"THE GONDOLIERS’

Evening Star, Issue 22327, 1 May 1936, Page 2

"THE GONDOLIERS ’

WILLIAMSON OPERA SEASON To-morrow night, at 8 o'clock, at His Majesty’s Theatre, J. C. Williamson Ltd. will present their English Gilbert and Sullivan opera company in a production of tho exquisitely musical, picturesque, and humorous comic opera, 1 The’ Gondoliers,’ in which the company achieved one of its greatest successes in Sydney and Melbourne. Although the season must be limited to seven nights, during that period no fewer than seven of the best and most popular of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas are to be staged. ‘ The Gondoliers ’ will be staged for one night only. Un Monday night ‘ The Pirates of Penzance ’ will be produced, and it will bo followed by ‘The Yeoman of the Guard’ (Tuesday next), ‘The Mikado ’ (Wednesday afternoon and evening), ‘ Patience ' (Thursday night), 1 Tolanthe ’ (Friday night), and ‘ H.M.S. Pinafore’ (Saturday afternoon, May 9). Playgoers ,of Dunedin -will welcome the reappearance here of Ivan Menzies, London’s popular Savoy Theatre comedian, Miss Evelyn Gardiner, the distinguished con tralto, and Gregory Stroud, the brilliant baritone singer, all of whom have previously delighted in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas. 1 The Gondoliers ’ will serve to introduce to Dunedinites the brilliant young English soprano. Miss Winifred Lawson; Mr Godfrey Stirling, who is the possessor of a delightful tenor voice: Mr Richard Watson, a London basso; Miss Helen Langton, a charming young soprano; and Miss Eileen Kelly, a dasliilig young mezzo. Other principals are Clifford Cowley, Phyllis Dickinson, Vincent Mac Murray, Julie Russell, and Tommy Jay. Seats for to-morrow night’s gala production of ‘ The Gondoliers ’ may be reserved at the D.1.C., and tickets for the early door stalls and pit may lie purchased this afternoon at the Rialto. ‘ The Gondoliers ’ is brimming over with good musical numbers, clever ballets, delightful ensembles, and genuinely humorous comedy. The most notable musical numbers are ‘ From the Sunny Spanish Shores,’ ‘ in Enterprise of Martial Kind.’ ‘Oh, Rapture,’ ‘When Alone Together.’ ‘There Was a Time,’ ‘ 1 Stole the Prince,’ ‘ When a Merry Maiden Marries,’ ‘ Rising Earlv in the Morning,’ ‘ Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes,’ • There Lived a King,’ l ln a Contemplative Fashion, ‘On the Day When J Was Married,’ ‘ I Am a Courtier Grave and Serious,’ and ‘ Here is a Case Unprecedented.’ For his brilliant singing of ‘ Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes,’ Mr Godfrey Stirling received no fewer than three encores on the first night of ‘ The Gondoliers ’ in Wellington recently, and Ivan Menzies was recalled again and again for his artistic dancing of the gavotte in the second act. It was as the Duke of Plaza-Toro that Mr Menzies scored one of his best triumphs when he last visited Dunedin, and Miss Evelyn Gardiner, as the Duchess of Plaza-Toro, and Mr Gregory Stroud, as Guiseppe, are also at their best in these roles. That the present tour has proved phenomenally successful is probably due to the fact that the latest J. C. 'Williamson Ltd. company has been claimed the best that has appeared in the works of the beloved collaborators for many years. The company comprises over 100 members, including a full grand operatic chorus and orchestra, and a brilliant Australian ballet.