EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4264, 25 January 1901, Page 5

EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS

THE NANCE O’NEIL SEASON. 2 MAGDA.” A very large audience attended the opening performance of the Nance O’Neil Company at the Opera House last night. In .spite of a continuous downpour of rain, the attendance was so numerous that every part of the theatre was filled. Herr Sudermanu’s ‘‘Magda” was the piece produced. The central fact in this drama is that a girl belonging to a German city leaves her family, passes out of its sight and knowledge for twelve years, and then returns, having in the interval made herself a name as a singer, but having also been the sufferer in a liason which left her a mother. Immediately on her return to the scenes of her childhood her family know of the fame which she has gained in her art. The unveiling of her secret is not accomplished till later; it. is, indeed, the drama itself. The singer is Magda. Her father is a retired army officer, halfparalysed, but still strict in his ideas as to parental authority and filial obedience, and possessed of a strong dislike for the “ modern revolt ” against those principles. Her mother is a memory, and her step-mother is a colourless person. Lieutenant-Colonel Schwartz© is anxious to learn from his daughter whether she has lived a pure life during her absence, and it is her unwillingness to answer his questions and the interviews which she has with him, with her betrayer, and with a clergyman, leading up to and succeeding the disclosure of the truth, which make up an intense and absorbing drama. The various situations are quite unconventional for the most part, and the dialogue is direct and natural.

There is much about the heroine that i» repellent. Her sin is the main thing that might well be expected to cause a prejudice to be felt against her. Why was it, then, that last night’s audience so frankly accepted Magda, as impersonated by Miss Nance O’Neil ? Was it out of sympathy with the “modem re_ volt”? No; that was not the reason. Magda says; “To be greater than our sins is worth more than all the virtue you preach.” It- was because Miss O’Neil made Magda real to the audience, made her stand before them a. living woman, true to herself and her child through all the stormi and stress, that such splendid tributes in the way of applause were heard so often during the evening. In praise of the young tragedienne’s voice a great deal had been said beforehand. It is certainly a magnificent voice. . Whether it can express tenderness may be open to doubt, hut for conveying every shade of scorn, indignation, despair and anguish, its capacity !» very wonderful. Whilst miss O’Neil has a vocal gift of such eminent order,;' she is highly accomplished in the man-' agement of her arms and fingers, with the result that her gestures are in them.-' selves eloquent. As a. further qualifies-;! tion, the actress has extremely expres-i sive features. She has a commanding stage presense, as majestic as her voice; and her poses are appropriate and pic:; turesque. |>

Associated with the tragedienne is a company of capable actors and actresses!' Mr McKee Rankin’s characterisation cf Schwartze was powerful without being' repulsive; it was, in short, admirably convincing. The part of the cowardly counsellor. Dr vcn Keller, was taken by Mr Henry Plimmer, who was cordially greeted-by his fellow-townsmen. Keller is one of the most cleverly-drawn characters in the drama, temporising and parrying when brought face to face with tho consequencds of his sin, and Mr Plimmer reproduced with fidelity tho dramatist’s creation. Mr Thomas Kingston did sterling work as Pastor Heffterdingt, the ,clergyman whose efforts to reconcile! father and daughter are only half-rewarded. Messrs Rankin, PHmmer and Kingston co-operated successfully with . Miss O’Neil in all the important scenes. The other characters in the drama were! satisfactorily undertaken by Miss Josephine Thynne, Mrs Henry Bracy, Mfss Ricea Allen, Miss 'Edith Berry, Messrs Wm. Bernard, J. B. Atholwood and Geo. Becks. The whole performance was followed with deep interest.

To-night and to-morrbw evening Miss O’Neil will appear in the title role of Giacometti’s great historical play "Elizabeth, Queen -of England.” mis drama was written to display the powers of the famous thagediefnne, Madame Ristori, and gives Miss O’Neil excellent opportunities for using her magnificent gifts.. < WIRTHS r CIRCUS. Notwithstanding the wet evening a fcig audience witnessed last night’s performance/. Among the many, clever items, tho riding of the Wirth Brothers,, the hand-balancing of Fred. El Zobedie, Mr P. Wirth’s exhibition with his stallion Moncrief, and the boxing ponies were particularly good. Great amusement was caused by the attempts of two. contingent meki to ride the bucking elephant, which threw them before they were even mounted l . -Altogether the show of the Wirth Brothers is an admirable organisation. Inconvenience was occasioned in several parts of the “house” by the rain breaking through tha canvas, but that is hardly likely to occur at future performances.

There was a very fair attendance last night at the Choral Hall to see the performance of the Fuller Bijou Company. A varied programme was submitted. The Dix Company had a good audience at the Theatre Royal last night. Thel whole of the lengthy programme was well received. At the Federal Theatre lost night Seymour’s Kinematograph Company went through a pleasing entertainment, in which songs and dances alternated with moving pictures. The concert to be given by Miss Alice Hollander will take place at the Sydney street schoolroom on the 6th and Bth prox.