty imperious duchess will be no stranger, and .Miss Ward certainly did full justice to the part, and in her war of words with Lord Bolingbroke gave the audience another •evidence of her vast superiority as an actress of -world- famed renown, the interest of the • play from first to last being centred in Miss Ward. Mr Vernon's representation of Lord Bolingbroke 'vas a masterpiece, of ••acting, showing that he possessed a thorough knowledge of the character of the man he so ably impersonated. Miss Watts Phillips played the part of Abigail Hill, Maid of Honour to the Queen, in a way that gave the part sufficient prominence to be of interest. Miss Veitch, as the easy-going £• 'Queen, sustained the part in a careful manner. Mr Montgomery, as Captain Masham, and Mr C. Fenton, as the French Ambassador, were exceedingly good in their respective parts. The dresses worn by Miss Ward are exceedingly rich, and created, •among the fair sex, undisguised admiration. During the intervals, which, we were pleased to observe, were very short, the orchestra, under the leadership of Mr Weinburg, junr., gave some excellent selections, which wore fully appreciated by the audience. The •"' Queen's Favourite" will be played to-night and to-morrow, and on Monday night Sardon's popular play, " A Scrap of Paper," be produced.