"THE GEISHA

Grey River Argus, 31 December 1920, Page 4

"THE GEISHA

POLLARDS OPERA The initial performance °|f^^^^| green Musical Comedy, "^^^^^^^| by tho Greymouth amateu^^^^^H scnted last evening to j^^^^^| house, and was an instain^^^^^H Surprise has been cxprcssea^^^^^B sides at the degree of urlist^^^^^f famed not only by the P r^jll^^^^H also by the chorus, and o^3^^^^H pared to applaud a much 'j^^^^^H 'tions effort than was P r<3 3!fß^^^^H tiiprht. The prodncHon fnirliTig linnrl of Tom T^WMs^^^^H toran prodnchr, who so id heJ^^^^^H fltir rrnalms as in the hi^h^aj^^^^H proficienev possible with fli^^^^^| sociated themsclvos with h^^^^^^H he naively said he- would ':gf^^^^^| mouth a surprise, so he Ar^M^^^H .as his word. The whole °^^^^^H with' a. fine swing from the-i|||f^^^H fall: of the curtain. The 'I^^^^H rangbraent was appropriate a 4p^^^| the "dresses gorgeous, the fects perfect, the choruses bles. crisp and tuneful, wn il4^|^^^| Of the orchestra, under the j^^^^^H ship of Mr. H. Hawkins wa^'^^^^H first water. Incidentally, f^|^^^| is one' of- Mr Pollard 'sj^d^^^^B operas and one which he P^^^^H . far back as 1901 with Ms f|||^^H ed Company which DUm be|^^^^H ranks such well-known u |^^^^^H rio Perry, Maud and May 3^*S|^^^H tie Campion, W. Paul and Undoubtedly the Japanes^|^j^^^B the opera, with its galaxy °4^^^^H its#antithitics to western fashions, as well as the s t«|ra9^^H ed through; the two acts S^^H^^H tinctive charm of its own. <!j|pis^^| is built up around O Miniosap^^^f ciiief teagirl in Wun Hi's Ji^^^H This role was in the Lands "oj^^^H Helen Gardner of e^i n Sl^^^^^B made a dainty vivacious 'fully/ sustained her difficult pa^^^^| ghout the opera. Miss G a rJ|!jgg^H • blessed with a charming .^^i^^^H sence a good speaking a^^^h^^| voice, and a histrionic tal^^M^^f beyond the average • aina teJnj|||^^^B portrayal of the fortune-tel^fflfflHßß was a convincing bit of tion for which she won tnJ^M^^^B applause from the audiencei|||Hm^B numbers, ' ' The Amorous' S^hot^^B -"A Geisha's Life," '' Th e M|SH Asia" were gems and tlie aftisifgjg^J put into all her work mer it6^^^^H reserved appreciation of the , a ||lfflß^M which was showered, on her^^^^^^B G. Moss a s Molly yeamor^l^^OTH^B veiled in. her part lines' v itK;aj||^BHH lisatiou of their value, ua d.j ■g^iß^B audience many a laugh. - numbers, ' ' Chon Kina, ; ; ' 'T^KBtBBB key," and "The Intefering^^jflß were sung with zest while h^f^^^B . tal dances were prettily exgggfflߧHH think it probable that it $$mBHA been difficult to find any I^|m«H^| sustain the roiie as Mrs M6ssl;i^^^^B part of Lady Constance, wnj^JH^BBB some responsibility, was in th^|ffij^H hands qf JMrs Staveley, one iP^BI^M ka's most capable amateurs!^sßWW reading of the part of the ,^^ffl|w Lady left little to be desired whl||§Sß topical song found a ready was almost to be regretted t&i^plflM part did not contain more musie&ifraHjl hors- as this lady's singing hag al^si|| •been a "delight to Greymouth, au^|.^t^eij Miss V. Hannan as Juliette ra'.^'p^i^ Madamoiselle, did well. H^?J V <sM;|| to secure 'the Marquis Tmari fj>^|^| nusband caused much nmusiemett^^ the men Mr Jack O 'Snllli van :'s&sjjsjgte .od the Marquis Imari. His£ ■of the "puffed up" Jfl P an '^^^^S nor was .clever, his nuiclv chaiige^^^K tnpanor from the fiich and ml^^fflOTKl of power to the silly vain ld^^SHH -in good contrast. He scoredl'^BHQJ audience. Mr Tom Clark aajg g^H Katana did well. His v °ca.li^Mj| "I Did Not Know," and %>^^rafl •with Mimosa, "Pearl of the;l^«^| Sea," being sung with go6d|te^^^H tana does^.-d^e't»much "s^^H coul^i^v c made mu^-^ore;|Pi^^^H sceue with Mimosa than h^^^^^Bl ever; he will improve witn'iK*|«gß»y Mr F. Wise was a dignifie|^y||B^9 and carried out his duties *ap3jK^iu ' eer with commendable dignitii^Hß^J Considering Messrs Fr a s^r^^^^^| arid Douglas (Cunningham) '^|^^m ing their debut in Musical %||sMi they both did well. Their^^^^ snoken, with, the gusto of a^^H^ Mr Frascr evidently gets cSp^p^S pleasure out of his sonjrs tf^#^^ . quite gobd readings of < ' Mbllyi^SpCT "Jack's the Boy," mid "Sta^jfjiß R^iil;" wlnle his .^not "Kissing" was quite a g^d^»|/^| Comedian of the cast, in th c hands of Mr L. Me Q^^^i^P lived thp. part and cxt . ra^te.d'^^^^^^ mmn of humour out of it:. -?S^P^mj "Heathen Chinee" to perfkif^^^ffl song :< ' Chin Chin Chinaman^^^^l topical enepre and the'daneej 3 ?^^^! mess interpolate^:, brought . dii§|^i?|H housed One cannot helpif^otic^B that Mr McGlashan takes^ p|^S|^H his part and pays attenti6^'-*;^^^B seemingly unimportant detwja&ss^H left undone mar the part of^t'CwHa dirtn whether in musical 'ccflaaedy :^H . anything else. His l^nes are readily understood snd he "thero" with his busineßS.fei>r 'iCfISaM amateurs could well emulate S%^ «■ ample in this respect. The * "|BB parts wei'6 played by MesdaiiieVa^H chcr, Orr, Misses Rush, K'«^?;^^H Steer, 'F. Broad, D. Broa<^ .'^.^^H P. Baxter, Messrs R. ¥ as^^^(^H JpStapp, Bush, and G. Breli . n^^^^j^H whom acquitted theinselves V 7T?i^S^^B ; dit. The choruses were .. 9*^P,l^^^B and, with the fan work .i^s^^^H >.gave pleasure to all. Thet^|i]j^^^| >bo repeated to-night, to-mbr^^^^H and on Monday nijjht also^^p^Hß ing*staged in Holcitika. ;^a||^^H asked to note that the overtu^^^O • 7.45 p.m. sharp in order thaf^pj^^^H • In View of numerous -^i^^^HH returned soldiers •as to '^^S^|E| tradesmen, are affected bv -i&BjWB^B declaration, the following^SjM^^B : interest to ', those cone erni^H^^^H '^Auckland Star." All '.t^ffl^^H , dier tradesmen who are %^^p^^^| minimum wage must n °W^^|^^^B additional ! 3/-i per week^^^^^^B ■ . ( amount now being paid: '''eW^^^H 1 minimum .wage plus the j) further need be added.