FITZGERALD BROS' CIRCUS AND MENAGERIE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 240, 8 October 1894, Page 3

FITZGERALD BROS' CIRCUS AND MENAGERIE.

OPENING PERFORMANCE TO-

MORROW NIGHT.

Fitzgerald Bkos.' circus and menagerie, which opens to-morrow night at the Harbour Board reclamation ground, Quay-streeb, is said to be one of the besb " shows " of ibs kind over seen in Auckland. The season will be a shorb one of five nighbs only and two matinee performances. The company includes sixty artists and twenty ladies, and in addition there are eighty horses and ponies. The menagerie attached to the circus consists of a den of performing lions, silver lion, Bengal tiger, Burham bigers, Cheebas, pumas, leopards, wolves, foxeß, bears, monkeys, an ourang-oubang, and obher animals. The company arrive in the s.s. Talune from Sydney to-morrow morning. Referring to a performance of tbe circus in Sydney, the " Herald " says :—

The firsb thing that strikes the eye on entering is bhe remarkably good lighting arrangement, every portion of the gigantic benb being thoroughly illuminated, while the whole dome and sides are elegantly decorated wibh flags of all nations and designations. In one feature alone this circus has never been excelled in this country, and that is in the perfection of training reached by its equine stars. No team ever exhibited here could excel bhe almost human intelligence displayed by bhe sextette of pure whito broncos which so gracefully, and apparently willingly, obey Mr Dan Fitzgerald's slightest mobion or genblesb word. A feaburo of bbc Fitzgeraldian combinabion ia bhe cama rarderie observable bebween the performers. In the ranks of the artists there are several whose performances stamp them as being of the highest grade in bheir profession. Among these may be menbioned Maggie Connars, whose bareback riding feaba are really firsb - class : Mias Ettie E-nerie, whose contortion act are simply amazing ; Mr Joe Morris, bhe sbar acrobab; F. M. Jones, C. Hogan and Alberb King, Jones act as leader of the acrobatic aggregation, and he is anobher prime favonribe; as likewise ia the indiarubber man, Professor Barbolo, whoso body seems to have been made without osseous conformation, so singularly does he contrive to contort ib and so outrageously defy the laws of nature. The clowns are funnier than the average jesters. Some of the leaping feats are extraordinary, and the riding of tho boy jockey beam alone is a very great attraction. The Company, led by the sbar rider, acrobab, and vaulber, F. M. Jones, who, after his fellow artisba had exhausted their repertoire of wonders, including somersaults, single and double, over Beveral horses, set bhem all a mark, which ib is doubbful whether they could reach, by his wonderful and thrilling leap over twenty horses, game a grand entree. Commodore, the beautiful and acute trick pony, wenb through a very clever performance, finally pubbing hia head to the clown's back and running him out of the ring, a wind-up which was much enjoyed by the youngsters. Miss Ridgeway presented a clever wire-walking acb, the dummy clowning of Joe Morris, which accompanied ib, evoking shrieks of laughter. Then came a turn the audience had nob had time to feel impatient for, though it was eagerly anticipated ; this was Miss Maggie Counarß' gracelul bareback equestrian act, in company with Mr W. Jones. Ib may here be noted bhab there is only one pad acb in Fitzgerald's circus, and bhab is left bo Agues, the goab. All the humans disdain the pad, and rido the moab difficult acts barebacked. Miss Connars does, all bhe most dangerous bricks of the school, and does bhem with easy grace, and she is already an established favourite. The moab exciting equine event of the night was an exhibition of training and leaping powers by the two pied roans, Curiosity and Ben. After various evolutions, Ben took hia stand at tho ring-side, and Curiosity, flying round the ring at a furious gallop, cleared him repeatedly in most faultless style. Two brighb and clever boy riders—Harry Cordelia and George Collier —then gave a capital double-horse hurdle acb, each mite governing his pair of fiery ponies with veteran akill, though neither looks more than 11 yeara old. Cardella is a Queensland aboriginal, and was caught young by the brothers, to whom he is d c voted, on the Paroo. C. Hogan's aecond acb fibted in here, and was followed by Commodore and Tommy, who played all kinds of amußing games, including one of ace-saw. Then Tommy covered himself with glory by careering round the area and clearing ab intervals three ponies each ab leasb as high as himself, and which sbood bebween poles, which made bhe leap wider. He is a phenomenal leaper. Taken from beginning bo end, bhere was nob one dull moment, not ono mediocre scene or acb in this programme, and the Brothers Fitzgerald are to be congratulated upon the integrity with which they kept their promises to the public."