"Tom Jones" Operaticised.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 104, 25 January 1908, Page 13

"Tom Jones" Operaticised.

~'' Tom Jones,'' a conue opera, by. Robert Oourtneidgo, A.' Mv-.Thoinprori,yEdward'- Gor-' i'i ian '< '"i" 1 ' '™' lal ' cs 'H.',.Taylor,, produced: at. tho As tor Theatre, N'e.\yYork, on November U, has peon favourably; received by tho 1 ross and tho public." llio critics lay: stress on tho delightful, quality/of; tho music,;.-arid' tho piece as a wholo is.-lield up as an example native producers ; . of musical plays-to! Says, . ono rbvie'wer','Tho tasto .of ,Now York. in : of lights sane,' and sensiblo, musieal!"eutertainment, is now undergoing a eonclusiw-tcst.:---' If-audieuces "'ant. good,;; ringing, .'refreshing . opera. ..intermingled with graegfj}!,imaginative; and .romantic fiction, it has. Robert-. Courtneidgo and Edward German's "Tom Jones," at the Aster Theatre If, on tho. other hand.'thfey, want horse-collar slap-stick comedyand cheap variety acts, set to tho measure of, uarrc-l-organ .harmonics, they can' bo -iccommodatal in ha!£ a..dozen other playhouses along Broad nay Mr lleniv W Sava-'o hrts produced the opera" m splendid stvlo, and tho principal roles aije " filled:,, by!; favourito .playors. , Mir3 Louisa Gunning.- who: used to render Scotch ballads at tha music'halls, a3; 1A i and.sings as, sweetly as a. skylaiK. Iler voice, fins .the, freshness and dast'dty of youth, and is a delight to tho ,ear; __Mi-- Van Rensselaer. Wheeler acts and sings tho utuMole in his usual, graceful and pleasing mannei Mr. William Norris as Benjamin Partridge, tho"village barber, 'is gemimely , funny. , Miss Gertrude. Quinlau makes' bene f a favo'uqtiv aS niaul; and M.iss Laura Butler creates a Kood impression as Lady Belhston "Tlio Witching Hour." inr ? if?' of tho noek ' has (savs tho i 00,., v ,, ? rk; torwspoi9dfetft.'S!n' Noyeniiier li) 'been tho production '-oF''Aumistugi' I.hornas s "The WitcKing''-llour;|^"presented. for tho hrst,' tniie . at'-'.' . Theatre. Ast Monday - evening, which. ,has ; ,'be6ii hailed ft™, orit.es as a really strong drama: "Tho Witching Hour"; is certainly a '■singular'.play,. and uepoiids upon whether ono,-accepts tho. authors contention of tho poivor ot tuit'xpressed thought, ihypnot;ism, 'psyehiq''control,' or whatever else one. chooses !to term' the: power which ono individual. possesses over! another, and which, undoubtedly; exists.)'. •It is, however, open to question whether anyone/ possesses the power to tho extent maintained! by Mr. lhomas as.belonging".to' his'herb, who when the heavy man pulls' ,thd inevitable revolver on him by sheer'force-of "will povror provents him pulling"tho; trigger. • "if lhomas s hero would only give tho- prescripjtiou for this! power it would be most valuablo m this country, where even 'in ,the cities w "°ro civilisation, has' mado x some progress' ono is apt to meet the man'who with a gun requests you to hold' your, bonds' ug' wOjile ho goes through your pockets for your' valuables., _ Another ihcident which requires. ! aith in tho play is vwherei the hero'is at homo in his study, and by means of telepathy tiuluouces tho mind of ono of th© jury.'which is rather;a tall.order. ! Mr.. John M&Son 1 , plays tho star; part, oho' Jack Brpokfield, a gambler, but not ono 'a$ wo ,Understand- it at Home, for ho is a man with a high : sense of , jonotir, and tender-hearted withal, lirooklieid s nieco is sought in marriage bv two m<jnon.o ,-Frank Hardmuth, - tho assistant 1 proscciiting attorney for, the city, and tlio ' play Whipple, a son of Brookfiold's• old sweetlieart. Hatdmuth is not approved 'j -Y Brookliold, on iccount'of'his presumeil' m . mentality, or rather strengthi of will, power, and-'he favours tho suit; of young U hippie,- a courso of .action • which meots with tho approval ! of his niece. •: Uiifortunately, tlio' favoured' ono inherits from his-grandmother an inteuso hatred for tho precious stones termed !cat's-eyes, .and in a frenzy aroused by an individual knowing nis aversion to tho stono, iu a drunken freak, forcing one on his attention, Whipple lulls Innr by an unfortunate blow. It 'is almost, unnecessary to say that tho discarded lover hecomcs tho prosecuting, attorney, and it is in connection with the trial. that itho wonderful exhibition of 'telepathy previously mentioned talces -place. - Eventually the prisoner is acquitted, and tho attorney is ■ prevented from ' wreaking summary! Yongeanco upon Brookheld by the' aforesaid.' hypnotic will power, and everything ends fiappily. ■l lioro was an enormous- amount of 'cnthii-' smsm on tho occasioii 'of tho'first .'performance, and tho piece has been playing' to the capacity of the houso l for tho remainder- of tho week. :' NOteS. ■' ~i Mr. Bramsby Williams,'the. famous English impersonator of Dickens's character was to havo produced at tho London Hippodrome last month a representation of Dickens's'Christmas Carol," with himself as. Scrooge. Mr. Gerald M. Brahm,',formeriy /of Melbourne, is touring tho English provinces as leading man with Miss'' Ada Jlarius. His stago narao is Gerald, Malvorn. 'Miss'Marios is a daughter of M, Jlarius, who played lead wuli Mrs.' Bernard Beoro, when 'sho visited this, country soino years ago.