AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 84, 10 April 1902, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS.

"THE GAT PAHISIENNE."

"The Gay Parisienne" established itself ~ a warm favourite among lovers of musi- : t cal comedy on its first production In Auckland, and its revival by the PoHard Opera Company last evening was a thorough success, both from an artistic and ■from a financial point of view. The piece hinges on a visit which Mr Ebenezer :. Honeycomb, a retired draper, and "a shining light," paid to Paris, where circumstances forced him into a proposal of marriage to Julie Bon Bon, the Gay Parisienne. Returning to England, the lady-, follows hiini and is awarded £10,000 damages to repair her broken heart. Eben- j> ezer flies to the Continent, where he is discovered by the plaintiff in his suit, and . by his wife,, who believes him dead; and1- . then things become a trifle mixed. The . revival last night went with, a captivating swing from start to finish, and the audience marked its approval by frequent encores and by hearty laughter at the . humorous scenes and bon mots with which the comedy abounds. Miss Gertie ■%< Campion, in the title role, made an ideal French demoiselle. Chic, dainty,-and vivacious to the finger-tips,she is thorough- • ly suited to such a role, and she charmed the audience quite as much as she did her admirers on the other side of the ] footlights. Her French accent was ad- ; mirably put on, and her light and graceful dancing- was the essence of "French!- .; ness." Her solos were nicely sung; par- . ticularly a coon song in the second act, , "Ma Honey Lub." This was written and composed by Miss M. Whitson, of Par- , nell, and the yo-ung lady is- to be congratulated on her first composition to cdrne -, under the notice of the public. An enthusiastic encore was insisted on.the cho-.

rus, an exceedingly pretty one, Being repeated. Mr W. S. Percy as Auguste. (Julie's supposed brother) has not the usual amount' of, "fat" which falls to his share, but what he has to do is done ex-, cellently. He .is the volatile Frenchman^ . to a "t," and his watchful-jealousy of, Julie is very cleverly done. Mr Alf Ste- . phens, as the "shining light," carried out his work very well, his oily unctuousness in the presence of his wife being very well assumed. Mr H. Quealy, as Major Fossdyke, fills the role of the peppery . major of the Battersea Butterfly Shooters very creditably, the part suiting mm perhaps better than any of his other im- .. personatiohs. Miss Wilmot Karkeek, as the "slavey" Ruth, follows out Miss May Beatty's model very cleverly. She wgs .- very successful in her turn 'with .Mr. Quealy, when she announced her intention of going on the "styge." Mr Dave O'Connor was good as Tom Everly; anq Miss M. Metcalfe, as the wife of Honey-, comb, -acted with the vigour demanded of her. The. other members of the company carried out their allotted work wen. "The Gay Parisienne" will be repeatea to-night, and will be followed by 1M = French Maid" for two nights, "Florodora" being set down' as the matinee , piece. ■