SONG, STAGE, AND STORY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 143, 16 June 1894, Page 3 (Supplement)

SONG, STAGE, AND STORY.

Miss Cicelt Staunton^ (Madame Goldensfcedfc), labe of Auckland;, is Coming back here with the Montagu.Turner Company. Mr Arthur Garner ia abandoning drama at the Melbourne Bijou, and he recently engaged the Monbagu-Turner Company tor, a seaaon, to begin with ' Maritana.' j Albert Chevalier has appeared in Manchester twice. The first time he was hissed. The second time he made £500 neb proiib in two nights. Our' London correspondent writes: — The ' musical-farcical comedy' provided as a successor to the successful ' Morocco Bound' at Trafalgar Theatre, ia a to payturvey production of Gilbert and Sullivan style, but, of course, lacking the refinement of the Savoy pieces. The idea of turning a greengrocer into bhe ruler of an Asiatic State ia almost too extravagant to be truly funny, bub with pretty music, pretty dances, pretty girls to look at, and a large leavening of music-hall tomfoolery, 'GoBang ' promises to be a fair success.. The one faulb to be found with the libretto Mr Adrian Ross has provided for the piece is thai; the plob is somewhat too elaborate. 'Go-Bang' ie an English protectorate situate - somewhere east of Suez, and for bho moment there is no ruler or ♦ 800 jam' on the throne. The Boojam-elect, Dam Row, is in England studying English customs and English laws. This he does by making , love to Di Dalryrnple, "premiere dcrAseuse at the Variety Theatre, who has made up her mind to become the feminine complement of the Boojam of Go-Bang. Dam Row is in the care of Sir Reddan Tapeleigh, a retired Indian official with a marriageable daughter, Helen, to whom Narain, the Boojam's secretary, afterwards proved to be the real successor to tho throne of GoBang, makes lore. Aba tennis party, given by Sir Reddan, it is announced by a Governmenb despatch that the real Boojam must be one Jenkins, a neighbouring greengrocer, who has taken service temporarily as Sir Reddan'a valet. Jenkins is duly invested with the Boojamship, and, of course, carries off all bhe characters to GoBang, Dam Row as Premier, Sir Reddan as English Resident, and Di Balrymple, who has speedily transferred her affection to the new Boojam, as Boojamess in posse. Ab Go Bang the usual fooling, ainging,and dancing goes on. Sir Reddan wants to wed hia daughter to Jenkins Boojam, bub as there is still some doubt as to the real heir he ia much perplexed. An idol comes in ab deus ex machina, and renders up certain papers which prove that Narain is the true Boojam. He marries Helen, Dam Row espouses Di Dalrymple, and the deposed Jenkina goes back bo his Sarrey Ann. Mr .Osmond Carr's music is melodious throughout, some of the choruses being specially commendable. Catchy ditties there are also, as, to wit, Miss Letty Lind's «Di Di Di,' and a delightfully quaint and pretty morsel 'The Chinee Dolly.' The caste of the piece is strong, including as ib does Miss Lind (Di Dalrymple), whose dancing alone is worth a long journey to see, and Miss Jessie Bird (Helen), one of the best of the old Savoy troupe, the ever-amusing and popular Mr J. Le Shine (Dam Row), and Mr Geo. Groaamitb, junior. On the whole, 'Go Bang' promises exceedingly well, bub ib ia nob likely to become a touring piece, so much of its entertaining power being due to the performance of the principal characters than to the piece itself.