FROCKING AT THE THEATRE

Evening Star, Issue 22343, 20 May 1936, Page 14

FROCKING AT THE THEATRE

A RIOT OF TINSEL AND SILVER Those who have so far this week attended the Celebrity Vaudeville Company at His Majesty’s have been loud in their praises of the very excellent fare provided. The programme is all round 1 good, and the artistic stage settings and beautiful hooking of both ballets and singers add greatly to its appeal. Both scenery afid costumes are fresh and attractive, and come straight from the Casino de Paris; in fact, it is a very long time since Dunedin has seen anything quite so gorgeous as the final scene of this week’s programme. The ballets are many and varied, the dancing very well done, and quite original. From the first one where the girls appear, one half in spangles and the other half in jaunty evening suits, there is not one dull moment. Ivy Ivel, “ The hady in Red,” wears a daring costume of red spangles, with a many tiered skirt of red chiffon split up the front and hanging gracefully as she dances. Suits of open black, net with long sash ends appliqued in brilliant flowers form the main dressing for ‘ The Ballet of Bells,’ in which Miss Janice Hart is the central figure in a magnificent suit of scintillating silver spangles. The scenery for yet another attractive ballet, ‘ The Legion of the Lost,’ is noteworthy,, a desert scene being ideally presented with the chorus in full pantalettes and zouave coats glistening with sequins. The clever tapping in this scene provoked rounds of applause. The charming singer—Miss Marie Doran—wears two very delightful gowns, one of shell pink and one of white georgette of charming simplicity. As she affects a curled white coiffure, the contrast is very picturesque.

The aeroplane ballet cannot be passed by, with the girls representing planes with wings and wheels complete, making a pretty scene. ‘ The Chocolate Box,’ too, gives scope for some pretty costuming, gathered round a monster chocolate box, out of which Miss Janice Hart ■ steps in a lovely gold sequinned gown. “ The Velesco Trio,” in full Rumanian national costume, make another charming picture. The final scene, ‘ Birds of the Night,’ with the stage a blaze of colour and with 'cellophane and tinsel used in all their bright allure, is quite a triumph, 1 and when a flock of snow-white pigeons fly in from the circle to alight on Miss Janice Hart’s huge umbrella, one could not conjure up a more colourful and beautiful finale.