"JACK AND JILL."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 603, 3 September 1909, Page 6

"JACK AND JILL."

■'',' ,-'■' I'.''.' -———*-———■■'■■ ■■.''. ,; -'.. ; :''■'•> ; ' '-..'■;-/'.vA PANTOMIMEVDE LRXE;,'•.;-v'-l•'. "Jack and' Jill," a pantomime,- by'J. Hickbb <'■ Wood. '.Cast:-: ' ;-■ -V;.- ■■• ■•-■■• .;"'•',■.,. ,_: '-:■ ,'/Ja6k. .;:.,.'...'.....:..„L„„...„..., Mies -Stella'' l 'Ooßtellei./.-'.-!■. Prince, Opulent ....._.._...Hiss Stella Melbourne .--.. Perks ..:■..-._....: Mr. ViQtbr Lo.ydall •'■',' '•' Glum; '..;.'.;...;'.....;,„..._i.',„..„: Mr;. Geo. Ysuhg.; •■ A'.SearoCrow, .;.;....J_:—........ -Mr,'. ClydeiCoofc-.-'• '■ 'Mr.'. Chatter. Eupert, DatoeU ■ ■ ".' Baron BPunce■ _".::.V™.i.i;:.'.l:.'.= Mr: Fred.. Leslie "• .'. JiU •...;....'..,.,;.,..;.'......■..;.......•,,„. .Miss-Betty-: Ohla:-': I Margory -;...;r.,..:..:;;.;:.:.:......:. "Miss-Olga.drey i . Qloaui .......i..;.;.. , ..... i ...;..i„...:...Mi5s.Nance'-Maher' ' :i ■■ The Widow, MrJ.J.-M.. Campbell •;.' '. i' The R005ter'......; '..„. Mr. Walter Stanton- ;•: -i -The Cow, 0t0...-.;,../Messrs/ Mbrri«'and Wilson.!-, i ,■;■ To -&';big: atfdie'nco : that.-.kept "itself- : busy'.'',' • demonstrating its' 'admiration-'in : '.b'etween its , laughing, fits, Mr. J. 1 , C. Williamson's Cbhipany'■' ,mado- its'appearance in .'the piuch-heraJded'.-■' pantomime vJackafld Jill" at-the Opera House.: last '..eveningi: --.It-.is:,unquestionably, a .great-. "show> r [ Jitot'-olBne" ii the morriiient that bubbles'; 'ifferv'oscently,.'.or ;tho glittering - spectaclethat.' movcs/kaleido6cop"ieall}v acrbes .the' stage, )> ., 'but'f rpm'.a constructive.and mechanical point/.' lit 09mmpiidg I rip)'mi.i;ationr;lt.'is'iwitliotat'i:-diiU' • moment, .ahd.e.-.is:: chockful .:'bf>':<aetion'.' i'ltJ:-'-hiistlcs, along laughingly:. and-'snioPthly,' yet;" '■ : though it has'--' been oheoring .up' hun-';. dreds' -' :of ■ -thousands.' 'in.'.'.' all'.' . .6orh,er» '.'. of Australasia-'since, Bccombor last, •'there ia ". nothing'that is automatic,-lest-it,bo those,ln*--visible means'to ends that-tho audience'knowj.: not of. ..When Mr. J.-C. Williamson stages a' . 'pantoihime, it must': bo a'' good'• pantomime, ,Thb mediocre' will not do, as. tho management. .. .•work? wjith' the'.'set. plan.tliat'.it.nitist bo.-kept'-'.-going .until next/year's.' pantomime/.is- on., tho ,-' ;stocks.' • So good : .,pantomime .has -became nsf'. ,han!jv ah., annual va's- the Royal Gomio Opera:-' ,Company:or Julius ;Khighti~-a'pd'-is.-'eyer' made,"' as 'Welcomb'./ab 'the' flowers'.-in•■'spring, for' it'', amuses '.and charms :.thb;felders,-; and,.for' the- ', youngsters is, a, mysterious; dplightitljey would ■■', •not' have-explained'if. v they.-could,. i-V..'- ':'->'-; : "Jack and: Jill" is.a.-dlcnder twig'in the'way':;; of nursery rbymo'oh which'to. pbroh a'panto-■;.. ■ mime. 'Wo know in'a general l.waj.-jtliat these, ': ■adventurous young'folk ascended,ari .eminence ;to git a pail of'-wator,. owing,'.presuinably,'to . .tho -town supply, having been .cut" off without-. : ,due , 'notico.''in-,tho.'papers.. Further,''that, hav..;• ing. obtained tho : watarj'J-pung' 'Jack'; lost ,hjs ( r oeutro : .'of- gravity, cussion,''ana,that'Jill,' 'iri'-'sympathy, alio d 0..,,s'erted 1 the :.'vertioal ;.fdr':.' a>' few ; brief, moments. ■'■;. That is.'not'much of .'d : plot'foi'a. pantomimo;,' ono\would.4hink.. .But,.hb:.wo.uld''reckon with-' but - the' host'Vof. clover people '-'whose: brains l .' '■' aVc :i at :wbrk"for i solid ycar„in v ''working 'out .■; eiabbfttiohs' fbr'',tho''adornment''bf ,'this'simple".' ,little .'.incident., "'Jaok's. mother;'/IB; -found' ■•■ to'be that .prolifio.'.old, body,:w,ho- lived in ja 1 shoe, which>sHe:',leases\from'' a bbmib" baron,j' whb:has loved and lost her : intho days that' were. Jill, we learn .-with' surprise, is a rnn-;. : away princess, who loves' Jack, aad is pursued by a largo.ahd'ilnpressiorial)lc''Pfiri6p i Opulent.' • No pantomime'- would;bb; complete without its fairy,'.so we. ha'vo'.the' bbautifully ' diaphanou? , Gleam guiding .the loves, of Jack-and Jill' (o- • the haven-.of completb/happincss,. past nil tho ■ shoals projected'with''such fcafful' vindictive- ;' nbss.'by tho demon' Gluiu. .' ':,-'.' * .'■"?' '." ; :'■'■;' "'- Illuuiinating 'tho nursery, tale are' a profusion , of-DeaUtifullj--dressed-ballets''that alnibst trip. ■ . over one.another,-an' ocean of, coniedy funny , enough- to. make; ■: tho . sbbcresti-; -crinkle -,'ihto laughter;, a ; selection of-catchy, song 6; a :gtahd : march of'lii'anscondent/niagjiificenco; nnd.npyel effects "galore; ,'Onb'delights in.lhp, "Harvest. . 'Balleti"'with''its"'gorgcous'colour'6ch«me,' and' ' fi'uds.'occasion to hiarvelat the invention of--tho.. . designer of. the gorgeous /"Butterfly ■ Bnllet," but for massed effect the "Elcctrio Ballet" out- . shines'in spectapular brillianoo: all'other en-, semblesv .As-the baljct.moves' up.in. sections, electric, .lights, "the .colburs.'.ofl.the costumes, . gleam out, and: wlien all'arc massed-together . lor- figure ; .marching. thb. : ,stage- is '-.-illuminated with electric lights of. oyery,6hade,'the effoot. achieved: being:one .of' : impressivb'.-theatrical- .- splendbur. , Another, blevcr ..effeet is I tho change, I brought. from ■' a'. scene: of snow' and frost '.to -a.,' land of-red roses, :then .to. midrwin- ,' ter.'-with' tho ballet'manoeuvring'oh skates in". the falling snow.' .-',.'.-, ;. ..:•'■,• -''.'-,•.' Tho company is-a strong'onc. Jack is played■"-'■ ■brightly, by Miss Stella GSstello,' a-.petito liltlo ; lady, wnose manner is as pleasant as her dainty-'.. appearance is attractive.' Sho scored" a'.success', in v tho lilt, '"Climb,.Boys;'Climb," and was par-- ' tioulnrly.happy in "The .'Lassie- from Lad..: cashire (with a pretty; .clog ..ballot). ; . Her » "faceographs". was pretty and ■ entirely.': novel. .. .She was also concorncd,with"Miss Ohls.in th« ■ duet, "Whon You Steal,a' Kiss or ,'fwo,", which '■ is ridedby a sparkling xylophorio ballet. Miss," Betty Ohls,' whom, wo rpnioniber ■ as - a', singer of ... dainty French chansons.-'with ..."The. Jlerryr;.; makers," is Jill, .which-part; sho invosts - withcharmiof manner,, lhough.it'docs.not dis- - "play all 'the art she-possesses.:-Stillishe actsgracefully and sings with'a good"deal' v of sym-'|. nathy. Miss.Nance Maker, who'appeared- as! ,: Gleam,: acts llicoly .and exhibits the best voice in." . the,company,in '"As Long as', the World'Rolla •'■ On"''and other ballads.- Miss Stella Selbouvno. out a handsome-figure as Prince Onolent, andsang- "Jessie Mflnytro" (with a Highlander'sballet nrid ohorus). iir.a spirited, mn'nner.. "The, .. pantomime is strong.in comedy,.and'in Messrs; J. M...Campbell (Widow Cobble) and Fred Lcs-;. ,lio (Baron Bounce) 'the. 'oompany. possess : two'..- ■'.: comedians.-whowould.be dmicult■.to improve. ' . upon. .'Mr;.'Campbell's 'monologues".'aro ex-, tremely-funny,'oxiiding'an.-.unctuous, .humour,■'. which keeps the risible I'aoUltics'.in .livoly .'.acv, tion.';Mr.''Leslib,':too,;is,a'rcsonrccful.'.oomo-''; diani who.is never, at a.lossin raughte'r.-inaking. -..": One, .of the,features',of."Jack'and:Jil!"',is the Giant Rooster- impersonated -.'; Avith'i ..- fidelity by Mr. Waller Stanton....His bout with.■■'■: a genuine' bantam , rooster caused '•'tho"-great'' ■ ' laugh of- the night. Specialities that deserve more than'.'', passing' inolicb ,aro'.'the.qltaini ' "Teddy Bear!'picnic, and the scarcrow'arid 'giant.,, dancing of Mr. Clyde 'Ceok', ari.xlrtist of 'exceptional talent. The'scenery is:oxcellcnt. and an. orchestra, under. Mr. Alfred Mooltou,- does fuU justice to a very attractivb.s6or«; ; '" "Jack and Jill'' will'ruu- throughout 'the sea,' ■ son. -Tho,first inatiueo will take place to-nior- . row afternoon., i-.: ,:':■:';' .'■'.■' •' :.■:"'■.;".