MUSICAL COMEDY SEASON.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 230, 28 September 1935, Page 11

MUSICAL COMEDY SEASON.

"ROBERTA" FOR HIS MAJESTY'S. A 6plendid demand has been evidenced since the opening of box plans for the 1 forthcoming season of the J. C. Williami son musical comedy company, which will commence at His Majesty's Theatre on I Wednesday with the gay stage success i '"Roberta." This play, which has !• achieved a surprising degree of success I "on the boards" in New York, London | and Australia, has been all too long in coining to the Dominion, the film version having raced it, although made after the New York production had closed its lengthy run. j The Auckland production will feature two highly popular artists in Miss Madge Elliott and Mr. Cyril Ritchard, who, even if they had not received the extensive publicity which their repent marriage in Sydney and current honeymoon in New Zealand have drawn upon them, would be remembertd from their previous tour in the plays "Blue Roses" and "Follow Thru." Mr. Kitchard is not only male lead in the play, but is producer. The company, which includes ! two clever young New Zealand girls in Elaine Hamill (Taihape) and Leslie Crane (Auckland), who have achieved some considerable degree of m dancing and straight acting in Australia, will be seen during its necessarily brief season in "High Jinks" and "Our Mies ! Gi'bb6," both of which plays have I attracted wonderful long-run seasons in the various Australian centres. "Roberta" is distinguished by its spectacular fashion parade and models, of which the best opportunity has been taken. j Miss Ethel Morrison, brilliant character ! actress, is cast.as Aunt Minnie (Roberta), j Leo Franklyn, Frank Leigh ton, Diane Du Cane, Marie La Varre and Field Fisher have the other principal roles, with Misses Crane and Hamill, Jean Slapofl'ski, Mary Rigby, Vera Wallace. John Dobbie, j .Arthur Clarke, Charles Zoli and Jerry ■ Connolly.