THE " SORCERER."

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3217, 21 October 1881, Page 3

THE " SORCERER."

The first performance in Napier of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera the " Sorcerer" took place last night at the Theatie Royal before a well-filled house, but, contrary to expectation, it proved the least enjoyable of any of the company's previous performances. The cast, with a few exceptions, was a very indifferent one, and it was only by tbe exertions of Miss Leaf and Signor Morley that the performance was redeemed from absolute failure. The choruses also in marked contrast to those in the " Pirates " aDd " Les Cloches de Corneville," were weak and unsteady, particularly those in the second act, and it was evident from the commencement of tbe opera that the company was by no means ' too familiar with the music. Miss Leaf, as ■ AJine, sang, as she always does, with ■ taste and finish, and in the beautiful duet £ oOh Love " with Signor Morley her pure \ voice came out admirably. She was also t heard to great advantage in the unaccom- s panied quintette in the first act, with 1 Signor Morley, Miss Amy Johns, and i Messrs Wentworth and Lissant, which 1 was one of the best things in the opera, i and was so well rendered as to elicit pro- ' longed applause and a demand for repeti- ' tion, which was complied with. We have ] Beldom heard Signor Morley to better advantage than in his solos last night, his ' rendering of the air " For love alone' < being excellent, and receiving an unmistakeable encore. The part of the Vicar g was played by Mr Wentworth in a fairly t satisfactory manner, and he received 8 considerable applause for bis singing \ "Engaged to so-and-so." Mr Lissant a was a very indifferent representative of G the Baronet—indeed be appeared to have a no conception of the part. Mr Barry d O'Neil, as the commercial traveller John 1 Wellington Wells, was tolerably success- * ful, but his rendering of thp patter £ song "I'm a dealer in magic and spells" fell rather flat on the audience. The ® rest of the characters were exceedingly t weak, with the exception of Miss Amy fc Johns, who was capitally made up as B Mrs Partletr, and her singing and acting c proved that she had a proper appreciation t of the character. To-night the popular g " Pirates of Penzance," in which the f company appear to such good advantage, I will be produced for the last time in a Napier. &