AMERICAN REVUE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 8, 10 July 1939, Page 14

AMERICAN REVUE

MANY EFFECTIVE SCENES

"FUNZ-A-POPPIN' " OPENS

Twelve "dancing debutantes" fromj the United States support the principals in the new American revue, "Funz-a-Poppin'," which opened at the Grand Opera House on Saturday night. The "debutantes" started the show with an attractive fast-moving song and dance ballet, and with the full cast concluded a thoroughly enjoyable programme as a decorative background for the featured artists. Throughout the show costuming and scenery were excellent, and combined lovely materials with unusual colour schemes. The high light of the revue was the puppet show which was so realistic that the audience's applause was as warm as the I appreciation it had shown for the j 'flesh and blood" performers. It was left to the "debutantes" to wear really effective costumes, and the girls, from their first appearance in demure velvet tail-coats, white blouses, and red buttonholes, with short velvet tights, to their last in black net over white velvet form-fitting costumes, were the most decorative Wellington has seen for some time. The "Girls of the Golden West" scene was one of the most spectacular. The chorus appeared in colourful rancho costumes, some wearing leather j chaps over brilliant trousers, bright I shirts, and boleros, and the others j short, fringed culottes with gold or floral blouses. High grey felt hats and j knee-length boots gave a story-book at-1 mosphere to the ballet, and with a! background of distorted giant cacti and a huge red star, the illusion,was complete. The comedienne, Miss Loretta Grey, wore a rather more elaborate costume of brown leather and green and gold satin. Royal blue satin sailor suits trimmed with white arrows in front, and white sailor collars piped in red and blue made further lovely costumes for the chorus, who danced a tap ballet aboard the "S.S. Funz-a-Poppin'," partly with and partly without music The soubrette was in white drill slacks, and sea-blue jacket with a white tie piped in blue, and a white cap: As cabin boy. Jack Bickel, wore black trousers, a white blouse, and blue "middy." White taffeta ' ground-length frocks lined with scarlet and featuring frill mounted on frill piped with red. were worn by the dancers in a Cuban scene. Their orange chiffon handkerchiefs were later worn as scarves over their backless, brief bodices. Miss Elsa Lang, who sang a rhythmic song, "La Bomba," wore a contrasting evening frock of fitting pearl pink satin which featured fine black lace falling in tiny pleats from the knees and a collar of shiny black feathers. A gown of shiny gold tissue was worn by Miss,Lang in another appearance, and in the green finale she changed to a graceful frock of pale blue lace finished at the neck with a red velvet bow. Miss Loretta Grey's frocks were nearly all of white, one particularly smart ensemble comprising a short white flared skirt and white hand-knitted polo-necked, sweater. Another of her white frocks was cleverly cut and beltless, its only trimming being the long ends of a red and green bow, which fell in narrow ribbons to the hem of the flared skirt Her final appearance was made in a bouffant frock of blue organdie finely pleated from waist to hem and worn over £ crisp, matching petticoat:' The Van twins, June and Trudell. also wore some striking ensembles, their "Chain Gang" item, in which they danced a tap duo linked by fine silver chains, and wearing brief, striped suits of black and silver sequins, matching gauntlets,, and jaunty pillbox hats, earning the ready appreciation of the very large audience.