AT THE MERRY WIDOW MATINEE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 488, 22 April 1909, Page 3

AT THE MERRY WIDOW MATINEE.

;;,:.; -:;:'/" (By Jenny' "When.) ;■■■'■•

■ ■■. Outside,, a dull grey afternoon, windy, dusty, and generally unpleasant inside, one finds, a darkened theatre,: a brilliantly lit stage,■ /occupied "by 'gorgeously dressed women, ; ; soberly. attired men, and 'all -the accessories of that opera— "The, Merry Widow." For; 1 a wonder, there are seats to,spare—but then, -who would go to an opera for .choice,in the afternoon?. It gives one something of the feeling of'; going to ..a.dance-in broad daylight. Quite a number of' small children are in the audience,' and are immensely fascinated with the dancing,, the music, .and. jihe. beautiful dresses. J here .can surely ,be no "other country that has such a tbeatfe-loving population as this —they begin to go at such .an early 'age, an dj /by'the:,time they are ten .or : twelve, have become critics of all kinds of -From the- beginning the music is delightful, and the colour effects of the dresses really beautiful, / particularly in the,second act, where all wear/ the Marsovian dress/ carried-out in rich harmonious shades.- ■'.-/'•';'

In the first act Sonia appears wearing a frock of cream satin, with overdress: of; filet : net, slit back and front. This over-dress has a deep border embroidered, with gold and silver, bugles.ending;with,a gold fringe. The bodjeo is almost entirely covered with jewelled gold filet neU In her hair she wears >mall bunches of grapes oh the 1 right side., -In this'act,. Miss Wilson, as Natalie,the wife of .the Marsovian : Ambassador, wears a heliotrope satin frock, with panels of cream lace in both tho back anof tho front, and a long pale blue ostrich pliime in her hair. In the second act Soma wears the Marsovian dress, black, within a deep border .of-,, gold embroidery. A :scarf, with silver oft'ect, is draped: round the hips and fastened with a glittering'star and crescent. J'ho boloro is of wide gold embroidery, and ;on. her head she wears,a little gold cap, with streamer of black chiffon. A rich and striking costume, but perhaps a little som,bro: but,,then,,Sonia is a widow. One is (died with regret that New Zealand has'not a national costume. They are usually so very becoming, as'well as economical. Miss Wilson's Marsovian dress is of lemon satin, with bands ori bodice and skirt' of pale-pink embroidery, with silver worked-in.' . Over it is a cloak of a delicate grey shade, trimmed with pink;andvsilver.

In tho last not Sonia wears a particularly beautiful dress of soft white satin, covered with gold net, and over it an ' overdress ■of black, net, giving a dark, soft grey'.'effect.', In the front is a panel of scintillating, dazzling gold, and on..tho hem of the skirt is an edging of emerald green. Over this is a cloak of tho same green, and nor hat—not the merry widow hat of fabulous size—is of emerald green, trimmed with jet and a largo black qsprey plume. Miss Wilson's frock is of palest blue; with an ovordress boldly patterned in black and, silver sequins. A pale blue cloak, is worn over this. The large hat is of palo bluo satin, massed with white ostrich plumes. '' '