"THE MIKADO."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21068, 30 December 1931, Page 12

"THE MIKADO."

A POPULAR REVIVAL. OUTSTANDING SUCCESS. SINGERS LOUDLY APPLAUDED. The Gilbert and Sullivan season, which has attracted extraordinary interest, drew another host of devoted followers to His Majesty's Theatre last evening, when a revival of "The Mikado" was commenced with a veritable flourish of trumpets. It is doubtful if more enthusiasm was ever bestowed upon the evergreen lyrics and comedy. The new company gave the opera a performance worthy of the best D'Oyly Carte tradition, and received a. richly deserved reception. From the opening male chorus it. was clear that, vocally, the company knew what it was about, and through thp successive quartettes, such as the familial " Brightly Dawns Our Wedding Day," the voices blended readily and true. The costumes, of the accepted Japanese flavour, contributed to some appealing stage tableaux and the comedy, much of which is the mock-macabre stuff, was generously dealt with. The Mikado himself, whose l elated appearance in the second act seems not to detract from the sinister importance of the character, had a stout interpreter in Mr. Bernard Manning. He put plenty of pep into his attack, acted in right cadaverous fashion, and glibly ranted the verses of "My Object All Sublime," with appropriate snarls and sneeis much relished by the juvenile worshippers in the audience. Ko-Ko, in the person of Mr. Ivan Mcnzies, cut amusing capers, put life into " Here's a How-de-do," chattered pleasantly through " I've Got a Little List," with a few local interpolations, and brought the house down with his fooling in " Tho Flowers That Bloom in the Spring." Mr. John Byrne's celestial humbug, Pooh-Bah. was an immense success, smug, satisfying and richly unctuous, and his excellent voico and splendid diction made a gem of the "I Am So Proud number. Once again Mr. Leo Darnton rose to the requisite youthful heights, vocally and dramatically, this time in the role of Nanki-Poo. The "Wand'ring Minstrel" ballad was magnificently done and his harmonising in the lovo duets could not have been bettered. Mr. Gregory Stroud g.ivo generously of his vocal gifts in the role of Pish-Tush. If Miss Marie Bremner pleased in "Tho Gondoliers" she charmed and delighted all with her exquisite performance as Yum-Yum. A demure and fascinating frailty in tho "Three Little Girls from School" trio blossomed prettily in the kissing duet and culminated in as artistic a version of "The Moon and I," prettily posed with her fan, as one could wish to hear. Miss Mary Hotham and Miss Nancy Home lent added lustre to tho feminino adornments of the piece. Finally there was an impressive Katisha in Miss Evelyn Gardiner, who did the ugly spinster part with gusto and sang appealingly her lament and recitative. Mr. Slapoffski kept an experienced and guiding hand over tho music, which received full justice. There will be a. matinee this afternoon, and on Friday, with evening performances nightly. On Saturday afternoon and evening a brief season of "Iolantho" will ho commenced.