SPANISH REVUE DELIGHTS PACKED AUDIENCE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29434, 9 February 1961, Page 16

SPANISH REVUE DELIGHTS PACKED AUDIENCE

A packed audience at the Playhouse responded in kind after watching two and a half hours of magnificent dancing in the Spanish musical revue "Joy of Spain” last night In a torrent of applause, mixed with a few brave oles and braves, they stamped back their delight at the most exciting- revue seen In Auckland for many years. The enthusiasm and gaiety of the company headed by Alfredo Gil and Pilar de Oro was Infectious. Although in some of the formal set pieces the company seemed to be imitating an Australian Idea of a Spanish dance routine, the dancers really “let their hair down” in their traditional items. Accompanied sometimes only by a guitarist with a rhythm backing of castanets and hand elapping, the dancers whirled and stamped through their native rhythms at a machine-gun pace. And

how the castanets talked! In item after item the two principals whirled to the entreating, intoxicating castanets. The voluptuous gypsy eequlriya folk dance was a highlight of the Gypsy Tavern scene but the spontaneous nature of the company's dancing in the Sevilla aceno was a magnificent finale. For lovers of flamenco singing, Luis Rueda sang with fine purity while Diana Marquez's seductive contralto stopped the show in the more popuar vocal numbers.

A special word of praise must go to the guitarist Anastasio Duque. "Joy of Spain” is undoubtedly one review that lives up to its publicity.