"THE ROYAL COMICS."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 496, 1 May 1909, Page 6

"THE ROYAL COMICS."

HISTORICAL BKETCH OF A NOTABLE COMPANY. THEATRICAL MEMORIES. Few thoro are ■ alive and acting who can remember tho actual initiation of the Royal Comio Opera Company—an organisation whioh, owing to the length of time it Has been kept continuously before tho Australasian public, and the nigh standard of excellence that has marked its work, has almost become a national institution. If by any chance it were, suddenly announced that the • existence of the "Royal Comics" had come to an end, it would be" regarded as a black day Jjy regular theatre-goers. The publio arp hardly conscious of. the. pleasure that .memory gives, but let half-a-dozen, old. "firstnighters" get together in a reminiscent mood and one will, realise what delight exists in recalling theatrical performances of ' other : '<kys- Such a gathering. did tako ! plaoe in Wellington a few days aga in the writer's | presence, and as the talk centred pretty well i on .-the'. Royal Comio Opera Company of other ! days r and the company that is at present in'j Wellington, the thought occurred that it might be of interest to many to have their memories ' refreshed by the fpst of the conversation. -j Tho, Royal Comic Opera Co. was initiated, It seams, about 1882, in : which year Mr. J. C. Williamson, with'. Arthur Garner and Geo. Musgrove, obtained of theo'd Princess Theatre on the same site in Spring Street, Melbourne,-as .'the present stands.. In those days' suoh old operas as "La Mas- , oofcte," "La Fille •du Madame Angot,". and I "Tambour Major," afterwards revivea maiy times, were produced, not perhaps so .elabo-. rafcely. as they would be-nowadays, but still well doflo. Skipping the babyhood'of the company, 1884, saw; the. "Comics" back at' the old Princess in Melbourne, headed'by. a charming and vivacious young. lady who entranced . all' 'beholders.. - This .'was none other • than Miss/ NeDio Stewart, oven at • the ' present time in .Melbourne at the head ■'of.'tho brilliant -new comedy company" now playing "Sweet Kitty Bellairs." And ,t& repeitoire—"Mascotte," oi bourse: (Nellie Stewart was an ideal Bettina), "Lea Cloches do Cornevillo," "The Merry" l>uchessi" "Estrella," and - "Pinafore." A fmo.cist made.-the productions notable, as has been the general case with thia organ-

isation. hi that company was the late PhilDay, Miss Fanny Liddiard, ~ Miss Emma Chambers, Miss Pattie Brown (scrabrette), Abss. Aggie Kjolton (now, Mrs. .Geo.. Hall), llklwin Kelly, Harwood, Grehvflle the- elder, Woodfioid (tenor), and Bertie Brennan (baritone). On one occasion, the latter:was'recfliving £50 a weak to play the Marquis in .'fLes Cloches." ; A :httle later came Frederr id, the basso, who appeared in a jgreat revival of v "Faust.". His heart was Berionsly afi«rfed,i.and. it, was his habit ,to carry oertain lozengc3 in a little pocket inserted in every costume ho wore, and in that , manner he was ablo for a time to ward off attacks of heart failure, but one fatal night he made his descent "in the earth" amidst flame and smoke on a trap, and when they went to assist him off ho was dead. Heart failure, of.course. _ - . ; About that time Broccolini, the baritone, .and Leumaiie (tenor), now. prospering oh the land in South Australia, became associated with the "Royal Comics." ... In 1887, or thereabouts, tho brilliant operas of Gilbert and Sullivan began to command first attention, and a . very fine production' of "lolantho" is remembered with tho -late Bobißrohgh as the Chancellor, who sang—■ "And in my Court I sit. all day Giving agreeable, girls away." , We remember Howard Vernon in tho. part much better, llxs. Broughalso appeared in tho cast_ as.the Fairy, Queen, a role mado .. notable in the colonies by ' the Junoesque Alico Harnett. By the way, the present Royal Comio Opera Company retains amongst its, members an> old member in Mr. Btannis .Leslie,. who: played Private Willis in more than one revival of "lolanthe.". . In 1887 tho new Prinoess Theatre in Melbourne was opened with a'grand production of "Hie Mikado," i with Miss Nellie Stewart as Yum Yum, ]fc: Woodfioid at Nanki Poo, and .Howard; Vernon' as Eoko, a cast. that visited Zealand about tho Game year. Another visit waa paid to Now Zealand m 1890—the dates are only approximate—-when "Dorothy," "Princess Ida," "The Yeomen ;'of tho Guard," and "La Maficotto" wero produced with Nellie Stewart, Fanny, Liddiard, I Howard Vernon, Elton, Charles Leumane (tenor), and linano (baritone). Threo years I later New Zealand was again. visited.. He Least had undergone a complete and intero3tr ing change. Clara Merivolo was the soprano lead, and associated with her in productions |of "Dorothy," "Pepita," "Marjorie,." and "The Gondoliers" wero Miss Florrie Young, [•of the present company, Mr. Chariee Eyley, [ a handsomo baritone, Mr. Henry Bracy. i (tenor), Miss Violet Varley, Mias Flo. Giunpner, ajid the late George Lauri. ... > Nellio Stewart returned to tho company in 1896, and made a sensational hit in "Ma Mie Rosette," >"M'sello Nitouche," and "Paul Jone3." In these operas Wallace Brownlow, Charles Tapley, Florence Young, Geo. Liurri, oad Marietta Nash (with the present company) appeared. ; ' ■ Tho next visit to New Zealand was not paid until 1903 or 1904, when Mr. Eeginald Roberts (the ■ popular ' tenor of the present oompany), Mr. Haigh Jackson, and. Mr. C. E. Bantock made their first: appearances in "Tho Country Girl" and "Lady Molly," in tho cast of which were also Geo. Lauri and the talentod Celia Ghiloni. Ho company of 1907 (in New Zealand) was not so strong. Neither Mr. Eoberta nor Miss Young camo to Now Zealand, and the principal parts in "The Orchid" and "Tho Cingafee" were, entrusted to Miss Olivo Godwin, Miss Ataa Barbor, John Ralston, Arthur Crane, and tho lata lamented Geo. Lauri. This brings ub iro to the present tour, and a company which must in tho future bo referred to as <mo of tho etrongesfc Royal Comic Opera Companies that ■ has ever visited the Dominion, not perhaps for hrillianco in individual performance,".' but for, . all-round : soundness and adaptability "to tho operas constituting the \ - '