"GEE!"

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 302, 21 December 1937, Page 14

"GEE!"

GEORGE REAPPEARS. "OVER SHE GOES." CHRISTMAS COMEDY SEASON.

Gee! Tliis. is an occasion when the American ejaciilative explodent makes sense both as an expression of amazement and as a descriptive epithet. It describes in a word the latest brand of comedy play "Over .She Goes,"' in which George Gee made a welcome reappearance in Auckland at His Majesty s Theatre last night after an absence of some years. I "Over She (iocs" is a new cousin to the modern revue, being a bright and breezy, tuneful, daneefuj and generally irresponsible series of sketches and specialities and stage pictures by clever folk, with a crazy story claiming ! to be the plot. Despite the fact that transport trouble laid upon the Williamson Company the hideous handicap of a half-hour delay in the rising of the curtain, the mirth, melody and general ; "Gee-fulness" of the play "sent her j over" to the extent of makinz the audi- j ence forget their concern about catching the last car home. Opening to the strains of "John Peel" and a hunting chorus and-dance scene in an English manor house set- j ting, "Over She Goes" careers crazilv | through a sea of comedy relating to j lords."" ladies, and chorines, the school i tie and Oxford-graduate police, with a romantic moment or two. a competent chorus and ballet, and George Gee leading the chase. A bright and personable | leading lady. Valerie Hay. who knows | her dance alphabet, and an attract.i\e and virile leading man. Donald Burr, with a robust voice, made an excellent impression in their first appeanince. while another newcomer to New Zealand in Rillie Worth also captured the popular fancy by her snappy exposition of tap-dancing. Little Lois Green, whose dance and comedy versatility installed her in high favour with Aucklanders a while back, was again one of the most popular members of the ca<t. William O'Neal's fine voice was one of the features of the musical side of the programme, and Ken 1 uckfiel.l in : song and dance indicated the sort of j person that Oxford has "turned out" to provide a refilling influence on the police force. As jester-in-chief at the moment to the English-speaking public. George f!ee was ever tlie perfect fool in his own inimitable style, and the mainspring of the evening's hilarity, but he had an able and indefatigable support it) Percy Le Fre. . On the musical side perhaps the highlight of the programme was the waltz duct, "The Dance (locs On, by (Irecn an.l \\ illiain O Xeal. though the duet "I Breath on Windows,' by \ alerie Hav and Donald Burr, was an attracti\e nmnlier, and a school-tie trio. SUle b\ Side," bv Donald Burr. Ceorge Gee and Percy Le Fre. was a bright and breezy item made distinctive by a cle\er and effective acrobatic ballet specialty. The general chorus and ballet work, like the settings, was a feature of the evening's fun, while Conductor Andrew Maccunn saw that his snappy orchestra kept everyone in step. "Over She (Joes" has tlw colourful and care-free atmosphere of irresponsibility. which strikes just the right note for the festive season, and will continue nightly for a week, with matinees to-morrow and Monday afternoons.