THE ROYAL COMIC OPERA COMPANY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 78, 1 April 1895, Page 2

THE ROYAL COMIC OPERA COMPANY.

"LA MASCQTTE."

V La. Masoowsiivisi,ao : 5 -oil, ; l«^Q9«|e a |^ Auckland and Auckland has before seen Miss Nellie Stewart in the tibe role. These are in * themselves st wos good * reasons iwby■ | Saturday night showed one of the best j tilled houses of this very, successful opera season." And the large audience was'hand- ■; somety rewardedfor braving the threjateji-, ing weather "bo "witness "La Maacottei, Never has that opera been so briUi&nbly staged dnd performed in Auckland before. \Vith every fresh performance during the , past, three weeks i i :Ws : , have been presented with "a charmingly bewildering variety of fresh Bceneß, fresh dresses, fresh dances, fresh harmonies of colour and sound, and lasfc—though by no means least, when it was in the hands by Messrs Laurie and Vernon and Miss Nash—fresh fun and business. Indeed, one almost suspects the Company of trying to go one better with each succeaiive opera, and though "Lai Mascotte" hardly presented such a feaab of artistic colour and graceful motion as "La Cigale" it caught the ear more readily, with the more decided melody of its bright music, and it surpassed " La Cigale " in its abundance of interest and fun, The plot of "La Maseotte" is -so, well known that it U hardly necessary to detail id here, and it will suffice for the few to whom it.may be unknown to merely suggeit-its scope for furnishing ingenious mirth - provoking, situations. Ib ,may be very hard on. poor Rocco,' the unprosperous farmer, who suddenly finds himself in possession of a real Maßcottq, whose presence in his houae must infallibly change his luck, to find himself as suddenly deprived of.her by the despotic command of the reigning Duke Laurent, who covets the .good household fa,iry for the betterment of his own'fortune. But it is very much harder on the Mascotte herself, Bettina; the farm eery ant, who is all unconscious of her, peculiar properties, to find herself suddenly, elevated to a palace and a-counleßs;ship, for she wriggles aboub uncomfortably, in the lap of luxury, and wishes herself:back again in.her torn-frock among her hens and cowe. Rocco and the Duke knowing that " When the Mascotte loves and is wed, then the Mascotta's power, is fled," do their best to keep her and her lover Pippo apart, and their efforts provide an immense deal of fun and interest. These efforts are of course finally unsuccessful, and when the Duke loses his Mascotte, good*fortune forsakes him. He is dep'riyfed oi his sovereignty by Prince Fritbelirii, whom he had helped his daughter to jilt, and' becomes -Jf-trulycomical kine of shreds and patchesl- a wandering Jminabrel tooting... painfully on a pip? to the ; proud Princess Fiamebta's tambourine dancing. Fiametta, however, finding that Pippo is hopolesely lost to her by his marriage with Betbina politically makes it up with the conquering Prince, and restores her father to hjs stains quo, and the curtain _ falls upon a crowd of happy faces and a chorus of gay voices. lA\m Nellie Stewart was as charming and successful in Bettina as she has been in her previous roles, and sang as delightfully as ever. Mr Brownlow made a handsome and tuneful Pippo, and he and Miss Stewart were repeatedly recalled after-their due^ej especially the first one, which created a perfect stoorm ot applause. MrTapleymade much of Prince Fritbelini, the disdained of Fiainetta, jihab romantic and impetuously amorous princess, whom Mii>B /Florence sToung personated admirably. Mr Lauri as Laurent XVII., übly ' seconded" by Mr Howard Vernon as .Rocco, took charge of the fun of the piece, and made it very telling. . Nearer Bincp jbhe daya of Old King Colo hasthereibeen such a merry old soul as the very undignified monarch Mr Lauri interprets to us. His fatuous superstition and no ieis fatuous lack of principle, and his disreputable habit of punning, all help to make him irresistibly delightful) to the audience, and Mr Lauri can make his face a whole three-act comedy in itself. ; The dancing, introduced into' the opera" is ex ; tremely pretty, and in the last aqb tho marching and counter-marching-' of bhe soldiers in their gleaming armour plates under coloured lights, presented a. brilliant) scene. The opera will be repeated, to higho,jand tomorrow evening, when the Company will give their .farewell '■}. performance,., " The Mikado "and a ; grand concertia the Dill- offare. . . .