AMUSEMENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 907, 19 July 1889, Page 13

AMUSEMENTS.

w The Theatre. i GIROFLF, GIROFLA. A capital house greeted the representation of Lecocq’s famous comic opera Girofle Giroflh by the Simonsen’s Opera Company, at the Theatre Royal last night week. . The lower part of the house was packed, and the dress circle was well patronised. The opera was well staged, and taking it all round was well sung. Miss Elsa May as the twin sister was charmingly vivacious, and wa3 very successful in all her songs. The gem of the opera is the well known “See how it sparkles," for which she received a well-deserved encore. Miss Florence Seymour had only a small part to play as Paquita, but that little she did extremely well. Miss Ethel Mackay as Pedro had a part which suited her well, and she sang “ The gallant sailor" with much spirit. Her acting was a marked success. Messrs Walshe and Gainer, as Marasquin and Mourzouk respectively, were well suited for their parts, and both made up well. Mr G. Dean had a congenial part as Bolero. He is a thoroughly good low comedian, and caused considerable amusement by bis comical by-play. His gags were fast and furious, but in some cases were Dot exactly in good taste. He evidently

played, to please the gods, and succeeded beyond measure. Miss Julia Beaumout made a capital Aurora, and scored a success in her r6le. Altogether the opera was very successful, and, with trie exception of some of the gags, which were of an order not intended by Lecocq to be played to a dress circle, was Jwell received.

•THE BOHEMIAN GIRL.’' Despite the wretched weather Friday night there was a good house to witness Balfe’s opera of “ Theßohemian Girl” at the Theatre Royal. The performance throughout ran. very smoothly, and was equal to any of the successes scored by the present Company. The audience fully appreciated all the chief points of this well-known opera. The four songs ;,by whose favour the opera retains so much of its popularity, namely, “ I dreamt that 1 dwelt,” “The heart bowed down,” “ When other lips,” and “The fair land of Poland,” were all well sung. MisH Elsa May as Arline played most enthusiastically, and gave her various songs with considerable spirit. Her acting was full of life and abandon. Mias Florence Seymour as the Queen acquitted herself most creditably. Messrs Walshe and Gainor, as Thaddeus and the Count respectively, sang their music excellently. Mr England had a congenial part as Devilshoof, and, without resorting to mere buffoonery, made the most of his r6le. His funny byplay was very amusing. Mr Shannon made a very good Florestein. Miss Lucy Cobb made a decided hit with her charming pas seul in the first act. The opera was well dressed, and afforded a caoital evening’s amusement.

The piece was repeated on Saturday night. It was throughout moat successful. Miss Elsa May was recalled thrice for her song “I dreamt that I dwelt in marble hall.” Mr Walshe received a hearty encore for “When other lips.” Mr Gainor for “The heart bowed down ” had to bow his acknowledgments for an earnest recall. Miss Cobb created quite a furore for her graceful pus seul. •LES CLOCHES DE CORNEVILLE. ’ Planquette’n tuneful opera, “ Les Cloches de Corneville,” was played by the Simonsen Opera Company at the Theatre Royal on Monday evening. T here Was a fairly large audience. When it is considered that tne Company are playing two or three operas in the week, their performances are very creditable ; and “Les Cloches de Corneville” was presented in a very satisfactory manner, excepting that much time was wasted by “gag,” in connection with which Messrs Dean and Scott were the principal sinners. Miss Elsa May made an excellent Serpolette, and sang and acted capitally. In the second act she received a well-deserved encore for har singing of “Sing sweet biid.” Miss Florence Seymour played Germaine very well, bat was not in good voice. Mr Warwick Gainor, as the Marquis, was a decided success, and Mr Percy Shannon fulfilled, to the best of his ability, the part of Grenichenx. Mr Pollard’s Gaspard was a good performance as a whole, but of rather varying merit, the acting being a little weak occasionally. Mr Erskine Scott, as Gobo, made any amount of fun, but Mr Dean, who was the Bailee, quite misapprehended the part. He should stick to the text more.

“FAUST.” Gounod’s opera of, “ Faust ” is one which taxes to the utmost the resources of even the finest opera company extant. It is difficult to stage ; it is difficult to play ; and unless the principal characters are stars of the first magnitude the opera lacks spirit. It may be said that Simonsen’s Company on Wednesday presented a very fair representation of “ Faust,” and, considering the stage appliances at their command, the piece was well mounted. Margherita was of course played by Miss Elsa May, and in this, as in the previous operas presented here by the Simonsen Company, she was the life and soul of the opera. Her conception of the character was an honest and thorough one, and her pourtrayal a complete success. Her opening aria, “The Ring of Thule,” was admirably Bung, and in the famous “Jewel Song” the florid music of the score gave her every opportunity of displaying the flexibility of her voice. In ' the concerted s music she was heard to great advantage,' and she is to be congratulated upon her success in this really difficult and exacting rdle. In .the duet with Faust “ For ever ” she was remarkably good. Miss Florence Seymour made a capital Siebel, acting and singing throughout in a finished manner. Her aria “Gentle flowers ” was given in a manner worthy of commendation. Miss Ethel Mackay sang her part of Martha in a very creditable style, but her make-up was hardly in keeping with the character. Mephißtoplieles, on whom centres so much, was undertaken by Mr F. England, but the part was too heavy for him. Mr Percy Shannon made a fair success as Faust. His song “Oh fair and tender,” and the duet “ For ever ” deserve special mention, Mr Gainor made the best of bis part of Valentine. The music is hardly suited to his voice, but he succeeded almost in spite of himself. The dying scene was a careful bit of actimr. Miss Lucy Cobb danced a pas seul to the waltz song in the second act. To Mr Simonsen’s careful conductorship much of the success of the opera is due.

THEATRICAL NOTES. Miss Genevieve Ward has lately been playing ‘Forget me-not ’ in London, and is still supported by Mr W. H. Vernon. ‘The Bells of Haselmere,’ a London drama which Williamson, Garner and Musgrove have lately imported, has been a great success in Melbourne. The firm’s specially imported English actor 3 arid actresses appeared in the drama, and are highly praised. Hugo's Minstrels are in Christchurch, where, as usual, they are drawing crowded houses. Mr George Miln, the American tragedian, has evidently got money, but not sense. In Bfflarat, recently, he called a meeting to consider the advisableness of erecting a statue to Shakespeare, and subscribed £SO himself. The Ballarat citizens responded well, and £236 was put up. The statue is to cost £ISOO,

Harry Rickards is likely to visit New Zealand with a variety company shortly.* The Kingsley Brothers, a pair of fancy bicyclists, were at Christchurch last week, and are pronounced wonderfully clever. Our mutual friend, Mr A. H. Lawrence (who was here with Genevieve "Ward and afterward with Wybert Reeve, has been playing ‘ Quiip’ at Melbourne recently to the Nell of Miss Katie Putnam, the American actress. Result,..indifferent success. Sir Arthur Sullivan is engaged on the music of a new opera. The .D’Orsay Ogden company were last week at Napier, where they were doing well, ‘ Baby ’ Ogden being generally admired. * The Sydney Bulletin immortalises the following mistakes of critics:—‘When Creswiclr first played , ‘"Virginius”at theburnt-down Melbourne Bijou, a pressman sent round a note to the tragedian asking him the name of the author of the tragedy. Creswick bitterly sneered at a man coming to criticise a celebrated play without having the author’s name. In Adelaide some years ago a scribe engaged upon a bi-weekly sheet stated that “ His Last Legs ” was written by Shakespeare. And yet another'pressman in Brisbane, when entertaining a company composed of theatricals, quoted some lines from “The_L_ady of Lyons ” and ascribed them to the “Divine William.’’’ Mr J. L. Toole is credited with having said to an interviewer lately ‘ I have often thought how much I would like to see Australia, not only as an actor but as an English traveller visiting a glorious part of the empire. I am told I could make a very successful professional tour; moreover, it would be a delightful change, and like visiting old friends.’ * May I say there is a reasonable prospect of your visiting the colonies ?’ queried the interviewer. ‘Yes, indeed you may,’ replied MrToole ; ‘ if I can see my way to make the trip I should like it beyond anything.’ • The Vivian Dramatic company were in Dunedin last week, Maying ‘ Lady Audley’s Secret,’ ‘Cast upon the World,’ ‘East Lynne,’ etc.

Mr George Darrell is in Queensland with a dramatic company. The Simonsen Opera company have been playing to good business at the Theatre Royal during the week. A new York correspondent states that Mrs Langtry, disgusted at the pecuniary success achieved by her American rival, Mrs J. Brown Potter, has decided to leave the stage for ever. When the two ladies were playing in that city at the same time, Mrs Langtry had very poor houses, while all the town flocked to witness Mrs Potter’s rendering of ‘ Cleopatra ’ and her wonderful semi-transparent draperies. ‘ Cleopatra,’’however, was superbly stagec, and as a spectacle it has scarcely been equalled on the American stage. Auckland amateurs have produced * lolanthe’ with great success. The Vaughan (Thornton) sisters are in Auckland with a variety company. Miss Georgie Smithson is conducting popular concerts in the same eity. Autolycus.