AMUSEMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2746, 26 February 1910, Page 3 (Supplement)

AMUSEMENTS.

HIS MAJESTY’S.

LOCAL FIXTURES.

Pat lie Pictures—Nightly. March 3 —“ Dandy Dick” (in aid of City Band Contest Fund). March 9, 10, 11—Shackleton’s South

Pole Pictures. March 12, 14 —Andrew Black Concert ■Company. April 21, 22 —J. C. Williamson.

Jn all probability that talented combination of musicians, the Black Family, will visit Gisborne at the end of March for a season of two nights in His Majesty’s Theatre.

By kind permission of Mr Bert Royle, acting on behalf of Mr J. C. Williamson, (Sir Arthur Wing Pinero’s farcecomedy “Dandy Dick” will be repeated in His Majesty’s Theatre on Thursday night next. The production last Saturday night by Muss Rosemary Rees and local amateurs was most'favorably received by a large audience. The proceeds of the entertainment on the next occasion are to be devoted to the Contest Fund of the Gisborne City Band.

Arrangements have ‘been definitely concluded by Mr W. Miller for the production of tne'“Sbackleton South Pole” pictures in His Majesty’s Theatre for three nights, commencing Wednesday, March 9. The pictures are said to be a really wonderful scries, depjeting the adventures of the" intrepid explorer and his comrades, and have been creating great interest where they have been shown recently in the South Island.

The concert-going public of Gisborne are promised a treat shortly as all arrangements have been made for a return visit of Mr Andrew Black and his high-class concert company. On this visit Mr Black who has repeatedly been termed “England’s greatest baritone,” will be accompanied by M. Auton Tschaikor, a Russian violinist, Miss Iley Cross, contralto, and Miss Lilian Delaney, pianiste and accompaniste. Mr Black is said to be in better voice than ever ; while the performances of the assisting artists have won for them golden opinions.

Miss Annette Kellerman has returned to Australia in a film. The Australian swimming lady, who went to the United States, is shown swimming in a glass tank. The film has been exhibited by West’s in Sydney.

Margaret Anglin was a Canadian conrent girl until, at the age of seventeen, she determined upon a footlight career. Her debut was made in a small role in “Shenandoah,” and the next season she spent on the road with a company of barnstormers.

Carl Hertz, the magician, recovered from a,n illness during December, whicn had laid him on one side for some time and on the last day of tho year he left London for Vienna, where ho was to appear for four weeks at Ronacher’s Theatre.

Miss Maud Beatty, the favorite New Zealand actress, is now in America. She was married recently to Captain Dawson, an American, and they have been running a touring company of their own. Their home is at Seattle.

At Belfast, at the beginning of December, the Earl of Shaftesbury, a wellknown vocalist in society, made his first public appearance in oratorio, tak_ ing the tenor solos in a performance of “The Messiah,” and getting a wonderful reception.

The Nellie Stewart Company, on their return to Melbourne, will be re-organ-ised, and begin rehearsals of J. M. Barrie’s comedy, “What Every Woman Knows.” The latter is to be produced at the Princess Theatre. Melbourne, at Easter, and the probabilities are that it will come to New Zealand later.

Tenor Roberts will have a stiddy job at kissing in the “Waltz Dream” (say s a “Bulletin” writer). There’s a kiss that lasts for jorty seconds through four bars of music. Miss Fanny Dango is the- kissee. I understand that Roberts draws no salary while he is playing this part: but, rather, pays the management for the privilege, and there’s lots of men who would.

The “Australasian” sums up Miss Tittell Brune’s capabilities as an actress in some remarks, made recently upon her general work. The journal said:—The long series of parts played by Miss Tittell Bnme in Australia, ranging from “La Tosea” to “Peter Pan,” gave us the impression always of a very thorough, conscientious, capable artist, never quite strong enough for “La Tosca,” never quite simple enough for “Peter Pan,” and best suited in characters 'whoso strength is homely pathos, such as she found in “Sunday” and “The Girl of the Golden West.”

When Miss Katherine Grey was leaving the Sydney Royal after making her first appearance in Australia in “The Lion and the Mouse,” she was met at the stage entrance by a 'number of girl s from the gallery, who accompanied the American actress to her cab. and asked for favors from the floral trophies. The request was gladly complied with. “It’s so good of you,” said one of the recipients. “Not at all,” replied Miss Grey, and added, “It is you who are so good, and I thank you very much for your kind welcome.” She then drove off amid cheering, and waving of handkerchiefs.

The “Besses-o’tli’-Bam” band, which has begun a return Australasian tour at Christchurch, owes a large measure of its latter-day success to its popular conductor, Mr. Alexander Owen. Mr. Owen, joined the “Besses” as conductor at a critical period in 1884, and though even at that time he was known throughout England, he has increased his fame in the intervening years. Ho is- now held to be one of the best of living band conductors. Ho is highly regarded by all who know him, and is almost worsihipned by the men whom bo eo'ablv controls.

Mr. Hugh Ward’s latest, piece is “Vivian’s Papas” at the Sydney Palace Theatre with Miss Grace Palotta as the sweet and sparkling Vivian Gray. Th e new piece, whch is by Leo. Diedericbstoin, author of “Are You a Mason?’ will run out the remaining three weeks of the actor-manager’s season. For the Melbourne season at the Princess’ Theatre, at the end of May, Air. Hugh Ward has two new farcical pieces, “Glittering Gloria.” by Hugh Morton (author of “The Bell ‘of New York’ ), and “The Girl from Rector’s” (a- restaurant), by Paul M. Potter, the dramatist of “Trilby.”

Miss Amy Castles has been engaged for a short season in two of Puccini’s operas, “Madame Butterfly” and “La Boheme”; and most of her friends declare -that she is more fully equipped for this important work than many people may have been led to expect. Some years ago, when she was training her voice under the instruction of the famous M. Bouhy, she acquired a large operatic repertoire, and, what is of considerable consequence to all. operatic artists, thoroughly studied tho art of acting under the distinguished care of M. Valdajo, whose dramatic school is one of the greatest in Paris. Again she has received, and declined, substantial offers for appearance in onera, npt only in England, but on the Continent.

Miss Norah Long, of Wellington, who has taken the stage name of Nora d’Argel, has been playing leading roles in opera at Nice with conspicuous success. On Saturday and Sunday, the first of the year, the New Zealand soprano appeared in “Sigurd,” “Faust,” and “Les Huguenots,” sustaining the Tolas of Hilda, Marguerite, and La Itcine Marguerite, anil she is reported to have scored an undeniable success in all three.. It would have been a strain under ordinary circumstances to play such heavy parts in two days, but Miss d’Argel is just recovering from the effects of an unfortunate mistake made by a chemist in making up a doctor’s prescription for a throat trouble, which the wrong solution accentuated. She is suing the chemist for damages. “Her singing has always been “excellent,” says the Nice correspondent of the “Pali Mall Gazette,” “and as an actress a distinct advance in confidence and power is noticeable at each appearance.”

Madame Emma Calve, who is expected to visit New Zealand this year, is a woman of tho simplest tastes, despite the inevitable luxury of her life and surroundings. She is by now rich enough to keep up three expensive establishments and to travel, as she does, in the magnificent state of a royal personage; yet withal, she is just as quiet and homely as many a peasant in her native Aveyron. Beyond all her priceless possessions, her jewels, her pictures, and objects of virtu, she prefers nothing so much as the frugal, rustic life to which she was accustomed in her childhood. Whenever site returns to Paris from her tours abroad, it is not long before her beautiful apartments in the Avenue Ingres are shut up, and she is rolling away in the train, bound for her beloved Aveyron. Here as often as possible the great songstress spends her leisure, superintending her model farm, and otherwise leading the care-free existence of a country gentlewoman.

It is not every actress who can claim that she has been the “inspiration” for a number of artists, in whose work she has figuVed prominently. But Miss Mab Paul, who will commence an Australasian season at Sydney shortly, in the Willoughby Company’s production of “The Night of the Party,” may justly claim the distinction. Miss Paul is said to he one of the loveliest actresses on the English stage (says the Sydney “Mail”). Her beauty attracted the attention of George Boughton, R.A.. who asked her to pose for him. and her beauty is immortalised in his masterpiece. “The Lady of Shalott.” She has also posed for some of the famous pictures of Holman Hunt. Hon. George Collier, and other notable painters. From the artist’s, studio she went- to the stage, and has appeared with some of the leading companies in England and America.

HOUDINI "THE HANDCUFF KING.” Apparently the Sydney “Bulletin” has not been impressed by the famous Houdini, and writes of his performance thus: —What Houdini can actually accomplish on his own in full view of the audience is the ridding himself of such restraints as are ordinarily effective with criminals or lunatics. Granting that he can contort his hands and body from manacles, straight-jackets, etc., Houdini strikes one as being of little interest except to gaolers, Supreme Court judges, policemen, warders, and other people who are naturally concerned about means of escape. He concludes his entertainment with a new version of the old box trick, a fake which is performed behind curtains. But if Houdini, as an entertainer, disappoints expectation, his success as an advertising medium is considerable. His show was going rather flat when the advertisement announced that he had •accepted a challenge from four carpenters (named) in the employ of a certain firm (named), who undertook to make a packing ease wherefrom he couldn’t, possible escape without de- *. moiisliing it. The carpenters and tlieir packing case were produced on the. stago last Friday. night, and Houdini got into the case, clothed in a dresssuit His rather baggy-looking coat, which had not been examined, might have contained a lot of steel implements. On the other hand lie may not have needed to make his own- escape, anyway. The lid was duly nailed down and screwed down as though Houdini were a valuable, piece of goods. Also it was corded ; and then the audience looked 1 for Houdini to escape. It looked in vain. The showman’s assistant proceeded to hide the case from view in a vast four-posted; curtained enclosure. The packing performance, up to then, had lasted half an hour, and for another 30 minutes the band played. The audience saw nothing but tbe curtained “cabinet” with an' assistant in viceregal uniform standing on guard at the left-hand corner. At times the caoinct showed signs of agitation, but whether this was due to an artful act of the Gov.-General person, or was owing to a crowded state of th© enclosure or what not, the audience couldn’t tell. A noise as of timber breaking, followed hv a- sound of damage being repaired, was said to be audible to the inert “committee” on the stage; but oven these suggestions of Houdini’s escape may have, been part of tlic game. The case, all this time, might have lieen at the basement under the stage, for it is the same stage, covered, seemingly, by the same earpot- on which Chung Ling Soo performed his rapid mysteries of yore. Hondini’s mystery was not rapid. At 11 p.m., when the house was weary of waiting, the curtains were drawn, and Houdini appeared, showing vehement signs of fatigue. Also the case looked to bo in tbe same nailed, screwed and corded state as when the four blessed carpenters had fixed it previously. It should be plain t-o the greenest understanding that much’ may happen to a packing-case which is shrouded in mystery for 30 minutes. When reasonable reflection is brought to bear on'HoudinTs performance, its marvellousness dwindles down to a mere matter of astonishment at the public having been impressed by it. But when Houdini begins to be wonderful in ai less mysterious manner the "Bulletin” will feel interested.