MUSICAL SATIRE

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 62, 6 December 1930, Page 21

MUSICAL SATIRE

“The Belle of New York” INTERESTING HISTORY Outside the consideration of the Gil-bert-Sullivan operas there has probably not ’ been a comic opera or musical comedy which has worn quite as weU as ‘The Belle of New York,” which is. to ■be revived by the new Williamson Musical Comedy Company at the end of the week. This musical satire on wowserism — for that is what it amounts to —was conceived in New York, and though probably ahead of anything else of the kind ever written, and certainly boasting the best and catchiest musical score, it failed to hit the public in the way that it should. There is no’accounting for these things. They simply are. So “The Belle” petered out after a few months run, but not before it had been seen by the late George Musgrove, of Melbourne. It is just possible that the observation, enterprise and judgment of this Australian manager sated “The Belle , from premature death. He was so innpressed with it that he arranged for the British Empire rights, and also for Edna May, the original Violet Gray, ,to go across to London to create the role, which had only brought her partial fame in New York.

Nearly 700 Performances.

It takes a man with a big heart to buy what is next door to-a - failure in the most sensitive city in the world, but Musgrove’s faith in the piece was so strong that he would not hear of it failing in London, His judgment was sound. “The Belle,” laden as it was with Yankee slang, with a cast of characters that could never exist anywhere in the world save within the confines of Manhattan Island, with everything logically against it as far as English audiences were concerned —for 33 years ago : manners and speech -were not quite so free in London as they may be to-day—this bizarre flick at the wowser struck Londoners as immensely entertaining, as it really was. Within a few months everyone was humming or whistling “The Purity Brigade,” “Meet Me on the Beach, Boys,” “From Far Cohoes," and “La Belle Parisienne.” There was just that spice of naughtiness running through the burlesque to make the purity howlers, *« represented by Ichabod Bronson and his Purity Brigade, screamingly funny. Its first run at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, commenced on April 12, 1898, and the result was 697 performances. It was revived again at the Lyceum on June 24, 1914, when another 151 performances were given. Taken to Australia. When it was brought to Australia Mr. Oscar Girard was imported from America to .play the role of Ichabod Bronson, which calls for special qualities. His understudy was Albert Whelan (real name Waxman), of Melbourne, a gifted mimle, who when Girard became ill “blew on” as Ichabod, and so’ studied was his imitation of Girard that few knew that any change in the cast had been made. Girard ■ became worse and died in Australia, and Whelan carried on in his place. He was sent across to New Zealand with the piece when the production, was passed on to the Pollard Opera Company.. That was about 30 years ago, at a time when the “Pollards” were beginning l to grow up, and the Williamson firm were sending over Its pieces to Tom Pollard on a royalty arrangement, with the late Mr. Bert Royle as J. C. Williamson permanent representative. The Pollards. ... Those were happy days. The members of the company were known. personally: tothousands of people from one end of the Dominion to’ the other, and life was a pleasant thing’ to the principals' and chorus alike, for as one big family they had grown’ up under the care of .Mrs, Pollard; and as one big family they developed into young men and women. The adult status came with “The Geisha,” in which William Paul and the Perry sisters appeared, and it was as adults that “The Belle’’ was presented. The cast on that occasion will'be well remembered to those of middle age or over who can recall the delightful performances given by this company. Albert Whelan was. the Ichabod Bronson, Charles Carter the Harry Bronson, W. 8. Percy the Polite Lunatic, Gertie Campion the Fifi, May Beatty the Violet Grey, Ernest Fitts the Kenneth Mugg, Harry Quealy.the Blinkie. Bill, and Tilly Woodlock was Mamie Clancy. This east was a very good one indeed, and that its performance is vividly remembered until to-day is, in a way, a tribute to those who were in the cast Miss Beatty was the most demure and racy Belle, and the Mamie Clancy of Tilly Woodlock, a beautiful dancer, was an outstanding performance. “The Belle of . New York” was played in Wellington by amateurs last year, without seriously disturbing the memory of the Pollard performance of 30 years ago.—H.P.