PRINCESS THEATRE. POLLARD'S OPERA COMPANY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2308, 26 May 1898, Page 39

PRINCESS THEATRE. POLLARD'S OPERA COMPANY.

After an absence of some four months, during which period they have made a successful tour in the north, the Pollard Opera Company renewed their acquaintance with the Dunedin public at tho Princess Theatva ou Saturday night. Tha exceedingly large audience whioh greeted the company with so much cordiality noted with evident satisfaction tao improvements which have been made in the building. Not only were they able to witness the performance under circumstances infinitely more wholesome and more comfortable than hitherto, but the Increased facilities afforded the stage manager in the presentation of the piece were plainly visible. One of tbe moth jeleaeicg innovations was the iufcotluotlttLM thfi

electric light, for«lectricity was not alone enlisted as an aid in the w*y of stage effects, but it wai also utilised to illuminate the building. The installation in this respect, however, is restricted to the season of tbe present company, but the advantages it poaeeises as an illumiuant over gas were ao minyand so groat that, no doubt, it will s-peedily be ranked amongst tbe permanent improvements which have lately takeii pKce at the theati'a. Although other piecas which are included in the company's repertoire may have appealed to a lifter section cf theatrear.erri, the management decided to s-elecb " DjinDjin" as the opening play of the seison, in order to afford Diinedin people some adequate cinceptinn of what can be done in the way of spectacular effect with reasonable facilitiss. Wben the goigsous Japineae extravaganza was last produced here the want of space and the absence of the electric light hampered aud restricted the efforts of the s*:age manager, but now these obstacles are avercome the piece was presonted with all its great elaborateness, and it is not too much to say that such a series of fairy like and dazzling pictures have nerei 1 hitherto been witnessed in Dunedin. In the (irst act the palace gardens of Hojo-ho-kami were a dream of lovliness. ar»c when the 3am2 scene was presentee l after ths shades of evening bad fallen aoil the whole iaii'lscape was ablitz; with fantastic ccliyed Japanese lantema. a spontane us and fervid round of nppltuss ie?ounded through the building. It was in such a "set" as this that the effects to be derived from the electric light were discernible, and tbe beauty of the scene when hundreds of tiny electric limps suddenly glowed can scarcely be imagined. The transformation j.csne in the frozen forest, and the chrysaithemum display, the haunted temple, the i-avtiiqualfe and thfl eruption of Fugi Sao, tb? Hall of the Thousand Storks, und other "asts" weie equally beautiful, and one and all were received with nianifeitutions of delight. The acting of the perfoim»is was also.'quite up to tbe high standard for which the conipanv is so justly noted throughout New Z?alcTnd. The principal charactei-s were allotted iv the same manner as when the piece was last producer] J^re, and tV- whole performance went with a hWiDg from FtM t to finish Mr Ernesc Fitts appeared as heietofo'-e us Djin-Djin, and his singing and acting art* deserving of unstinted encomiums He s-\ag "lam the KiDgofEvil" with admirable effect, and later on he rendered "Loved Leono'e" and "Love's serenade" in a style which seemed for him abundaut applause. Miss Maud 1 B^atly in. A t with a flittering recaption, and all thriiUh the peifounance she acted with gipoe and effe'*. Despite the taxing demands that ira >n;ide upon her vocal powers, she sang her music w'-tb a degree of excellence that i« deserving of piaiae, and at the close of the play, when she sang " R%Jly round the flag" (the effect of which was heightened "f-y flag* ornamented wi.h coloured electric light*), she was compelled to respond to a vigorously demanded encore. The comic elements of the performance, of course, devolved upon Mr Qaealy as the Daimio's elderly maiden sister and Mv l'e)cy ai Tom Wallaby. Their singing and ar.t.ing proved diverting iv the extreme, and even + he 1/1031; stoical features must havo relaxed at tbe culmination of fun which endued from their acting in the bauibo.i m?ze. The duet "So-and-so and Such-and-such "' was encored somewhere about half-a-dozen times. Mr Percy's rendering of "Sammy, r.iy old friend Sum," and "I'm the Diamond King" (the pointed local allusions in t^e latter sons creating shouts of merriment* were i»lso inr?t successful contiibi»tioQfi. ilisa Marion Mitchell acted with. her customary g:\ics and nwivsti a's the Princess, and Miss Mercalf as the .Fairy Queen. Miss Eily O'Sullivan, Mr Alt Stephens, Mr Qeo. Youn T , and the other members of the company all lent adequate assistance. The beautiful ballets were a?so gone through with capital effect, tbe ballet dor and the snow ballet be>ng among tbe mosn beFiUtiful incidents of a <>liy that abounds in n tteil'.h of gorgeous incident.