AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 294, 13 December 1927, Page 9

AMUSEMENTS.

"HAWAIIAN TROUBADOURS." UKELELE AND HULA. Admirers _of the ukelele welcomed Ernest Kaai's Hawaiian Troubadours at His Majesty's Theatre last evening, where the first of five performances was giveni The programme begins with the curtain down, the theatre in darkness and the *feound of singing on the stage, and after the curtain goes up the dawn breaks very gradually, until the sun is seei\ shining on a typical view of Waikiki Beach, the tourist-studded strand of the lovely Hawaiian island. In the foreground there are a bevy- of Hawaiian young women with tneir attendant braves, all armed with the ukelele or some modification or exaggeration of that famous Hawaiian instrument. They are playing and singing plaintive melodies of Hawaii. One can plainly hear something about "aloha" (which is our old Matori friend "aroha") and other words that remind us of Rotorua. In the setting of a colourful Hawaiian island beach scene the fifteen members of the company come along in turn, sometimes by twos and threes, and then in a bunch, and sing and dance, with a strong background of the ukelele. The best of the items are sung to Hawaiian words. When the artists break into English they are not so convincing. To quote the names of the various native songs would not convey much meaning. Listening to them, one is also rather in the dark, -but the natives are such expressive singers that the words do not matter much. Grave and gay, the songs remind us of the sort of music loved by our own Maoris, but it is perhaps rather wider in range, more florid. A typically island atmosphere is given when the band "off" begins to work up for the hula, which is a sort of a mixture of the haka and the poi. The heavily-accentuated "one, two. three, four," which seems to be the accepted rhythm for the dance, is helped out with something of <the drum kind that sounds just like the Fiji "lali," or hollowed out tree trunk that gives a fine rich booming sound. The dance itself is excellently done by ] several of the girls, and this orchestral background is essentially Polynesian. Among the girls in the party are Misses Thelma Kaai, Frances Luix, Gertrude Kinley, Lucy Parker, Tuavivi Grieg, and the men include Frank Luiz, Edward Kinilau, Keoki Greig, Edward Kinilau and others. The ukelele playing is a revelation to many people. These Hawaiians can .make the instrument do all sorts of things, laugh, cry, sing and express other emotions —helped out, of course, by the grimaces or attitudes of the player. The hula is full of dash. In its selection of jazz the Moana Jazz Four—Edward Kinley, Sid David, George Greig and Palmer Parker—makes itself at home in all the latest popular selections beloved of the dancing people. A similarly varied programme will be given each evening during the short season.

LITTLE THEATRE SOCIETY. The final performance of Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion and Galatea" by the Auckland Little Theatre Society last night closed another eminently successful season by the society. The talented members of -the cast all came in for enthusiastic recognition, the outstanding ability of Miss Linda Murphy : being cordially appreciated. At the curtain the producer, Mr. Kenneth Brampton, and the president, Mr. L. P. Leary, both referred to the progress of:the past season and the prospects of still greater advance, arrangements having now been made for the definite presentation next year of two nieces which 'members had all been looking forward to with some eagerness. "If," bv Lord Dunsany, and "Outward Bound." by Sutton Vane. A very happily auspicious year was brought to a close with an exchange of tlie -eason's greetings. "THE MESSIAH." Thursday night's performance of Han- ' del's great work should be an exceptionally enjoyable one. There will be an augmented chorus, accompanied by the usual fine orchestra and the grand organ, whilst the soloists are above the average. Mi® B Whalley's singing in this work at Wellington on Saturday night was described as "a night of triumph for the young singer, ' Mr. Ernest McKinlay also received warm praise for his work at the same concert.