HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18466, 30 January 1922, Page 3

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE

"THE LILAO DOMINO.” "The Lilao Domino,” which was staged at His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday night by tie J. C. Williamson Company, quickly won the favour of a laige audience, and as the musical comedy proceeded it gained increasingly in the first favourable impressions. It may be said that there is no great outstanding feature of the comedy, and iii tliat practically lies its success, paradoxical as it may appear. The piece lo so well balanced, in, lact, in its noting, its musical numbers, it chorus work, its pathetic and humorous interludes, and its staging that it cannot fail to win appreciation. There is, moreover, a plot which is not intangible, and which sufficiently enables the author to work out many interesting situations. The opens at a ball, during a Domino party, whore Georgino J., the daughter of the wealthy Cornelius Clevcdon, falls asleep in a curtained recess. She is awakened ,by a kiss from her admirer, the Hon. Audre D'Aubigny, who. however, does not recognise his masked charmer, D’Aubigny, Mosper Woodhouae, and Norman K. Calmain, are a trio of impecunious young men about town, and in a spirit of foolishness they decide, to escape for ever from the depressing effect of lack of the ready cash, that, one of them shall many the daughter of the wealthy Cornelius, and thus become able to support himself and also the other two. Thu throw of the dice is to find the suil/or for the heiress’s hand and heart 1 ’Aubigny loses the throw, and enters o'! his more or leas congenial task. The thought of the lady in the Domino is still uppermost in hia mind, but he nevertheless wins the heart of the beautiful Georgina. But before the satisfactory climax is reached, and D’Aubigny is made aware that the lady in the lilac Domino and the daughter of Cornelius Clevedon are one and the same, the plot whereby Georgino is put up to the bid of a throw from the dice, so to speak, is accidentally betrayed to her by a Spanish gipsy violinist. This distasteful discovery having been satisfactorily pushed aside by D’Aubigny the happy climax was reached in a beautiful stage effect, the performers throwing halls of ' coloured streamers into the auditoniiim, which soon became interlaced with streamers from stage to audience. There are many excellent musical numbers in the comedy, that whioh met with the greatest success being ‘‘All Dave’s a Delusion,” the finale of the second act. This is whore the plot of the impecunious trio is revealed to Georgino and she scorns her lover. The duet between Miss Maxwell (Gcorgine) and Mr Claude Flemming (Audre D’Aubigny) is a line piece of vocalisation the dramatic soprano of Miss Maxwell, and the robust baritone of Mr Flemming being heard at their best. Miss Maxwell and Mr Flemming also sang well in the duct “What is Done You Never Cbn Undo,” but in the duet and chorus “Song of the Chimes,” they were not so successful, there being a slight shrillness and hardness in the lady’s singing. Miss Maxwell also sang the solo “I So Seldom” with effect, but it was in her concerted numbers tliat she was heard to the beet advantage. Apart from her singing Mias Maxwell is a clever actress. Mr Flemming has a fine voice, os ho fully demonstrated in his opening song “Let the Music Play,” and he maintained the first excellent impression right through the comedy. Ho haa a fine stage presence, but, is now rather portly for tile young impassioned lover. The other leading vocalist was Miss Edith Draysou (Leonie Ford, Georgine’s friend). Miss Draysou quickly woo approval and appreciation of her singing. She has a, sweet, well-trained voice, excellent enrunoßatton, and a very fine appreciation of tone values and general effect. Her singing of “True Love Will Find a Way” with Mr Valen- , tine, was well done, and “For Your Love I’m Waiting” was another artistic effort. Both songs were encored. Tito company is nttong in male phomsea, and toe full chorus work was also effectively carried out The quintette “Ladies Day” was quite a feature in this connection. The comedy part of the performance is in the capable hands of Mr George Gee and Mr Hugh Steyne (the two impecunious friends of D’Aubigny).' Mr Lon Vernon {Cornelius Clevedon) «nd Mr William Valentine (dovedon’s nephew)!,/also , showed, with the limited opportunities which came their way, that they had o true sense' of comedy work. Mr Geo was mercurial. He is an attractive eccentric dancer, his facial play is remarkably clever, and, in fact, in everything he s did he aroused the spontaneous amusement of the audience. It is seldom that a comedian of Mr Gee’s all-round ability has appeared on a Dunedin stage. Hia humour is never forced, nor is it, extravagant. Mr Geo’s dance in (he third' act earned him a oouble encore. Mr Steyne is also a clover comedian and a versatile dancer, and he ably seconded the efforts of Mr Gee. The burlesque dances—the Polka and waltz—by Miss Drayson and Messrs Valentine, Vernon, Gee, Steyne, simply brought down the house. Mr Gaston Mervale once more proved to Dunedin ’ audiences what a finished actor he is by his impersonation of , Oarabana, conductor of the. Spanish orchestra, and it was a real pleasure to watch hia art, whioh concealed art. Another old friend in Miss Marie Baton played the part of social companion to Georgino in acceptable style, and Messrs V. A. Browne and Jack Dunne (waiters) capably filled the minor parts allotted to them. Miss Moie Baird and Mr Thompson presented a couple of dances in charming fashion—a fox trot and a Russian dance. The chorus girls look charming. They ■were beautifully costumed, and went through their work with the meet praiseworthy abandon. The staging of the three acts was splendidly conned out. that of the third act being most gorgeous. The moonlight effect on the sea in the bock ground was quite realistic. The orchestra under Mr Cass Downing played excellently and with due regard to the singing voices of the company. “The Lilao Domino” will be presented again to-night.