AMUSEMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2574, 7 August 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

AMUSEMENTS.

PTS MAJESTY’S LOCAL FIXTURES August 9.—Howards’ P ictures. September 21, 22, 23.—J. C. ’Williamson.

Mr. William Anderson has severed his connection with the theatres in Western Australia. Mr. Michael Josenh, who -has been acting as his manager in the West, hopes to be in New Zealand next September, in which month it is Mr. Anderson’s intention to send across a strong dramatic company. headed by Mr. Walter Baker and Miss Florence Ross.

What next? At an afternoon recital ‘given in London recently by a lady, ‘‘considerable amusement (wo read) was causyd by the solemn presentation to the singer of either a Spitz puppy or a black kitten — it was ■ not easy to see which through the dense forest of fashionable hats.” After this, says the writer in the “Telegraph,” it would bo absurdly commonplace to read that “flowers, too, were freely offered.” What everybody must really have been anxious to know was whether the con-cert-giver’s other tribute took tbo form of a kitten or a puppy, and the mystery certainly is one that must bo c.eare.d up. If this sort of thing goes on, we shall soon see our concert platforms “adorned,” not with floral tokens, bxit with dogs and cats, not to speak of parrots, white mice, and goldfish.

Mrs. Patrick Campbell has oftimes said that nothing but bare necessity led her to adopt the stage as a profession. She bad to decide between becoming a governess and educating the children of others or of going on tho stage where she could be near her own, and although (die knew nothing aboutacting she chose the latter. One afternoon she walked into a dramatic agent’s office, handed in her name, and paid her guinea just like any other woman. The agent wrote Mrs. Campbell’s name in a dttle book, and just thcii a man named Green entered the office. He was organising a company to play in die provinces with “Bachelors.” She was at once given a part at £2 per week, and made so instantaneous a success that she was engaged to appear in pastoral plays at an increase of ten shillings a week.

There was some years ago an ambitious super who bad, it is said, learned every character in Shakespeare with tho design of rising in his profession, but whom a cruel destiny seemed tn have pursued with relentless animosity. He had been three years at a large theatre, and he had been seen only a bit at a time. His head had appro' - *-’? 1 f'-ruu the witches’ cauldron n “Macbeth,” his legs had done duty for xHe principal tragedian’s when Ceriolanus was borne off on a bier over an unsteady platform, which the representative of the Roman hero did not dare to risk. His arm had come through a comic .scene in a pantomime to knock down a clown, and liis powerful voice had been employed through a speaking trumpet to signify the roar of a giant in a -Christmas piece. “Ah. sir." he once said, “i should be a happy man if I could only once come before the British public altogether.”

“The Merry ’Widow” having •completed her Australian tour, the Williamson firm have compiled some statistics of her doings. The Debar opera was first produced in Melbourne on Ma- 16 of last year, and since that date the Royal Comic Opera Company have played at 27 towns (travelling about SOOO miles to do so), with a population of 2,000.000’ all told, and they have given a total of 263 performances. In London, with its population of 7,000,000 the run totalled 740 performances, and a simple sum in proportion shows that proportionately the popularity of the opera in Australia handsomely exceeded the wonderful appreciation lavished upon it in London, where, to have equalled the achievement of the Royal Comic Opera Company, it should have aggregated over 900 performances, without taking into consideration the enormous population outside London, as compared with Australian conditions.

Mr. Hugh J. Ward, who will appear in New Zealand shortly with his company of comedians, went into management on his own account about four years ago, and lie lias not known what failure means. Twice, in conjunction with Mr.' George Willoughby, he toured Australia and New Zealand with such success that lie was enabled to go to England and America in search of talent. It is a fact that- after an exhaustive search extending over many mon tbs, Mr. Ward could find no greater artists than Australians, and so it came about that in what was at first, intended to be an entirely new company, there arc some of our oldest favorites, notably Miss. Grace Palotta, Miss Rose Musgrovd, Miss Celia Ghiloni, Mr. Reginald Wvkeham, -Mr. H. 11. Wallace, and Mr. Robert Greig, and several highly promising colonial artists, such as Miss Ruhr Baxter, Miss Florence Redfern. Mr. W. B, Beattie, and Mr. Charles Knight. At the same time, Mr. Ward, to lend strength to his combination, engaged several English actors of prominence, notably, Mr. Kornham S. Ryott (formerly a “juvenile lead” with Arthur uoureliier), and Mr. Arthur Eldren (previously a member of Sir John Hare’s company).

. “Cassell's Magazine 5 ’ deals with theatre finances. Durv lame, at the height of the pantomime season, takes about £BOO a night. The pay-list of the Queen’s Theatre, London, Tn 1800, shows that sixteen men and twelve women were engaged. The total weekly outlay, including actors, actresses, hand, and servants, was only £9l < s Gd. Several of the performers afterwards, became famous. Thus Toole got £lO 10s 8d per week, Ellen Terry £5, Charles Wyndham £3, Henry Irving £2 13s Id, and Lionel Brough £2 10. The band onlv cost £ls. Mile. Gramer was lately paid £360 for six nights at the London Loyalty Theatre, or about four times as much as the whole distinguished and numerous company of tbcT Queen’s in 18G9. Mile’s expensive company brought up the weekly outlay to nearly £l-100. Hie .Lyceum property was sold in 1906,f0r £119.500. The legitimate drama has never brought such profits as music-halls .do now. The Palace Theat re last year had a gain of £34,000 and £90,000 capital. The Empire paid 70 per cent for some years, and has long averaged 4_o per cent. During the strike of 1907 Mana-. oer Pavne published his weekly salary list:—Elvin. and Co.. £175; Arthur Roberts, £160; Little Tick, £lu0; Marie Lloyd, £115; Martinetti and Co. £1133 Alec Hurley, £BS.