A GOOD SHOW

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 41, 14 November 1927, Page 5

A GOOD SHOW

HAWAIIAN TROUBADOURS , The Grand Opera House was well filled on Saturday night when the Hawaiian Troubadours opened their season with a performance tliat was a mixture of the music ball, the cabaret, and vaudeville, and in all departments the performers were most skilled. AU the fascination of Hawaii engendered by the graceful, and often weird, dancing of the hula-hula girls and the plaintive and sweetly melodious music of the steel guitar and ukulele were transported to the theatre by this band of troubadours.

With beautiful lighting effects to illustrate a Hawaiian dawn the troubadours introduced themselves by singing “Imi Au la Oe,” “Na Ke Aloha,” “Alai Hoeneu,” and “Ninipo,” to rhe accompaniment, of ukuleles, steel guitars, and tango banjos. It was fit prelude to the feast that was to come. The steel guitar selection “Alatau,” by Ihelina Kaai, showed how beautiful may be the tones of this instrument in the hands of one who is a master of it. Frank and Frances Luiz w’ere popular m Hawaiian Reveries, the latter being very graceful in her dancing. Edward Kinilati had a strorfg tenor voice under complete control in an unusual performance called ‘“tenorinc,” when he sang “Ipo Lei Manu.” Gertrude Kinley as the flame hula, danced gracefully in “Ta Wahine Ui.” Past and present favourites were made more popular by Wehl and Keoki Greig. In “Adios Kealoha,” “Greetings,” "Hawaii Across the Sea,’ - Hello, Bluebird,”, and “Hanalei,” the audience was again treated to a splendid performance by the company in ensemble. One of the cleverest numbers of the evening was /Jockeying,” bv Frances Luiz, whose imitation of a jockev riding a race was most realistic and was encored. Gertrude Kinley and Thelma Kaai were outstanding in a steel guitar duet, “Aekai.” Edward Kinlev, Sid David, George Greig, Palmer Parker were brimful of vitality in popular jazz selections. Lucy Parker showed how the human voice could be made to «ound as the steel guitar, while Palmer Parker reversed the process and made a steel guitar sound like the voice of a man singing. The men of the companv were heard to advantage in “In A Little Spanish Town” and “Honolulu Hula Girl.” Tuavivi Greigs dancing in “Ra Ra Hula-la” was a feature. The excellence of Keoki Greig s rendering on the steel guitar of “The Kosarv” was marred by a vein or humour that one does not usually associate with that particular type of song.