AMUSEMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2568, 31 July 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

AMUSEMENTS.

HIS MAJESTY’S LOCAL FIXTURES August 2 and 3.—Frolics Comedy Co. August 9,—Howards’ Pictures. Septoinbor 21, 22, 23.—J. C. Williameon. Miss Ola Humphries, prior to her departure for Eng.and froiji Adelaide recently, was presented by admirers there with a diamond brooch. R. G. Knowles is scoring consistently in the United States with his illustrated lectures, not the least popular of which is one entitled “Living London and Rural England.”

Miss Maggie Klos, a prominent, member of the famous Klos trio of lady athletes, who toured Australia and New Zealand under Mr. Harry Rickards’s new management, and who married Mr. Bond, biograph operator at the Onera House Melbourne, is about to open physical culture rooms in Melbourne. In the opinion of Mr. Alfred Tapping, stage manager of the Nellie Stewart Company, to approach Shakespeare in a purely academic spirit is a very common mistake. Into every simple and beautiful thought some people endeavor to read something formidably abstruse. “Shakespeare for too long labored under the disadvantage of traditional actors, whom, indeed, the bard burlesqued in Bottom,” he added. Mr. Langhorne Burton, one of the new members of the Nellie Stewart Company, left the lead in the English production o:F “The Flag Lieutenant-," to come to Australia. He is regarded as one of the most promising actors of the day. and amongst his many, successes perhaps the most important are “Monsieur Beaucaire” and “Brigadier Gerard.” In both these plays he took the name part. Mr. Burton takes the roe of Lord Varney in “Sweet Kitty Bellairs” and Orlando in “As you like It.”

Mr. Charles Frohman has added the Adelphi Theatre to his list of London houses, which now number seven in all. It is interesting to note that this, too, is to be a repertory house, with a stock company for the production of plays of p —'roved popularity. The season will open in the middle of September with “The Great Divide,” in which Miss Edith Wynne Mathison will again assume the part of the heroine. Henry Miller will be the Stephen Ghent. The second pi a- will be “Tho Servant in. the House.” It is' not often that a new management can start off with two such powerful attractions.

The last English mail brought the notices of the new farcical comedy ' Mr. Preedy and the Countess,’.’ which Mr. George Willoughby is to bring out to Australia when he arrives with his new English company to appear under the management of xtupert Clarke, Moynell, and Gunn. The “Era” describes it as one of the funniest pieces seen in London for many years; whilst the “Daily Mail” remarked that “roars of laughter, sometimes so loud and prolonged as to disturb the progress of the play, rewarded the clever author’s skill, and the success of ‘Mr. Preedy and the Counh-ss’ was immediately assured. Grossmith’s famous farcical comedy, “The Night of tho Party,” will also be staged by the Willoughby company.

An interesting contribution to tho much debated question of the desirability of numbering every seat in our •theatre is to be found in an interview with Mr. Harold Carr, who recently returned to Australia from South Africa. “The American box-office plan of selling tickets with the number of the seats on them is in vogue in South Africa, and works with remarkable smoothness. Such a thing as jumping a 6eat is unheard of, as the patron in any part of tho theatre' is recognised as the absolute possessor of the chair he has bought for the evening, and so also the dreary queue system is unknown. Really', I think the public here should agitate for the universal adoption of this method, and hare it enforced bv municipal regulation. It is about time' that playgoers here to the cheaper parts of a theatre resented the idea of being herded like sheep.” ,

There are two advertisement lines in Melbourne newspapers which (says the “Australasian”) would place most old theatre-goers in a dilemma if they were asked to give unreserved adherence to either of them. One. describes Miss Maggie Moore as Australia's greatest favorite; the other Miss Nellie Stewart as Australia’s idol. Neither of them can bo perfectly correct, though both undoubtedly would be if they wore phrased in the mural, and applied to both ladies. The question of priority in Australia’s affectionate regard certainly rests between them, and opinions will differ iu small degree, just as individual opinion about artistic matters always varies. No other lady whom wo can recall would have a chance in a popular referendum, though if men were considered, friend “Tith” —whose unfortunate illness everyone is regretting—would be a formidable competitor.

"Caruso 'is a great artist,” a critic has written, "of that the.ro is little doubt —but aside from his place in the lyric world, ho is a funny little man who turn’s a child’s serious face to the outside world.” It is just because he is a funny little man,” with the most genial of natures, that the tenor is so popular. While he was staying in Naples some time ago, he was almost idolised on account of his bonhomie. He would enter a little restaurant and sing in the most glorious manner, between the courses, songs for which, in opera, lie would bo paid hundreds of pounds. The cook used to come in from his kitchen, the padrone from his office, and all the woman folk of tho place from their respective occupations, and would stand around enraptured, and sometimes with mo Ist eyes, listening to his wonderful notes. After the applause one day, Caruso turned to a friend, saying: “That is the praise I hmo. If I can draw- tears from the eyes of tho man who cooks my macaroni, then I am sure I am in voice. Women will weep because it is Caruso wlio sines, but tho cook will-only do so if his heart is really touched. ; • Cinquovalli employs a combdiam'to assist him in his juggling turn. One evening, at thc TiVoli Theatre in Sydney, the other week, lie had two. One sat in tho front stalls, and lie was not one on the staff. Early in tho performance he showed his pleasure by interjecting “Bravo,” “Good Boy,” and other terms of approbation as each feat

was performed. Then when the juggler swung a pyramid triangle round the billiard cue without spilling the liquid in a glass placed on the base of the triangle, the occupant in the front stalls became anxious. “What have you got in that glass?” he asked, concernedly. “Water,” replied Cinquevalli. “No good,” was the reply, with conviction, “I’ve got a drop of the right stuff here.” The juggler was prompt. “Give me some,” he said. A flask was immediately produced, and the glass was filled to the brim. Cinquevalli concluded his task, but, # instead of pouring the liquid back into' the jug, as is his usual custom, he drank it off, with the observation, “Your good health.” His guest was equal to the occasion. To the accompaniment of roars of laughter from ther audience, he rose, and, saying eolemnly, “And yours, too,” drained the fiadk.

AN INTERESTING ACTRESS. Miss Dorothy Grimstone, imported for the Williamson production of “The Flag Lieutenant,” belongs to the aristocracy of the stage. “Mother” is the celebrated Mrs. Kendall. Famous names flash through her talk, for she has met nearly everybody worth knowing in all kinds of spheres, social, literary, artistic, theatrical, musical, ever since she was a child. Airnong the list some great' French names came trmningly from her tongue, lor she was at school at Boulongue for four years, and speaks kronen so profieientiv that her first appearance on the London stage was in a French play. Coqueim, Rejane, Couquelin Cadet, Jane Haddnig, Mme. Bartet, ail these have ueen numbered among her acquaintances. “Why did you take the name of Grimston ?” she was asiced.

“Because it happened to bo my name. ‘Kendall’ is my parental stage name. I determined if I had any success, I should make it off my own bat. I have been five years in the profession, and into that time I have crammed a great •ueai. An interesting play,' in which I should have appeared had I been in London on July sth, was the performance at St. James’ of ‘Caste.’ Mr. Alexander tried to get as many relatives of Unc.e Tom as be could to fill the parts. It was a benefit performance for my cousin Maud.” “Unci© Tom, it may be explained, was T. Robinson, the celebrated dramatist, brother of Mrs. Kendall, Madge Robertecn. the author of ol,” “Caste,” “Ours,” and other plays which quite revo.utionised th» ideas of the stage of the ’sixties.

VAUDEVILLE OB PICTURES

In an interesting chat with a New Zealand “Herald” representative Mr. John Fuller, sen., who has just recently purchased the Opera House, stated that it was his firm’s intention to continue the picture line, until the public showed they wanted a change, and then they would revert to the vaudeville business. The picture line was' a better paying game than the vaudeville; there was not pearly so many expenses attached to it and there was none of the trouble experienced in performers failing to turn up, demanding higher salaries, and indulging in other little peccadlioes peculiar to their craft. Moreover it had been proved that in towns where vaudeville shows were running, counter picture shows seriously cut into them. Another reason was that there were no new artists coming on in Australia worthy of uding the shoes of those who had come, conquered, and then had gone—to London, Americai and other parts of the earth, far away from Australasia. In Mr. Fuller’s opinion, vaudeville in Australia had sunk to a very low ebbi and the performers that were obtainable wore of a very poor class. The public were sick of fifth-rate singers, dancers, trick cyclists, patter comedians, jugglers, and contortionists. What they wanted "was something that would really keep them interested and amused, something that was genuinely of a clever and distinctive character! It was a pity that there were none coming on to take the places of the performers of a few years ago. “We have now been in business 16 years,” concluded Mr. Fuller. “W« started with sixpenny none, then commenced a biorama show, thence drifted into ‘waxworks,’ then vaudeville, and finally pictures. Who knows but that wo may finish up with grand opera yet?” ' °