MAGIC AND MIDGETS

Evening Star, Issue 19441, 27 December 1926, Page 10

MAGIC AND MIDGETS

TALENTED PARTY COMMENCES SEASON TO-DAY At His Majesty’s Theatre to-day Messrs Palermo and Tashman will present Irving’s Imperial Midgets and the Chofalo-Palermo Company. “Auckland has never seen such an amazing display of magic as is dispensed by the Chelalo-Palermo Company, which, together with Irving’s Imperial Midgets, a talented company, ! opened a season at the Opera-house last night,” says the Auckland ‘ Star ’ of recent date. “A crowded holiday audience attended to see the wonderful show, and all went homo thoroughly delighted with the fare that was served up. The first and third portions of the programme are entirely taken up by Chefalo and Palermo and their largo company. Most artistic costumes and scenery add to the brilliancy of the illusions and mysteries performed. The expensive hand-worked tapestries that drape the stage are a feature of the show. Chefalo specialises in illusions; he does them well, and the impossible indubitably happens. . . . One of bis finest and most amusing tricks was to bring a drake and a rooster from a box after he bad taken the box to nieces and assembled it again. Then no seems to tear the heads from both the rooster and the duck and place them back in the box again. When those in front next see the barnyard folk the duck’s head is on tho rooster, while the duck struts about the stage with tho rooster’s headpiece. . . . Most of Chefalo’s big illusion effects are quite original. His spook show is responsible for a riot of laughter. Tho entertainment submitted by the Midgets is a novel one. These diminutive and well-proportioned people are undoubtedly talented. The company includes dancers, singers, comedy sketch artists, wire walkers, acrobats, gymnasts, and boxers; while little Willie Rollc stands on a pedestal near the conductor in the orchestral well and directs tho hand. He is a thorough musician and strong comedian, his comments on the artists causing uproarious laughter,”

The Dunedin season will be a short one. Intending patrons are advised that scats may be reserved at the Geyser Soda Fountain for to-night, and at The. Bristol for the balance of the season.

In connection with the season of Irving’s Midgets particulars are advertised of a competition for children under sixteen, in which prizes will be given the three children estimating the aggregate ages of the Midgets.