AMUSEMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2230, 24 October 1908, Page 4 (Supplement)

AMUSEMENTS.

HIS MAJESTY’S.

LOCAL FIXTURES.

October (show week). —West’s pic"tuxes# - December 10, 11. —J. C. "VVillla-iiifcCflK* December 16. —Spencer 'Morris. December 21 to 23—J. C. Williamson December 25, 26, 28.—Austral Umscope Company. January 1 and 2. —Variety Troupe

Entertainers. January 4 and s—Branscombo’s bearlet Troubadours. January 18, 19, 20.—J. C. William-

son. , January 23.—Edward Branscombe. January 27, 28, 29.—J. C. Williamson.

Mr. Phillip Wirth paid a thousand pounds for the giraffe which will be the star quadruped in his coming circus and menagerie.

It is more than probable that Dunedin will be the opening town of a gigantic moving picture enterprise by a well-known and reputable Australian firm. The whole Dominion will be toured.

Ivubelik lias 1 sought a violin made <£sfor Australian wood by a Mosman resident. And he has given a written warrant to the effect that it is one of the best new violins on which he has ever scraped a bow. Yet the maker, Mr. Stevenson, is not a professional fiddle architect, only an amateur enthusiast.

This amusing story is told of Liszt by an old pupil:—“One day a charming young girl was playing him a Ballade of Chopin like an amateur. Liszt got up and began walking up and down humming to himself. Wheiltr-*-the painist had finished playing he gave her his hand, kissed her on the forehead, and said to her: ‘Get married quickly, my dear child. Goodbye! and be happy!’”

Mr. Allen Hamilton will have several important ventures through New Zealand during next year, arrangements for w r hich -are now quite concluded. In conjunction with Mr. Harry Rickards, Mr. Hamilton will make a flying tour through the Dominion, commencing at Invercargill . about May 26, 1909. Hie combination r will lie headed by one of the greatest stars in the world of vaudeville.

A “Bulletin” par:—Wirth Bros.’ tall and stately giraffe is the only animal of its kind that has been landed fit and well in Australia, borne 30 years ago Cooper and Bailev travelled a giraffe with their show, but the animal wasn’t O.K. C. and B. actually had a live giraffe to begin with, but it pegged out on shipboard. Its skin was stuffed, and faked up in a cage niith a mechanical contrivance to make its head and neck while the tail gave an occasional switch. A notice was placed on the cage warning the public to keep its distance, as the animal might expire at any moment owing to its excessive timidity. This scheme wa,g very e£r4m_ fective, and the greybeards wilf tell you that they saw a real live giraffe before you were born. It cost Wirths’ people over £IOOO t<> land their quaint lanky fellow. The creature is said to ho absolutely dumb, and eats porridge.

CROSSLEY AND BUTT COMPARED.

(.Sydney “Bulletin.”)

Comparisons are odious, but they are inevitable. When the “Bulletin” hears Ada Crosslev again it is compelled to think of'Clara Butt. This paper never went into hysterics about the singing of the owner of the Phenomenal Voice. Clara was astonishing; nevertheless , one always ended the shout of praise with a “but.” Invariably there was some reservation. It is not so with Ada Crosslev. It is quite impossible to believe that the self-alleged financial record-breaker of local concerts can be regarded seriously in the Hub of Empire as the rival of Ada Crossley, except upon the principle that a man with aHromboue can always shout down Ysaye or Kreissler. Clara Butt sang very loudly ; Ada Crossley sings very perfectly. Not that she lacks voice.' Quite the contrary. Anybody who wants to find out how much voice she has had better go and sit over the clock in Sydney Town ’Hall what time the master hind of Sykes wanders over the ivory keys. And there is never any of that- “hut,” which sounds such a little thing though it interferes So much with one's enjoyment, like a speck of something invisible in one’s eye. You just sit and listen to Ada Crossley, arid whether it is declamation or religion or the sad case of the imprudent young woman who was cut off untimely by the Banks of Allan Water, she makes things materialise, and that is the supreme gift of an artist. As for her versatility, she ranges all down the scale from the Gluck Recitative and Aria to simple ballads, and the difference of quality is always in the songs, never in the singing. ' The majority of stars are accompanied by a ring of satellites who fill in the time and bore the public. If they attract t o o much attention they are unhooked from the solar system and flung into space. This is not at all the case with the Ada Crossley concert co., where other successes seem to receive generous approbation from the leader. John Harrison is quite an event. He lias a beautiful voice and plenty of it, and he is very much in earnest. Beauty born of murmuring sound passes into his face as he sings Hamilton Earle has a fine voice, with (for a baritone) some prize low notes in it, and he uses it well. /Percy Grainger is-an old “draw” in Australia for so young a man. "While lie has been away he has increased his reputation and his technique, and his splendid crop of hair, like that wherewith Absalom hung himself upon a tree, bears a close resemblance to I aaerewski’s mane. Mr Sametmi is a sor of Agag upon the violin- he goes so very delicately, liko an ancient king wandering on eggs; but he has 1 misfortune to follow Kubelik and insufficient! v-appreciatcd Premyslav The first Crossley season; to present arrangements, closes on » «- turday, and the star will leaae lor Melbquiiac on tfco 17tu.