NEW REVUE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22583, 23 November 1936, Page 12

NEW REVUE

"HELLO PROSPERITY" CONNORS AND PAUL COMPANY From the colourful opening number to the final curtain, Saturday night's large audience at His Majesty's Theatre was continually breaking into ripples of laughter every time the Australian comedian George Wallace made his appearance on the stage during the presentation of " Hello Prosperity," the second revue presented by the New Connors and Paul Revue Company during its current Auckland season. Throughout the whole performance, Mr. Wallace proved a veritable imp of mischief, and every number in which he appeared was greeted with enthusiastic applause. In .several bright new sketches, in which lie received capable support from Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Lulla Fanning, Will Miller, Edna Hardy and Ih:o Tronnelte, Mr. Wallace revealed the genius of the born comedian. Highly amusing and cleverly apt were his comments from a box during tho presentation of " The Clairvoyant," which was perhaps tho best of the sketches, while in "Oh! What a Night," tho comedian further revealed his versatility as an exceedingly merry reveller. For other numbers he again donned his grotesque tartan-coloured shirt, his comical headgear and insecure looking nether garments. Bright as the comedy was, however, the musical numbers were equally well deserving of praise. Lulla Fanning scored a great success with her bracket of negro spirituals, the second number, in which tho ballet, with whitegloved hands and white shoes, appeared on the darkened stnge as an impressionistic background for the singing, being particularly effective. The audience was not slow to show its appreciation of the saxophone selections played by Jimmy Coates, and Harry Thompson's excellently-rendered mouth-orgnn solos also were well received. Two other artists who wer«» warmly applauded were Minnie Love and Nellie Kolle. Leo Trennette's singing "The Rose of Tralce " was another outstanding item. The tap dancers, Rex and Bessie, gave a clever exhibition early in tho programme, and the high standard of dancing sot by them was admirably maintained throughout by tho welltrained Stinkist Beauty Ballet. In several well-executed concerted numbers and also in a delightful seen a with Minnie Love, the ballet's performance added greatly to the appeal of the revue.

Mention also must bo mudo of the excellent work done by those two favourites of revue, Minnie Lovo and Mike Connors, whose songs were among the most delightful of the ontiro programme. Their duets, " I'll Never Say Never Again " and " Stay as Sweet as You Arc " were particularly good, as was also Miss Love's " Thanks a Million " number.

"Hello Prosperity" will bo presented nightly until next Saturday, when there will be another change of programme. There will be a matinee presentation on Wednesday afternoon.