MONTAGUE SHOW.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 200, 24 August 1937, Page 11

MONTAGUE SHOW.

BRILLIANT REVUE. SPECTACLE AND TALENT. StrCCESSFUZi FIRST NIGHT. Patterned much on the lines of the Marcus Show, but endowed with a greater variety of talent, the Montague Show, sponsored by Sir Benjamin Puller, delighted a large house at His Majesty's Theatre lost night in the opening performance of its Auckland season. In accord with the title, "This Year of Carnival," the spirit of revelry interpreted through superb eettinge was used effectively to strike more the senses with spacious shock-ecenes of pageantry introducing insets of clever specialties to intensify the interest, with intervening plain-curtain acts of high auality and' sketch-act settings for comediettas to provide contrast and variety- Of j half a dozen big carnival scenes two I stood out prominently for beauty and talent—"Carnival in New York" and "Southern Roses." The former was a spectacular review I of all the talents in the artistic setting ' of a New York roof garden night scene, with a succession of tuneful burlesques of movie picture favourites marching on to a dashing and dramatic "can-can" climax by' the Darmora dance troupe. The rose garden ensemble was a glorious study in pastel shades. On the melody side a male quartet styled "The Blenders" not only provided a harmonising turn which earned them an ovation, but in the big scenes, by skilful use of the microphone, they effectively did the work ordinarily allotted to thrice their number of voices. A charming light soprano in Margaret Kelly ably added her quota to the musical attractions of the programme. Comedy cropped up persistently at every turn, allied with dancing, for star specialists in their own right chipped in quite gaily for the general good to keep the carnival spinning with merry quip and sprightly jest. There was a laugh in every bump of a brilliant burlesque of classical dancing put on by the Dawn j Sisters, artistic comediennes as well as ) dancers. Comedy also marched with talent in a tap and knock-about dance turn by the Two Rogues. Then Alma 1 Mackie came along with variations in athletic dancing, while the Darnora I troupe gave distinction to the big scenes ( J with a eerie* of colourful national I dances, and two of them provided an .' extra specialty with a striking "dancing , doll" idea. » An indefatigable quick-fire comedian, £j George Doonan featured in funny i! sketches and the- general lead, with, coni! sistent support from Ben Warriss and i ] Jimmy Jewel, who now and again >. teamed up in a cross-talk specialty, and 1 were regularly in evidence to keep the laugh-leader on his toee. A beauteous s and sprightly ballet, with a spirited e ' orchestra, helped to keep the show goinj i, with foe abandon, and added defi n touches to a joyous production. tj "This Year of Carnival," at matinei -' performances and each night, will bi i-1 staged for the remainder of the week e' with a change of programme due nex Monday.