AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 81, 7 April 1902, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS.

■** EILOEODOIIA."

K''_. StJ-CESSFUL ___VTY"AL. ~,

An extremely felicitous change of programme was made by the Pollard Opera Company on Saturday eveningl, when u The Rose of Persia" was rei placed by that operatic recordbreaker, the ever-popular " Florodora.'* A large race-night audience, overflowing with enthusiasm and ripe for enjoyment, filled the theatre, and the gaiety and high spirits of those before the curtain certainly had a marked effect on those on the stage, for no more rollicking and dashing performance of this charming opera bouffe has been given in this city. There was never a moment's flagging in the mingled melody and fun, and with both principals and chorus alike each and' everyone seemed to put special individual and spontaneous life into their own particular role- The effect on the already excited audience was to create something like a furore, and encores, vigorous, undeniable and repeated three, and even four, times with some numbers were the order of the evening. And let it be said at once that all fictitious encores, such .as those commented on in our Saturday's supplement, were rigidly tabooed, for which relief Mr Pollard is to be thanked. The hint offered was in friendly spirit, and has been promptly taken. Naturally a good deal of curiosity prevailed as to how the newcomers—Miss Alice Edgar as Lady Holyrood and Miss Lulu Evans as Dolores —would please an Auckland audience. It may safely be said that Miss Alice Edgar scored a pronounced success as Lady Holyrood." As the modern "grand dame " of the fashionable world, «she both looked and acted the part to the life. Her' perfect ease of movement, her slightly supercilious accent, together with her clear, level, twell-bred enunciation, are to be warmly commended, and one could, in short, scarcely hope to see a better or more con-. vincing presentment of the character. Her singing of the capital interpolated satirical song, " Tact," was a revelation to those who had only beard Miss Maud Beatty in the same. That lady missed the entire point and drift of the song. Miss Edgar scores heavily therein, and was encored till she answered with a bow. Such things are largely a matter of taste, but the very quiet and unemotional rendering of Dolores> which Miss Evans gives is surely not in accordance with the character as displayed in the lines and' lyrics. She plays and sings gently and sweetly, but infuses small vivacity into,a part which seems to demand life from start to finish. In the "Prapses" en-r tertainment ■ with Mr Percy she' is fairly good, but cannot rival the immense fun and dash which May Beatty could infuse into such fooling, and this increases the difficulty of Mr Percy's work. As Tweedlepuncb Mr Percy was once more the life and soul of the opera, The vigour he threw in-« to the part was astounding, and he( had the audience with him from start to finish. The other parts were all1 as well filled as of yore, and each of the old favourites was warmly welcomed. Needless to remark, the double sextette, in which, by the* way, Miss W. Karkeek particularly] excels, was encored till the dancers; were too w;ear"y to lift a foot or sing another note. " Florodora " will be repeated to-night.