"SWITZERLAND."

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 16, 19 January 1940, Page 10

"SWITZERLAND."

Opening Tonight.

The preliminary arrangements completed, J. C. Williamson's musical extravaganza on ice, "Switzerland,",. will have its Wellington premiere; & the Opera House tonight; T.he first.act of "Switzerland" is ";■, devoted to* Work by the ice\ballet, the second to cibaret entertainment, and the third reverts to the amazing exposition: ' of glorious dancing, on the ice..: '*' The': v beautiful Work byvthe rballet includes- Tyrolean: folk dances/ dainty-rkinuets^th^ "Florodora' J number^ and a 4^iUiaht.?milifery number. Great; interest^is being-taken in the appearance;''of^Mi|si,]Slegaft; Taylor, the championUsk'ateri of ';ttie vw6rld, Mr. Eddie Marcel,; L'piidon'sriipstf popular comedian* arid iMri ;^il;:,Taylor;' without adoubt vjthe,~world's-"greatest trick skater. "Ther ballets,"-wrote an Auckland critic, of "are but the pale halo.round ' .the/central stars. Megan Taylor was "dazzling .in the high lights of classic^ precision and purity of form which haye 1 gained her world champion honoursiti. the" recognised' competitive 'tests of' ice-skating. In lighter mood, she 'displays the expressive fire and colour 'of a 1 gipsy dancer, and the dashvof a. champion unleashed in free skating^ Phil-Taylor (pere), champion : in his ovimjight: both before and after his Joyely daughter won her honours, lifts'; the pitch of,the skate-song ,up to speedway recklessness in stilt, stunts, daring j umps,^and, with Elsie Heathcote as partner,, .the hazardous refinements, of- adagio dancing on skates. .-Scintillating, personalities all three, but none was more brilliant than that merry;jester of the rink, Eddie; Marcel, to ;• whom" the house owed and gladly /paid-in laughing-tri-,-bute a deep debt of gratitude for full en j oyment and understanding- of the show. Other skating stars include, the MacKinnon Sisters, Diana Grafton. Doreen Parr, Rita Bramley, Ronald Priestly, Graham Hobbs, Eric Gerrard. Outstanding artists in the; very entertaining cabaret scene' are Connie Graham and Hal Scott; notably Continental comedy artists, ' and .Russell and Marconi in an act-called Merry-go-Round.' Fifty beautiful and amazing- skating sirens - comprise the 'Switzerland' ice ballet. The .scenery and gorgeous costumes are features or the performance, and an operatic orchestra is under,the baton of-Mr. Leo Packer." :.- '■' -■'.■ ■■■- •'■'■' '■