M`LEAN'S YOUNG AUSTRALIANS.

Evening Post, Volume XLIV, Issue 44, 20 August 1892, Page 2

M`LEAN'S YOUNG AUSTRALIANS.

? Despite the atrociously bad weather last ovomng, there was a modorately largo audience at tho Opsra House to witness the first appearance of M'Loan's Young Australians. Tho company is not a large one, but the members are evidently hard-working young people, Borne of whom sing comio songs fairly well and dance with much grace. The piece chosen was an extravaganza entitled ' Selim and Zuleika," which the bills intimated was specially adapted for them. It is of that class of absurdities which were in vogue some 20 years or so ago, when we could boast of burlesque peoplo like Julia Matthews, " Bob " Dale, or J. P. Hydes, but which have had to give place to opera bouffo and comic opera. " Solim and Zuleika" is apropos of nothing. It might be said of it that it possesses a commencement, perhaps, but it most certainly has neither middle nor an ending. However, it bristles with local allusions, topical songs, puns more or less good or bad, somo bright music and pretty scenery, and it serveß as a medium for the members of the company to enable them to appear in many changes of dresses, in which thoy sing—several of them—vory tunefully. Tho majority of tho songa are of the modern music-hall type, and appear to "take on" with tho audience immediately, judging from tho laugh tor and applause with which they were greoted. The best voice in the company is owned by Miss Bella Adair, who enacted the part of Zuleika, in which she sang "My Dream" with both feeling and taste. Arthur Glyn and Frank Lynch sang several comic songs, and played the heavy villains of the piece according to the acknowledged traditions of the old melodrama Bchool. Misses Lydia Breakwell and Ethel Waller danced tho "Tarantella" most gracefully, and in addition they appeared in a skirt dance which was an exceedingly pretty Terpsichorean display. Lillie Rodman, as Haroun, sang two or three comic sonss very cieditably. Miss Violot :»f!trriy looked charming as Selim. ¦¦T.i-rtwu-boom-rle-ay " introdnced nearly 11; •-i i o!.' < f tho company, :iud tlio nbnmlii y. a-moli _ ..ia fciuig; to locd wordd coiltalaing political allnaions, had to be repeated no less than four times. Miss Carlotta May was » painstaking musical dirsotress. The extravaganza i» to bo repeated to-night.