BEHIND THE FOOTLIGHTS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8469, 22 June 1907, Page 3

BEHIND THE FOOTLIGHTS.

TOWN HALL BOOKINGS. June 25th.—Andrew Black' Concert. July 3rd.—Taylor-Carrington Company. '* July 25th and 26th.-• J. C. Williamson. July 29th and 30th.—Harry Rick•ards' Company. August 7th.—-Madame reno. 1 September 9th.—Miss Jessie McLachlan. September 24th.—J. C. Williamson .s(" Mother Goose.") October 16th.—Willoughby-Ward Company. November Bth and 9th.—Allan Hamilton (pencilled.) December 9th.—Edwin Geach (pencilled). A fall for Sherlock Holmes. Cuyler Hastings, whose detective created a great impression here some three years ago, was playing at Chicago if in March with a vaudeville com—supporting a smart Jewish actress in a comedy sketch entitled "A Dakota Widow." ,It is quite possible that one or two more of "the old Boucicault Irish dramas" in addition to "Arrah-na-pogue," will be done by Mr Andrew during his Australian tour, which begins at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, on July 6th. When they have finished their Aus- i ralian agreement with Mr J. 0. Williamson both Miss Ola Humphrey and Mr Charles Waldron, of the "Squaw Man" Company, go back to important engagements in the United States. The former, has had, indeed, several flattering offers from American managers since she has been in the colonies, and the one she has decided to accept will bring with it the opportunity of doing good work and making a good name for .herself. Mr Waldron only a f«w days ago received a cable irom David Jttelasco, one of the best-known American managers, offering him a three years' engagement as "star" in hjs New York Theatre, in all the new pieces put on by him during that period. Mr Waldron accepted the offer, and leaves Australia with his future assured. Miss Rosina Buckmann will play the na*"e par£ in an amateur production of "tyforijana," to be given at Auckland hext month. Edwenjl Branscombe is due in Melbourne i|» a couple of weeks with a freshly-Organised Westminster Glee Parj;y and a new combination known as the Scarlet Mysteries. Mjsjf Jennie Opie, who was a great favourite for" many years with colonial piugic-hall audiences, is touring , the Viljta'd States on a vaudeville circujt.'' TJjq Driscoll Brothers and the Four Rosebuds are at Sydney Tivoli. £jttiti fcileen O'Neill, • before leaving .'Sydney to join Fuller's, was given a gold cable bracelet by some [ Rughy footballers, in recognition of skilful playing on many difficult instruments. The Australasian tour of Marie Hall has now been arranged. She opens in Sydney next Saturday, and i then visits New Zealand,'beginning 1 her tour at Wellington on July 4th. Messrs J. and N." Tait have been unable to secure dates in Auckland, but Napier. Wanganui, Palmerston, Dunedin and Christchurch are all on the list of towns to be visited. Then Miss Hall Returns to Australia, but only to depart homewards again, giving concerts in Adelaide and Perth en route. Madame Albani's colonial tour will ■extend over three months, and will include New Zealand. The company comprises Mr Hayden Wood (violin- , ißt), Miss Mildred Jonea Mr William Green (tenor), and Miss Myrtle Meggy (solo pianist). The , last-named is a Tasmanian girl who was sent to England to- complete her musical education six. years ago by .means of the' subscriptions of the. people of Sydney. Mademoiselle Dolores has latterly beeri* touring Great Britain with jnuch success. When the last mail left she was singing/in, Scotland. . Mr E. E. Ford, the South Australian, who appears on the provincial halls of the Moss tour as "The •Sundowner" had a quaint experience atjthe Glasgow Empire recently. In his little scene representing "the wallaby track," Mr Ford comes on with his swag and billy in true outback style, and starts by "coo-ee-ing" to his mate, who' has supposedly gone on ahead. On the night referred to Mr Ford was somewhat startled to hear a, stentorian "coo-ee" in answer volleyed at him from the gallery, and a long-bearded individual, in a high* state, of excitement, was apparently only restrained by the promptness of, the attendants from clambering over the rails in a wild attempt' to reach the stage! Mr Ford learnt subsequently that his enthusiastic auditor had once in the long ago been a Sundowner himself, and had thus been carried away, for the moment by the realism of the impersonation and the old. wellremembered "call" of his native land. The well-known English actress, Miss Maud Hildyard, and a first-class dramatic company, with a repertoire of four or five pieces, will arrive .from England in Australia about the end of July, and after playing a season in Sydney, will come on to New .Zealand under the direction of; Mr Allan Hamilton, in conjunction with Messrs Meynell and Gunn. The tour will take about three months, and will open in H.M. Theatre, Auckland, on Monday, September 16th, for three weeks, all the principal towns being afterwards visited. Mr Allan Hamilton is sending another company to New Zealand in October, the personnel of which is not >quite determined upon at present, but most likely it will be first-class vaudeville, and remain two or three months. ) In a, recent interview at Copenhagen, Grieg, the famous composer, paid a great compliment to young Percy Grainger, the Australian pianist of the golden locks. Of Mr Grainger's playing of his "Slaaten," Greig asked, "What is nationality? I write Norwegian peasant dances, and none of my own countrymen can play them. There comes along, then, this young Australian, who renders them as they must be ren- " dered. And it is quite a long way from Norway to Australia." Greig is to be present at the Leeds Festival in October, when it is understood that Mr Grainger will play his Pianoforte Concerto.