ENTERTAINMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7929, 12 October 1911, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

ODE. MISS GIBBS.

THE BEST MESICAL COMEDY YET,

We have heard of Miss Gibbs for bo long that in our welcoming of her last night there was a special note of gladness; wo heaved a sigh of satisfaction over a tension relieved. Satisfaction ail the better founded because Miss Gibbs proves to be altogether worthy of her enviable reputation. "Our Miss Gibbs” is musical-comedy absolute. It never for a moment pretends to be comic opera, and it never degenerates into stupid farce. The music (by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monokton) is catchy, varied, pleasant, and in no case merely vulgar. The story is thin and not in the least original; but still a good enough story in its way, and reasonably well sustained throughout. Tho piece is admirably mounted and beautifully dressed. There are so many charming girls in it that a mere scribe of no exceptional parts is moved to wonder why Australians ever leave home. iho orchestra, conducted by Mr Intz idart> who is a misician oi keen intelligence, is adequate and hue. • First mention must naturally go to Miss Gibbs herself. Tho Miss Gibbs of this production is Miss Blanche Browne. She is convincing and desirable and sweet; a sonsy, wliolcsonie, unaffected English girl. Her acting method is direct and simply, but there Is still somo subtlety In her charm. Sho na-s a flexible speaking voice of good colour, and her singing, never exactly brilliant, is always quite effective. Her style is graceful and modest. In the world of musical comedy nothing elso matters quite so much as the girl does, and this time Miss Brown© is emphatically the right girl in tho right place.. Very sprightly and winsome, ; too, is, Miss Conni© Milne, as a pert and kissable minx of good family; and Miss^ -Nelh©' Wilson, as Madame Jeanne, a Scottish dressmaker with a carefully Frenchified accent, gives a shrewd and generally excellent performance. Praise is due to Miss Nellie Calvin, who ‘ plays an impecunious woman of fashion remarkably well. Some sort of praise, too, must go to Miss Fitzmaurice Gill, if she really intends what she unquestionably does. She plays a duchess, and makes her easily and absolutely the most impossible duchess in the world, the most amazing duchess that never was on sea or land. If these actresses would take time to reflect that an English .duchess probably has at least the gloss ot a gentlewoman, we should never see one of these impossible duchesses at all. In this part, Miss Gill is ineffective when she keeps silent, but vastly more ineffective when she talks. She stands tor a fault in stage-management, for it happens that in this production a frankly impossible duchess strikes a peculiarly jarring note. There are many other ladies in the cast, but they do nothing to justify detail of reference. As to tho men. W© have back Mr Andrew Higginson, a capable actor whose performance in '‘The Merry Widow" was better than his performance in "Our Miss Gibbs'" is, Mr Higginson is remembered for his staggeringly effective simulation of decorative inebriety. In the present play he is tremendously and portentously sober right through. Last night Hr. Fred Lesli©, always a- conscientious worker, was apparently somewhat indisposed. His impersonation of the "crook" Slithers was good, but not consistently good. But the company is especially fortunate in its comedians. Mr Leslie Holland, who plays the Honourable Hughie < Pierrepoint. has abundant dash and vim, and had his audience with him throughout. But Mr Bertie Wright is perfectly delightful, He works hard, and never makes a slip. His work is so quick and so clean that it is a pleasure to see him on the stage. Mr C. R. Bantock plays a small part somewhat heavily. Mr Arthur Lissant must be congratulated, on his shrewd sketch of a family solicitor. and Mr Frank Stirling quite capably walks through the part .of the manager of the big shop Miss Gibbs works in. There are some very good eongs and choruses in "Our Miss Gibbs." Mr Higginson sang "My Yorkshire Lassie with good effect, although his voice was tired. Miss Nellie Wilson has a catchy song about bats. From tho musical standpoint, tho best item in tho show is Miss Browne's song " Moonstruck.. Ae wo noted earlier, this young lady has not much voice, but she uses it wisely, and sho has a rare and delicate sense .of humour. Her first song. “Mary,” was not so successful. She bore an elective part in a duet with Mr Wright and a duet with Mr Holland. Two duets with Mr Wright, by the way, for, the quaint, and dainty “ Our Farm ” was a thing to be remembered gratefully. . Mr Holland made tho most of the familiar “ Yip-I-Addy-I-Ay.” Miss Connie Milne's singing-voice is occasionally a trifle strident, but her cuddlesome ditty of “Arms and the Man” was given with great spirit and nerve. The famous Danse du Vaunen turns out to bo not at all a terrible thing. Miss Ivy Schilling is a comely and beautifully proportioned girl who dances superbly.. Mr Fred Leslie is an excellent dancer, but last night was plainly not at his best. Indeed,- one rather suspects that tho dance was cut somewhat short last night. Otherwise, there is nothing to justilfy any great sensation about it. It has abundant dash and vigour, but is innocent of all vicious or criminal suggestion. And when all is said, we still find that we must leave unsaid tho thing that it is in our mind to say. The charm of Miss Gibbs is a charm that defies analysis. Last night the company had a somewhat heavy handicap right through the first act. You know how capricious a Wellington audience can be. Last night, for tho first hour or two, tho audience was dreadfully pawky and cold, unresponsive as so many images of wood well sodden.* The people on the stage fought against' the thing, and in the end fought it out of existence; but for some time it was undeniably heavy work. The second act went with a swing. That is how any performance of “ Our Miss Gibbs” should go. It is essentially a happy trifle; a thing to make folks glad and scare away tho megrims. It lilts. It skins. It twinkles. It would bo worse than stupid to take it seriously. Indeed, this play would lie a sort of agony to the inveterately serious person. Wo have had no other musical comedy quite so brilliant and satisfying. We shall have no other musical comedy to equal it in its own lino; for in this field the best things are inimitable. One understands now why in Sydney and Melbourne folks went io “Our Miss Gibbs” again and again. She is a damsel who could scarcely become monotonous. When you' meet her you find that she is an old friend, ono of the family. You are on good terms with her immediately. If you have one regret, it is that you have not met her. sooner. Anyhow, you will certainly want to call again. Lord Islington was present with a party from Government House. The theatre was packed in every part. All the fashion and the fuss was there, and seme scores or hundreds of others would have been there if they had been able to get seats. Scats are at a premium.

x HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

There was a very large attendance at His Majesty's Theatre last evening to witness the final presentation of tho programme first submitted on Monday night. It included a number of excellent films and all were heartily applauded. This evening the midweek!?change trill be made, and a perusal of tho advertisement in another part of this paper will'give a good idea of what the pictures should be like. The Messrs Fuller take especial care to import only

the best pictures, so this, evening no one should go away disappointed.

THEATRE ROYAL,

Another largo audience visited the Theatre Royal last evening, when every item on a long and varied programme was enthusiastically received. The .National Duo have become decidedly popular. and the Musical Sheppards provide an act that is clever and artistic. The programme will bo repeated to-night.

THE NEW THEATRE.

Numbers were again unable to gain admission at tlio New Theatre last evening, when the romantic photo-play The Price of Beauty" was.shown as the mam attraction at the continuous picture entertainment. The other items are of a thoroughly enjoyable character. Ihe current programme will be presented for the last time to-day and to-night. “The Price of Beauty'' will be repeated until Saturday night.

THE STAR PICTURES.

The Star Theatre, Newtown, was well attended last evening when the current series of animated pictures were shown for the last time. There will bo an entire change this evening, when a fine selection of the latest dramatic, scenic, comic and travel conceptions will be introduced.

COMPETITIONS.

The New Zealand Competitions Society has fully justified its title at the outset: The response even this first year makes the festival a national event. There are over 1800 entries, from no fewer than sixty-three different towns. There will bo slightly over TOO competitors in the elocution sections, and just about the same number in the singing. Wellington furnishes the admirable, total of 807 entries,- but no fewer than 98-4 entries come from places outside the capital. For the choral competitions choirs como from as far south as Dunedin, and as far north as Auckland. For the popular elocution and singing, sections Dunedin furnishes 162 entries, Auckland Hi, and Christchurch 115. There are 39 entries in tho .elocution classes from little Greymouth alone. As very many _of these country and provincial competitors will bo accompanied by friends or relatives, it will readily be seen that there will be a big influx of folks to Wellington during the period of the festival, which opens on October 25th, and closes with two monster demonstrations by the ■winning singers, elocutionists, instrumentalists, choirs and comediettists on the 9th and 10th of November.

"CASEY."

Tho famous performing chimpanzee, "Casey," arrived by the Warrimoo yesterday, en route for Hastings, where ho will give, a series of performances on the Agricultural Society's show grounds on Wednesday and Thursday. He is ‘also visiting the main centres of the Dominion, performing here about Christmas week.

LIEDERTAFEL CONCERT.

'The Wellington Liedertafcl gives one of its pleasant concerts to-night in the concert room of the Town Hall, when amongst the part songs will be sung a vocal arrangement by De Rille of the "Hungarian March." Mr F. R. Johnstone is assisting the Liedertafel, and will play two 'cello solos. Mr R. B; Williams and Mr Hugh Wright will be the society's soloists, the former singing "Who is Sylvia?" Schubert).