AMUSEMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2682, 11 December 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

AMUSEMENTS.

HIS MAJESTY’S

LOCAL FIXTURES.

P.'ithe Pictures.—Nightly. February 2,3, 4, s—Scarlet Troubadours. February 16, 17, 18—Carter, Magician.

\ “All at Sea” is the title of Mrs Langtry’s first novel. It is appearing in serial form in one of the Home nagazmes.

Pollard s Opera Company will be here for Christmas week with “The Black Cloaks” and “Manola.” The company will shortly stage “Miss Hook of Holland,” and then “The Belle of Cuba and “Grethel,” two American musical comedies will be put on.

The Harry Robert,s-Maggie Moore Company has returned to Sydney after a successful tour throughout the principal centres of Victoria, South Aus r tralia and Western Australia. It is not unlikely that these popular «rtists will be seen in New Zealand in the near future.

Nearly 30,000 applications for tickets for the Passion play at Oberammergau, the performances of which do not begin till Ascension Day, next May, have already been received. It is stated that Anton Lang, who impersonates Christ, has received 1000 applications from Americans alone for rooms in his house.

The liberties that “A Royal Divorce” takes with history are put into the shade by the romantic fictions of a new Napoleonic play by Pierre Deeourelles, entitled “Le Roi Sans Royaume.” In the “Divorce” the most flagrant absurdities were the interviews between Josephine and Marie Louise, and the appearance of the mimic “Jcsey” on the scene when Nap was about to depart for St. Helena, at which historical period the real Josephine had been some time dead. In the new play the Emperor Napoleon is taken, prisoner by Louis XVII., who sets him free, with instructions to go forth and win the battle of Wagram.

“F.C.” in the “Bulletin” : Apparently the moving picture wanes. Despairing of getting into a theatre on Cup night, Mrs C. and I fell back on the pictures and got into a front seat early. We need not have rushed things. There was less than £3O in a house that could easily have held £l3O. Yet the show was good and new, even the Cup films being wound off, five hours after Prince Foote had done his victorious sprint. The faking of so many films has evidently soured the public’s appetite; unless a picture is obviously re.al, like the Cup or Henley, it is nowadays put down as fake, and too much fake wearies.

Extensive as is the repertoire of Madame Emma Calve, who is to visit Australia and New Zealand next year under the management of J. and N. Tait, it does not embrace a single Wagnerian role. Strangely enough, the great dramatic artist has never appeared in any of the operas of Wagner, and, so far as is known, has little intention of doing so. l r et Calve, it is readily admitted, has the voice and the power to make successes of some of the most exacting of Wagnerian conceptions. As Elsa in “Lohengrin,” as Isolde in “Tristan and Isolde,” and even as Kundry in “Parsifal,” she should attain considerable distinction, and there is certainly immense scope for her in such characterisations as Senta in “The Flying Dutchman” ai.d Elizabeth in “Tannhauser.”

Mrs Robert Fitzsimmons (now in Sydney), wife of the famous boxer, Bob Fitzsimmons, is an operatic singer with, it is said, a fine repertoire throughout the United States. Mrs Fitzsimmons arrived here with her husband on the Otranto, under engagement to Mr 'Hugh D. MTntosh. Mrs Fitzsimmons is an actress and singer, and has for the past seven years, when not engaged with her husband on the vaudeville stage in special work, appeared under the management of the well-known theatrical firm of Flaw and Erlanger. Her singing and acting of '‘The Merry Widow,” which ran for twelve months at Daly’s Theatre, Broadway, New' York, was by .press and public with the greatest approval. Mrs Fitzsimmons was offered an engagement with Henry W. Savage to tour the States with his musical comedy company, but in consequence of Mr M'lntosh booking Mr and Mrs Fitzsimmons for Australia she was com. pelled to refuse. Carter, the American magician, and his company of eight people, with fifteen tons of marvellous illusions, was a passenger on the Moeraki from Sydney to Invercargill. It is two years since Carter was in New Zealand, with his mysteries, and uncanny laughable entertainment in conjuring. Since that time Carter has visited every country in the world, travelling over seventyfive thousand miles —more than three times the circumference of the earth. Carter travelled over five thousand miles into the interior of India, and spent five months in Benares, on the banks of the River Ganges, studying the occult "with the native fakirs and mahatmas, and as & result brings back with him now a series of most surprising marvels. Carter also brings illusions and mysteries which he has obtained from Egypt, China, Japan, and Java. This is Carter’s last tour of the world, and his farewell visit to New Zealand. He will be seen in Gisborne in February.

Berlin is Caruso mad (w-rote the "Daily Mail’s” Berlin correspondent on the 12th October). The great Italian tenor is to sing at three performances on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week at the Royal Berlin Opera House, and the demand for seats, though prices have been raised to unprecedented figures, is without parallel ‘in Berlin operatic history. The best places were sold for £2. and 3s was charged for standing-room. Long before daylight to-day a crowd had assembled, consisting of messenger-boys, s hotel-porters, commissionaires, .shopgirls, school children, and soldiers, waiting for the box office to open at ten o’clock. The police refused to allow a queue to) be formed until 7.3 U. Then began a desperate struggle for the best places in the line to the boxoffice. The police had to interfere to prevent violent combats. When the office was opened, a. queue stretching twice round the opera-house, and composed of at least 4000 persons, was waiting. Before half of them secured seats the house was sold out of all three performances. '

Howard Vernon and his wife, Miss Vinia de Loite, were last reported in Paris. They are said to be contemplating a tour of India and the East.

A picture showman has written to the Clarke, Meynell and Gunn firm with an offer for the rights of taking and exhibiting a film of the Oscar Asche-Lily Brayton production of “Othello,” with which to tour Australia and New Zealand.

Miss Nellie Stewart, the popular actress, now at the Royal, in a recent interview, said she was ho mimic. “I never was, not even when I was an understudy,” s he adds. “I must make my own part. Personality first and foremost is my belief. I always observe my audience closely and watch for points. There are always different people in the front every night, and sometimes it is one point that scores, sometimes another. I am a keen reader of faces, and I change my moods according to what they express. One night it will be the comic element that takes, another the grave, but whichever it is, jokes or platitudes, I give them what I think pleases, in consonance, of course, with the text of the piece. For versatility, I hold, follows closely on the heels of personality as a factor towards success.” Miss Nellie Stewart hasher ancestry to thank for the first, her talents and natural charm for the latter. Her great-great-great grandmother was the famous Mrs* Yates who acted with David Garrick. A pair of silver buckles presented by the latter to Mrs Yates has been handed down to Miss Nellie Stewart, who wears them on the stage.

Theatre-goers are no doubt looking forward with great interest to the return visit of the delightful English. Musical Comedy Company, “The Scarlet Troubadours,” who have completed a two years colonial tour. Their efforts have been to appeal not only to the educated musician, who enjoys good music, but also to those who like their music enlightened by the introduction of sparkling wit and clever comedy. The style of programme they present, and their way of ’presenting them, are new to this part of the world, although in England they have become perhaps the most fashionable and popular form of entertainment in. vogue, and notable amongst such similar companies are “The Follies.” Mr Edward Branscombe has personally selected the artists forming his company, not only for their qualifications as good singers, but also for their histronic abilities," an important qualification as-the musical numbers given are not only sung, but are acted, whether it be a song, or concerted number. In organising the Troubadours, Mr Branscombe had in mind the desirability of engaging only singers of the highest repute, and thus making music the backbone of the programme. Very great difficulty was experienced in obtaining the right class of performer, as it was necessary to also insist on stage experience, and- no less than forty-two different organisations at Home were visited before the present company wasgot together. They have now been performing uninterruptedly for tue past two years with but two changes . in the personnel. The company appears in Gisborne in February.

“A little of this goes a long way,” said the aeronaut, as he flickered the ash from his cigar.