Dramatic and Musical

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 291, 27 January 1906, Page 14

Dramatic and Musical

BILL ADAMS" has been winning Waterloo in an absolutely reckless fashion at the Opera House for quite a while, and a large umber of Wellingtomans have not been along to George Stephenson to quariel with him and his company for putting on a musical comedy crammed hill of jest, zest, chirpy music, and gorgeous things to wear. You don'L want to know why Bill won the buttle, or how he old it. All you are concerned with is toe fact tiuat Bill was a prevaricator of lan-ge calibre, amd that to explain his prevarications fifteen weU-know.ii artistes put forth all the comedy they know, and that large heaps of beautaful young ladies, some of comfortable dimensions, pour out. much chorus, dance enchant - ingly, and fill the air with gladness. Then, the uniforms and scenery and limelight am very beautiful, and the rush of jokes absolutely furious. • ' • * Scientists have for a long tune been trying to find the secret of perpetual motion. Pit^ they didn't go to Mr. Edward Lauri. He knows. The whirl of gag and dance and chatter fired at the audience by the much-appreciated Edward is produced) in such a cheery fashion, accompanied by suck quaint acrobatic and galvanic action, that the audience is tickled -in the right spot every time. The songs collected for "Bill Adams" have been chosen merely because they are "catchy." You just begin to know one — in your mmd — when another, equally catchy, pops up surrounded by limelight, and you try to get it remembered before it, too, fades away. • • • Miss May Beatty got an expansive round of applause when she re-appealed in Wellington on the first night of "Bill," and the dainty ex-Pollardian seems to lose none of the freshness that makes toier a favourite with New Zealand audiences. Her singing voice remains the same cheerful, though Tiot laTge, circumstance it used) to be. IVr comedy turns with "Bill" are rich v> ith farce. One of the most comic persons in the oast is Mr. Charles McNaughton. When Charles is on one forgets the theatre, and believes one is in a vaudeville house. Charles's eccemtrio dances are laugh producers of extra strength. • • • Mr. Harold Reeves has a fine baritonie 1 voice, and is very successful in his several songs. Everybody's glad to see the airy Miss Roland Watts-Phil-lips, who infuses so nuuch individuality into all the comedy parts, she undertakes, and who is quite up to the usual standard as Lady Bingo Barr. A momentary imitation of Miss Maud Jeffries by 'Miss Phillips is especially clever. Miss Alice Pollard is happily cast as Marguerite, and) sings with nice expression, Miss May Garstamg taking the part of Mimette with grace and charm. "Bill Adams" is the bestdressed musical comedy seen round here for a long time. There isn't a dull number in it, nor a dull person on the stage. If you want a tonic, "Bill" serves it out. • • • Fuller's foot is again on its native board, and the Rickardian magic has vanished. The Entertainers were welcomed by a crowd that bubbled all over the house, and overflowed into the boxes and streets. Some were turned empty away. Very good! show, too. New people in the bill include Mr. Jack Hagan, son of Martin o'that ilk, and a comic songster of merit. In fact, the youth is going to do very well at the business. Another comic songster who has fnsfc happened along is Lai Logic, who also has a pretty robust idea as to what particular kind 1 of wit will tickle a large audience. • • • It doesn't keep any people away to be told that Elsie Brown, the graceful coon singer, is back again. Elsie is one of those rare coon singers with a voice- A voice is not considered necessary by many coon sineera. Mr. Will Stevens, of the sad face and 1 the funny refrains, is in large and increasin? demand. Specially mentionable is Miss Lavinia Tyson, ballad singer, and the pictures illustrating; the ballads she sings. They are the nicest illustrations let loose in Wellington for many moons.

Th&t plain comedian, Leonard Nelson, sings new songs. He only Bang two on the opening naght, but toe knows a number oi otheis. Muss Florrie Ranger and her &istei Stella, please in, song and burlesque. The Driscoll Brothers, those furiously funny chaps with the twinkling legs, are working very hard to make the world more merry, and Leo Aschkerus puts up a very excellent shadowgraph exhibition. The baograph throws some light on "The Count's Dilemma" as a wind-up. ( Continued on page 18 )