EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4082, 21 June 1900, Page 7

EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS

DIN’S GAIETY COMPANY

“THE GRAND DUKE.”

AMATEUR OPERATIC SOCIETY,

Tiie weather, damp and cold, was not favourable for the,Wellington Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society’s first performance of “The. Grand. Duke,” which was given at the Opera House last night. There was, however, an audience the size of which must have been gratifying to the society, indicating, as it did, a general interest on the part of citizens in it> work. The audience Was numerous and representative, and it followed the uerforraance of the opera with an evident determination to appreciate to the full everything that was worthy of appreciation. To nine persons out of every ten in the theatre, it may be safely assume.l. the piece, was a new one, except so far as some may have been acquainted with it through the medium'of the London Dross notices of four years ago, or perhaps by the possession of the book or score. Th ’ society had also to face a fact of common knowledge, namely, the cool reception which the opera had on its first production. These circumstances were faced, and they were not too strong for the clcyer and hard-working members of the organisation, which has done so much for the pleasure and diversion of local theatre-goers. The name Gilbert in connection with libretti spells everything that is fanciful and paradoxical; and for‘'‘’‘The Grand Duke; or, the Statutory Duel,” the humorist has evolved a plot which- turns on a state of things, as, upside-down as well could, be imagined, and theiLput into the mouths of the various;, characters language , as eccentric as their general, behaviour. It-was no easy task do place such a. work before an audience for the first time and make, it .interesting, but the: society .succeeded in doing that in a manner which, all things considered, cannot be too highly praised. The music wedded to Mr Gilbert’s quaint dialogue and characteristic songs by his talented collaborateur is in keeping with their spirit, in soma Cases to a remarkable degree. Justice was done to. the ,vocal music last night, and the orchestra tipn was interpreted in a style deserving of ,special mention. Mr J. Maughan Barnett was a watchful and capable -conductor,- and the strong orchestra under him was led by Herr Max Hoppe and Mrs A. Levi. As the present; is the first production of “The Grand Duke” in the Australasian colonics, itv will, not be out of place to again sketch the action of the opera. The curtain rises on the market-place of Speisesaal, in the-Grand Duchy' of Pfennig 1 Halbpfennig, where Ernest Dummkopt's theatrical company are celebrating thd./marriage of Ludwig, their chief comedian,, and Lisa-, their soubrette. ,'PtiGr.open.ing chorus declares it to be . “ a, pretty, pretty wedding.” ~ The feast -is, > however, being eaten’ before the CerOinony; because the Grand Duke Rudolph'has selected this very day for a convocation of clergy to. settle the detailsripfhis approaching marriage with the enormousiy-wealthy Baroness von .Krakenfeldt, and there will not be a parson to be had for love or money till 6 'o’clock in the evening. As the company llrfyO to give a performance’ of “Troilus- andd Cressida”-at 7 o’clock* they ■■ af.o'': : rathor ’• awkwardly placed. ‘ Art association’ is’ fortned td dethrone: the-Grand Duke, .who. is as mean as he is despotic.-■ -The association has a secret; sign,. a- “mystic regulation,” . by which kindred.souls - arc made known to each other by the heating.- of sausage rolls. Dummkopfp the; theatrical. manager. is to bo elected-. Grand, Duke, in Rudolph’s stead, ,but- the unfortunate comedian, Ludwig, discloses the revolutionary plot to the Duke's detective, under the assumption that he is confining in a fellow-conspirator. Dummkopf is- naturally much annoyed, and so is his fiancee,,the tprima donna of the company, Julia -Jellicoe. Their prospects ,of becoming. -Grand Duke and Grand Duchess appear to. be- spoilt. At this juncture a notary suggests that Dummkopf and Ludwig : should - fight a statutory, duel. . Ap no tone understands the procedure in such a duel, the notary explains that the disputants must each draw a card from a pack, and that he who draws the lowest 'is thenceforth legally dead, while the winner takes the TovCrV place, with all ‘ its obligations. Ludwig wins the duel with Dummkopf. and afterwards presents himself to Duke Rudolph, who has been rendered extremely unwell by the nows of the conspiracy- The comedian and his Serene Highness differ as* to which is the more miserable man. :. Ludvig has the presence of mind to suggest that the point be settled by mcanS-of a statutory duel. A cause of quarrel is arranged, and the dud takes place. Ludwig having the ace up his sleeve, ' wins; and he becomes grand Duke of Pfennig Halbpfennig. Ludwig’s first proceeding in his exalted position is to revive memories of Athens by making everybody adopt .the classic costumes of .Greece- . Ho discovers, however, that amonc, the obligations which ho has entered into is that of marrying tho ladies betrothed to the men whom he has legally killed in tho two statutory duels. One of these is the daughter of the Prince of Monte Carlo, to-whom the Grand Duke was affianced in childhood. Finally,; a*' solution is found in the true reading of the duelling law, which is that the ace,' which won both duels, is the lowest and not the highest card in the pack. Rudolph conscquent-

ly becomes Grand Duke again, and each would-be bride and bridegroom is finally united as they would desire.

Whilst the first art of the opera was being worked out last night—and, by the ’.v'«y, if E an act of more than ordinary length—the audience must have (been struck with the plain cut and 5 neutral colours of the greater part of tho costumes. The reason for this was apparent when the curtain went up on the second act. There was a complete contrast in both the setting and the dresses for the two parts of the opera. In tho latter a hall with gray, marble colonnades was peopled with men and women wearing picturesque Grecian costumes. The graceful robes of the women were of different colours, ana were foiled by the almost military severity of the men’s dresses. All wore chaplets, and some carried festoons, both composed of flowers. Processions were headed and choruses led by players on trumpets and lyres. Several of the groupings in the second act were very beautiful, and elicited hearty applause. Tho scenery, it may be mentioned, was painted by -Mr Claude Whaite, and the dresses designed from the original sketches, were specially made for the society. ■ ,

In the name part, Mr W. P. Bastin made a decided hit, his impersonation of the miserly Duke having that touch of distinction which it was necessary, should not bo overlooked. There were' some humorously realistic touches iu lus singing of tho descriptive song, “When you find you’re a broken-down critter.” Some capital business between Miss Alice Maginnity, as tho Earonness, and Mr Bastin, caused much amusement. Miss Violet Mount, who was Julia Jcllicoc, redeemed herself by lief line singing. Her treatment of the difficult song, “Broken every promise plighted,” was her chief success. Mist Spillor. as Lisa, did excellently, and her .vocalism, small though her opportunities wore, was quite satisfactory. The Ernest DUmmkopf of the cast was Mr E, J. Hill, who acted with case,, apd satlg fluently and well. Mr Hill was encored for his song,“Wcro X a King in very truth,” and he scored an instant success with the introduced number, “Julia, Darling Julia,” composed for tho occasion by Mr Alf. Hill, and which also Vus encored. No one taking part in the production was more at home than Mr W. D. Lyon was in the part of Ludwig. The character of the comedian is one which could not be spared from tlpe opera, and Mr Lyon gave’ it" due .prominence. He was always amusing, losing none of tho points of his lines or his songs, and the latter were a.s popular as anything in the piece. Mr Geo. E. Parsons was the notary, and rendered valuable assistance, though, like some of the other performers. he seemed to bo suffering from the effects of the recent Fogs. It is late in the second act that the. Prince of Monte Carlo and his daughter make their' apj pearanee. These parts wore well play? od by Mr Marcus Fiimmer and Alias Winnie Birch, whose second-hand suite of notabilities caused a. good deal of laughter. Air Plimmer-showed that he had the proper idea of the character of the Prince, and somfe of Alias Birch’s notes made one wish to, hear her- in ..si more conspicuous role on some future occasion. ; Of the concerted music, the quintet, “Strange the views some people hold,” was far and awa'y the ihost popiu lar item. The chorus, • which is 'over forty strong, sang with good effect, and they may be expected to make the “Eloia” [number ’more striking in the coming performances. The Opera, was played l .'within three hours hist night, which is creditable to tho. stage ,manager. Air ' Alfred Levi; wh,6so.:thoughtfulness was also noticeabld in other directions. Air TV Roberts, is in chgrgo of tho properties and mechanical effects for.the production, and-The wigs, which are a feature in the case of some of the ‘ characters. Have, been provided by Mr F. Wise. “The Grand Duke” will bo played for six nights longer, and the performance to-morrow evening will bo under tho patronage of bis Excellency the Governor.

ST. MARY’S CONVENT PUPILS

ANNUAL CONCERT. The annual concert given by the pupils of St. Mary’s- Convent was - held in the Academy of Fine Arts last night. Nob only was the seating accommodation insufficient for the overcrowded audience, but the singers were heard at a decided disadvantage owing to- the poor acoustic qualities of the building. Notwithstanding these defects tho concert was a pronounced success. Every item on the programme was encored, in two or three instances double encores being insisted on. Miss Katie. Connell, the gold medallist, whose public appearances are limited to these concerts, met with a most flattering reception. Her beautiful flexible soprano and cultured style of vocalisation -were displayed to advantage in a classical recitative and aria by Haydn, but it was in Solvejg’s song that she so greatly excelled-.. ..In response- to an enthusiastic encore she sang with expression and archness “Red, Red Rose,” by Mr- Graham P. Moore, who recently visited Wellington in connection with the Royal Academy pij Music examinations. Miss Connie Maclosky, a gifted. young vocalist, made.a favourable impression with her rendering of ..Gounod's “0. Divine. Redeemer.” In Madame Chaminade’s “Stay,” Miss ■ Maclosky .was honoured with a double encore. In Miss Gwen Flannagan, Sister Mary Agness, the convent’s celebrated teacher, has turned out a very promising pupil, endowed with a capital contralto voice. Her singing of “O Rest in the Lord” was meritorious, but she made the greatest impression in Mr A. J. Hill’s beautiful ballad, ‘‘The World has Grown So Gray.” Miss Sullivan, an accomplished singer too seldom heard-nowadays,.met with a most cordial reception. “There is, a Green Hill” and Helmund’s “Amid the Flowers” were well rendered by Miss Lily White. The same may be said of the sfopgs contributed by Miss Pippin Ballin and Miss Rae Moeller, all of' whom were encored. Many of the singers were the recipients of handsome bouquets. Miss Nettie Falconer received an encore for a Chopin polonaise, and Miss Claire Campion much applause for a “Theme Varie.” Mrs, Murdoch contributed an enjoyable harp solo, and Miss Wrigglesworth, a recitation, for which she was twice encored. The Misses duet charmingly, and took part in a trio with-Miss Shapter. There were about thirty pupils on the stage, which was beautifully decorated, and tho several choruses included in the'programme were all admirably given. The Misses Connell an'd White opened the concert with a pianoforte duet, and the duties of accompanists were discharged by the Misses Flynn and Winnie Connell.

ORGAN RECITAL,

An organ recital was {riven by Mr Tf. J. Pronse at St. Thomas’s Church, Newtown, last night. , The organist pjayed Plant’s Allegro (sonata in A minor), Tours’s Allegretto Grazioso, and HopIdns’s Sunday Morning. Bach’s Fugue in E minor, and Hoyte’s Andante. The performance was esteemed an admirable one by a large audience, especially the Bach Prelude and Fugue in E minor , a piece somewhat difficult of interpretation, and therefore a good test. The soloists were Mr John Prouse, who

sang Mendelssohn’s "Oh, God Have Mercy,” and Foster’s “As It Began to Dawn”; Air Douglas Jackson, who gave ‘Franz’s “Ave Alaria,” and Master L. Short (a choir boy with a sweet voice), who contributed Attwood’s “Turn Thy face from my sins” to an excellent programme.

This Gaiety Company, now appearing at Ibo Exchange Hall, seems to have struck the popular taste iu Wellington, if one is to judge by the large audiences that have assembled nightly greet the performances. The entertainment last night was no exception in this respect to its predecessors. The first part of tho procram me was entitled “High Life On Deck,” and consisted of song;, dances- and negro whimsicalities, tho Mage being made to represent a ship’s-deck.' Air Frank Yorke has lost nom-, of the dry -tumour that- made lus reputation as one of -Sydney’s best negro end-men, and the. comic pat ter of Air Jack Kearns is crisp and snappy. Miss Bridie Packer and Air Gluts. Howard each sing ballads acceptably, and Miss. Annctta Bod in gives patriotic songs in a pleasing way. Aliss Ida Roslyn is undoubtedly the star of the .company. Her voice is musical and pleasing, while her dancing is excellent. Ijltiratvon, the strong map, .handles heavy •weights with astonishing case and dex-rtei-ily, and by his- eduoition .makes a very attractive feature of the programme. The Warsaw Brothers contribute a musical melange, tho duct on-a mandolin and n guitar being a particularly pleasing item. A capable orchestra is included in- the company, which considerably adds, to the attractiveness of the “sho v/. ! '

Tim Choral Hall-was well filled last, night, when the Fuller Waxworks-\ auddvilio Company reyattcd_ the program'ixo of the previous night. Hie variety business was well received, and there is .absolutely no diminution in the 'welcome accorded to the company. :- Too Newtown Brass Bands “social at the Victoria hall v,ms a most successful reunion, over forty couples being present. Early in the evening the band played a selection of American airs in front of the hall, including some of Sousa's most popular marches. The in-iai;geinciits for tlic function were carried out by. a committee consisting of Messrs Smith, Fry, Cummins. Hutchinson end Thompson, tho two latter also acting' as M.’sC. The proceedings were "diversified by singing and instrumental solos, between the dances, and. a ■double step-dance by Alessrs Houchin and Richards was also contributed. The bam! proposes:to give a. free public concert .hortly to [celebrate its second mini versary. |. .The- first annual supper and smoke concert, of the Marist Brothers’/Schools |‘Old Boys’ Association, to be.held iu St. j .Pa trick’s Hall; this evening, promises i p |bo vjv most enjoyable -function. The | committee has- spared no. pains to make it an unqualified success, and lias i‘thoroughly .converted the hall into a j small banqueting chamber, which is very tastefully 'decorated, am. presents a. striking appearance. As the president-. of the association is about to leave oil' a trip to Europe, bis leave-taking will.be made a .special part of the proceedings.. The catering is in the hand;; of Mr ■ Geo. •Ma wsoit. from whom out ire satisfaction may bo expected.