WILLIAMSON OPERA COMPANY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 80, 16 March 1934, Page 11

WILLIAMSON OPERA COMPANY

“MERRY WIDOW” AND “FLORODORA.” On Wednesday and Thursday next the J. C. Williamson, Ltd., management will present their New Comic Opera company, an organisation of over 70 specially selected artists, in the two world famous musical plays “The Merry Widow” and “Florodora,' ’ both of which have proved outstanding triumphs during the present tour. It was the phenomenal successes which were won by the Gilbert and Sullivan operas which influenced the J. C. Williamson Ltd. management to revive other well known operas which had achieved an equa' amount of fame, and their enterprise has been justly rewarded, as in the principal cities of Australia and New Zealand “The Merry Widow” and “Florodora” attracted even larger audiences than the works of the famous collaborators. To the older generation of playgoers “The Merrv Widow” and “Florodora” will doubtless bring back pleasurable memories, and to those who have not yet witnessed them they will probably prove a revelation. The following was written by a Wellington critic:—“For a comic opera nearly thirty years old Franz Lehar’s 'Merry Widow’ wears wonderfully well. Perhaps the only real test of the intrinsic value of a musical work of this description _ is that of time. Plenty of other musical comedies and light operas produced in the pre-war decade with success have disappeared altogether into the mist:

of flic irreclaimable past, but, ‘The Merry Widow,’ originally produced in Vienna in 1905 and in London in 1907, might have been written yesterday, such is the snappy gaiety of its dialogue and situations and the intrinsic beauty of its musical score, which frequently reaches the standard of grand opera.” This criticism also applies to “Florodora,” which is appreciated as much to-day as when it was first staged, nearly thirty years ago. The Williamson Ltd. management has got together an unusually powerful combination of musical comedy and comic opera artists, including as it docs Miss Tiomola Hansen, the brilliant soprano, Herbert Browne, the talented young tenor singer. Phil Smith and Don Nicol, two outstandingly fine comedians, Eric Bush, a brilliant juvenile baritone who is regarded as the best Prince Danilo in “The Merrv Widow” who has ever taken this role in New Zealand, Marie La Varre, a popular London comedienne, Lois Green, a daintv voting Australian soubrette. 'Stcl'n Col’ier. ’he possessor of a so ■>rnno voice of exccntionnl range and ■ militv. Morin Zeppell. Doris Hopkins ‘'hnrles Albert. Olivet Peacock and Leah Miller The eomnnnv inehides a full onoratie chorus and orchestra nnd n talento.l b.alb't The box plans for “The Mcrr Widow” nnd “Flora dora” will be opened at Fail's on Monday morning next nt nine o’clock A queue will be formed from 8 a.m.