J. C. WILLIAMSON COMPANY

Evening Star, Issue 20864, 6 August 1931, Page 9

J. C . WILLIAMSON COMPANY

1 SONS O’ GUNS 1 The initial New Zealand production in Wellington of •!. C. VVillhuuson s musical comedy, 1 Sons o Guns, iihicu is to bo staged here for a brief season, beginning at His Majcstoy's Theatre ou Thursday night including a matinee performance on Saturday afternoon, August 15, proved the most memorable event that has ever happened in the theatrical history of that city. Gns Bluett, Leo Franklin, Alfred Frith, and Bertha lliccardo vrera all greeted with enthusiasm when they made their first appearance, and tins latest Williamson production proved even more outertaming than either ‘ Bose Mario 1 or 4 Tile Student Prince. * The performance was repeatedly interrupted bv the insistent demands from the delighted audience for encores, and bv the prolonged laughter occasioned by the brilliant work of the comedians. It was, however, at the final fall ot tuo curtain that the enthusiasm reached its height. The audience refused to leave the theatre until Gus Bluett and the other principals had bowed aud oxpressed their ackiiowledgomont again and a‘min. It was a triumphant night for the legitimate stage, and one that will probably always bo remembered by those who were fortunate enough to obtain seats, as the theatre was sold out carlv on the morning of the day of the opening performance. ‘ Sons o _ Guns - proved an outstanding success in Loudon and New York, and m Sydney and Melbourne it broke all known records in those cities. It owes its success to its beautiful melodies, to its spectacular stage settings, to its interesting love story; and probably its biggest feature is its clever and original coined}’. Au outstanding attraction is the sensational specialty dance by Mona Zeppel and Eric Bush, who last appeared hero in ‘ The House That Jack Built.’Thera are over 100 people concerned in tuo production of ‘ Sons o’ Guns, including a full operatic chorus and orchestra. One of its most charming. scenes is a French inn, where the girls, m peasant costumes with quaint head dresses and in lemon-coloured skirts and pale bine bodices and bonnets, picturosquelv crowd the stage and dance to one of the most melodious measures of tbo score. The box iMans will bo opened at The Bristol Piano Company on Tuesday morning next at 9 o’clock.A tmeuo will bo formed from S &im.