AMUSEMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2598, 4 September 1909, Page 1 (Supplement)

AMUSEMENTS.

H'IS MAJESTY’S. LOCAL FIXTURES. Nightly,—Pathe Pictures. September 4,5, 6, 7—Scottish Covenanters. September 21, 22, 23.—J. C. Williamson. With the J.C. Williamson’s Royal Comic Opera Company is Mr R,. 'A. Cane, one of the most expert violinists and orchestra leaders the theatres of the Commonwealth and New Zealand have seen. The firm recently sent him a telegram to Adelaide congratulating him upon his 20th year with J. C. Williamson’s companies, and what is most remarkable, upon the fact that during that long term he never missed a single performance.

At a Shakespearean iSociety reception to Oscar Asc-he and Lily Brayton in Melbourne, the Premier of Victoria (Mr Murray) remarked that he was not much of a playgoer, for the same reason that kept many people away from the theatre —and that was the class of plays and attractions that were presented. “If the standard of productions was raised as high as that attained by the Oscar Asclie-Lily Brayton C 0.,” he added, “a class of people would become playgoers who are not otherwise attracted to the theatre and the number of theatregoers •would be considerably increased.”

A showman from Queensland vouches for the following story: “Madame Melba was training to Charters Towers the night before her concert there. The train stopped at Sellheim, and several boys were waiting on that station to see Madame. Mr Lemmone. told her, and she kindly came out and spoke to them, and asked them if they would like to hear her sing. They said, “Oh, yes.” “Well,” said Madame, “if you boys come to the Towers to-morrow night, and say you are the boys from Sellheim, I’ll invite you in, and you shall hear me.” (No response for a time). “Well, will you come, boys?” The smallest boy eventually spoke, “No good’ to me; we got a show here tomorrow night. Richards is coming.” Madame laughed and said, “I think you are very rude, boys, to prefer him to me.” Three of the larger boys did go, however, and Madame was as good as’ her word. Room was found .for them, although the theatre had a record crowd.

Bengough, Canada’s greatest entertainer, known as “The Man Who Draws” is at present making a tour of New Zealand under the management of Frederic Shipman, and will visit Gisborne in the near future. The following is taken from the “Australian Star” : “Bengough appeared to a large audience on Saturday evening for the first of his entertainments in Sydney, and proved the most delightful of entertainers. His great gift for the humorous in art has been developed to its perfection so that from a sweep or two of his crayons, and a few touches of color on the white sheets of his easel, some queer figure takes sudden shape, whose humor tickles the fancy of the audience upon the instant. The cartoon with Bengough is as ready as the uttered jest of the,.ordinary-humorist. His methods seem of the simplest, but his simplicity is the mere perfection of the artist. As a poet, singer, mimic and dialect expert Bengough reveals a singular versatility, and two hours in his company passes with surprising swiftness. He has a store of witty anecdotes to draw upon, he mimics excellently the Scottish accent or the Italian. As cartoonist, humorist and musician, Bengough is in himself a host —and a host of the most genial entertaining order.”

Mr Gerard Coventry is back in Australia one© more after a six months’ holiday round the world, in .which he combined business with pleasure, the former lying in the direction of securing features for J. C. Williamson’s next Christmas pantomime, ‘Aladdin.’ Mr Coventry, who is an Englishman by birth, an American by adoption, and an Australian by inclination, returns with the fixed opinion that the occasions when the rest of the world can startle playgoers on this side of the world with novelties and original effects are very few and far between. He saw nothing in the way of panto mane in England or in Scotland that as a production could compare with ‘ Jack and Jill.” There may liave been a turn in a few of them or a specialty that was better, but, taking the extravaganza as a whole, its superiority to its prototypes elsewhere was undoubted Mr Coventry made the grand tour in real earnest, for he was through the Continent as well as Great Britain, ard returned home via the United States. And even outside pantomime, h's impressions make for the conclusion that J. C. Williamson has got the best that s going, both on the dramatic and the lyric stage. The piece he liked best of all in London was ‘Our Miss Ghbs’ at the Gaiety Theatre, and in .New York ‘The Climax, 5 which he describes as a lyrical drama. Henceiorwird Mr Coventry’s energies, refreshed and invigorated by his tour, will 1 e uevoted mainly to preparations for ‘Aladdin.

Mr Fired Lindsay, the stockwhip artist, was to be at Shepherd’s Bush, Empire, London;, on July says Ehglisn papers just to hand. Mr Reginald Clarke, a New Zealand composer and gianist, gave a successful recital at the teinway Hall recently. Mr Percy Grainger intended going to Denmark in August, and,, later in the Autumn, to Norway, to give recitals. Miss Branscombe Wood, an Australian teacher of singing in Paris, has been honored by the Academic des Sciences, Paris, in their placing a thesis of hers on scientific voice production in the archives of the Institute do France. Miss Lalla Miranda, the Australian, who has appeared on several occasions at Covent Garden, made another successful appearance there as Zerlina in “Don Giovanni.” The Misses Hammon and Wyatt, the Australian Sandow girls, who have been touring England for some time with, success, have also several important Continental hookings. They open at the Apollo Theatre, Vienna, in August. Mr Thorold Waters, the Melbourne tenor, sang at the Post-office Orphan Homes’ concert m the central hall at the Alexandra Palace to a huge audience. Mr Maters acquitted himself with.distinction.. Miss Lili Sharp and M. Rafalewski, who have been touring in India for over a year with continued success, were, from latest advices received, stayipg at Kashmir, in the Himalayan Mountains. Miss Sharp writing to a fnend in London, says fc Our success still continues^,arid we keep well. ' Wo are: hoping to; visit Australia at the end of .tlie year. Miss, Sham and M. Rafalewski, who are both natives of Bendigo,' left Australia a mi