OPERATIC SOCIETY

Evening Star, Issue 16079, 3 April 1916, Page 7

OPERATIC SOCIETY

———*- —,— SUCCESSFUL ENTERTAINMENT. The Dunedin Operatic Society had every reason to be satisfied with the result of the effort put forth by their members on Saturday evening with the object of improving a financial position that had been causing the executive anxiety for some time past. His Majesty's Theatre was comfortably, filled both upstaira and downstairs, and the society should now be able to face the world a perfectly solvent body. The offering on Saturday was described as an operatic revue. In view of the stylo of entertainment the public have become used to lately under the name of revue—a kind of tabloid musical play—this title was somewhat misleading. However, the programme of 22 items, varied in character and all very well done indeed, won the hearty approval of the big house. There was one unfortunate defect, however, which tended to spoil to a largo extent the full enjoyment of most of the items in the first part' of the programme. This lay in the fact that very few of the words in the songs could be heard by tho audience, because the orchestra, whose work was otherwise excellent, almost drowned the voices of the singers. This fault is not uncommon in this theatre, even in professional productions. Songs were sung by Mr S, Angell, Miss Marjorie Lemon, Mr Norman French, and Mr Harold Hogg. Mr Angell's contribution, a patriotic song entitled ' Britain,' wif. easily the best. He put plenty of spirit into it. and thcAmghly deserved the marks of appreciation shown by the audience. Miss Lemon ('April Morn') and Mr French'f* When the Gray of the Sky') both sang very nicely, but were handicapped by the aforementioned orchestral defect. Mr Hogg (' Parted ') appeared to be a little nervous. Miss Helen Gard'ner and Miss Bathie Howie-Stuart, it is almost needless to say, acquitted themselves creditably in each of their many items. These two young ladies took part in solos, duts, sketches, and concerted numbers, and scored heavily each time Miss Gardner's character 6one 'Who'll Buy?' was a particularly pleasing effort; Miss Howie-Stuart being perhaps heard to greatest advantage in the ragtime melody Dancing Around,' and the encore number ' Popsy Wopsy.' Mr Albert Watson highly amused the audience with two comic songs in which he described his liking for hardboiled eggs and mince pies. A finelybalanced male quartet party (Messrs Cookson, Hogg, Hall, and Haggitt) sang the humorous story of the boy, the tack, and the teacher, following this with an excellent rendering of 'The Rosary.' Amongst the most pleasing items were the dances—the ballet (from 'The Country Girl'), the cachnca (from 'The Gondoliers'), and a gavotte—all danced most gracefully. Other successful items were: Duet, '"Pierette,' Miss M'Laren and Mr C. J. Grav; duet. ' A Tale of Old Japan,' Miss Gard'ner and Mr French; humorous quartet, ' Dumbk-dum-day'; sketch, 'Safety in Numbers'; descriptive scena, 'ln Far Cashmere.' Other concerted numbers and choruses were quite up to the high standard achieved by the society in their operas. The whole performance reflected credit upon the stage management of Miss Helen Gard'ner, and upon the musical director (Mr J. A. Haggitt). The costumes, which added greatly to the attractiveness of the stage effects, were lent by the N.Z. Fancy Costume Company.