FITZGERALD BEOS.' NEW LONDON COMPANY AND CIRCUS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10598, 19 February 1896, Page 2

FITZGERALD BEOS.' NEW LONDON COMPANY AND CIRCUS.

\ ■■ A SENSATIONAL SHOW. After an absence of over 12 months Messrs Fit* : gerald Bros, have returned to Dunedia with I new circus company, comprising some of the beat talent obtainable in Paris and London, a largo number of highly-trained horses and ponies, and a good menagerie containing some of the finest specimens of lions aad tigers ever exhibited in the colony. The speciul features in the entertau* ment are, however, unquestionably the nbveltiei now introduced into the colony for the first time, of which mention must be made, although, owing to pressure on our space, nothing lik« justice can be done to them. The season wu opened last evening with every prospect of success. A remarkably fine pavilion has been erected, of snch vast proportions that 5000 persons can he comfortably accommodated therein ; and the circus ring, though of the regulation size, appears comparatively small. There was a very large audience, and though all must have attended expecting great things in the way of spectacular effects, none had reason to depart disappointed. -Che performance commenced with a very fins leaping coutest, led by tfraak Jones, the champion high leapcr of the company, whose agility astonished the spectators, and won general aoprobntion. Then followed a clever hurricane riding act by little George Collier, a very young but remarkably efficient equestrian. One of the special features of the programme followed. La Bella Rose, who was engaued for the company in I'aris, where she was performing with much success, gave an exceedingly graceful exhibition of skill— the see-saw act on a large revolving globe. Tha limelight effects, also a novelty here in the ctrcW arena, lent aesistaucs to this and other item* during the evening. The act was received with general approbation, being not only difficult but thoroughly effective from a spectacular point oi view. A capital performance was given by tha trick pony Commodore, a beautiful animal; trained to perfection, who will be remembered by all who saw Messrs Fitzgerald Bros.' circus on its previous tour of the colony. Lea Frerea Eclair, who are styled "the marvellous," merited the appellations. They are mysteriously flexible and agile, and their appearance as "Crocodile" and "Demon" was unquestionably artistic. In this line it does not seem possible that they could be excelled; and it is needless to remark that the performance was duly appreciated. This act ia scarcely describable on paper, it is really a wonderful exhibition of contortion power. The pei former enacting the part of the "Crocodile " did so with great skill, the one hand balancing, and the way in which the body whs bent double fairly astounded everybody. The "Demon" was also wonderfully clever in his contortions, his act of supporting himself on a wooden peg by his teeth being an appropriate climax, but oce that fnirly astounded the spectators. Next came Mdlle. AdeliDa Antonio, the cbarraing Roumanian gymnast aeriat performer. This lady after a graceful performance on the high trapeze, and after playing a tambourine whilst turning in mid air on a fixed bar, turns three somersaults iuto a net some 70ft or 80ft below. Then she is drawn up to the. top of the tent and performs her worldrenowned double backward somersault into the net. Her performance on the ropn is the most graceful we have yet witnessed. Mdlle. Antonio had, we are informed, just concluded a season at tbe London Aquarium, and was induced by Messrs Fitzgerald Bros, to visit this part of the world. Riding and driving five horses by the American importation Burchall followed, and was received with applause. Clown Leonard was the next to appear, and his comical animal act was received with great merriment from young and old. Mdlle. Marguerite and Mr W. K. Jones next gave their cluver Olympian act, and then came another stait'ing novelty — Mahomet, the talking how;. This renowned enuina was introduced by his educator, Mr E. I*. Probasco, who claims that the horse ia really educated, not simply trained. "Mahomet," as tbe talking horse is named, is a very beautiful animal, aud his intelligence, whether trained or educated, is of the highest order, and seems almost to make Dean Swift's Houyhnhnma practicable. A dashing, daring, hurricane hurdle aot was performed liy little Miss Sutton, and then followed a fine exhibition of ground tumbling by tbe company, led by another new-comer Josef SinviiisMn, a splendid tumblerandmostamueing clown. The clowning is a strong feature of the. Dew company, and improbable though it must appear, really contains new phases of clown humour. Some more clover riding followed, and the performance dosed with the wonderful diving feat of Professor Peart, who claims to bo the champion diver of this world. The claim isa ■ large one, bnt when oijo hns siien bis performance it seems by no menns extravagant. After what U termed the "Monte Christo" feat — viz., escapibg while under water from a sack in which he lias been tied up, he ascended to the highest point of the tent, and dived into-a tank containing only about three feet of water. The feat is probably by far thu most sensational ever witnessed as part of an entertainment in the colony. Blondin's rope-walking w»s tame in comparison with it, and the wonder is that it sfeonld be possible. The opinion of the spectators of the net was very clearly pronounced; and it dteerves to be mentioned as one of [ho most wonderful of many remarkable items in the performance. The band is thoroughly tmcient, and completely musical, reflecting credit upon its able conductor^ Herr yon der Slehden, who played a cornet solo splendidly, and altogether everything possible has been done by Messrs Fitzgerald Bros, to make their entertainments successful and to give pleasure to their patron?. The first matinee will be given to-day, and another performance will be given this evening.