PRINCESS THEATRE.—LADY DON.

Otago Witness, Issue 740, 3 February 1866, Page 14

PRINCESS THEATRE.— LADY DON.

Lady Don's first appearance in New Zealand, which took place on Monday last, w»s a thorough success. The fineness of the weather was a great assistance towards crowding the Princess's Theatre, and every seat was occupied. Amongst those present, there was evidently a laree number who had seen Lady Don in Australia, and were prepared to greet her in New Zetland with all that warmth which distinguishes Victorians in dealing with theatrical favorites ; and there were few of the audience who were not desirous 10 endorse \\\i gold opinion which Lady Don has secured, wherever she has appeared. Lady Don possesses in a marked degree the power of pleasing, apart from any question of merit as an actress or a singer ; and she has merit in both c;i; acities which should unfailingly strengthen the impression which that power of pleasing makes. There is an evident determination to do everything thoroughly in the best possible style ; and to this must be added great experience, which gives a command over all details; and a love of her profession which enables her talent to be used to the utmost advantage. Lady Don appeared last evening in " The Child of the Regiment," aDd " The Maid with the Milking Pail." The Josephine of Lady Don may be taid to be after the refined type of the vivandiere which Jenny Lind gave in the opera, rather than after the vigorously vivacious type which Mrs Fitzwilliam made so famous in the drama. In the scents in which Josephine is tutored by the two aristocratic ladies as to the way in which she should behave on being presented to the Duke, Lady Don's interruptions and "asides" were rather those of a girl who could not quite forget the rough life of the barrack and the camp, than of a fearlessly outspoken damsel who loved in thought to live over her younger days, and who could not possibly restrain herself from mimicking the s em ng grimacerp of fashionable life. We prefer the Fitzwilliarn type, thinking it to b» the truer ; but Lady Don's acting was throughout consistent and excellent. Lady Don song the usual eorjgs, " The Song of the Drum," " Ask me not why," " S"arch through the wide world," " Rataplan," and " Ever of thee." Her voice is not powerful, but it is sweet, and is well controlled, not only for mere music il execution, but for the far higher quality of the expression of feeling. This was especially noticeable — indeed, it w,is the one charm —in " Ever of thee." This song was rapturously encored, and was repeittd -, and the same remarks will apply to nearly every other song during the evening. As Milly in " The Maid with the Milking Pail," Lady Don gave an elaborately-finished picture of the coußtrylaas of the Buck>twnian drama. T he dialect was good, the dress faultless, the ccqietry irresistibly rustic and plfa*ant. It was as delightful and as unnatural as any lover of the dreams of Arcadia could desire; and it genially amused the audience accordingly. The ballari, " My Johnny was a shoemaker' 1 was introduced, and nothing sung by Laciy D. n caused louder or more general app'aase. Yet we think that the introduction of such a ballad is a mistake. Milly is but the assumed character of Lady Lucy Lovelock, who is described as r< fined and a loving patron of the artistically beautiful. Such a ballad is out of keeping with her assumed rusticity ; it is especially so, when sung to give pleasure to one who is charmed by the remembrances of Lady Lucy which Milly calls up, and whom Lidy Lucy loves; and it was made popular amongst British audiences by buing sung by representatives of " The Yankee Gal" class of character, which is just the opposite of everything that can be clashed under the head Arcadian. Lady Don was "callel" at the end of each act of the drama, and again at (he end of the after-piece, and on each occasion bauquets were thrown to her from the private boxes and circle. Her reception could not be otherwise than highly gratifying to Lady Don; and we sincerely trust that the great success of her engagement thus promised f/ill be realised.

Buckstone's comedy, entitled "Rural Feli- | city," which was produced last Wednesday evening, is a very slight composition, there being about as little plot or incident as can be found, probably, in any three-act piec-j that ever survived a first performance. The plot being so slight, it is perhaps a merit that what there is of 5t5 t is obscure; for curiosity as to what is meant to be shown, supplies, in a way, the absence of interest as to how an evident purpose is to be wrought out. Two pairs of fashionable lovers are understood to quarrel, and then the men, followed by the women, make a pilgrimage from London to the village of Snugbury; but instead of finding there " rural felicity," such as the}' had expected, they get into a hornet's nest of inquisitive backbite: s. Each set is in mas-

querade, and alter a lame attack by the gentlemen, the ladies yield, the quarrel — ifl there in one — is forgotten, and the comedy ends with an old fashioned " tag." There are only two pertontiges in the comedy, who can be said to have been favored with " characters" by the author ; but the stage is constantly k^pt unusually filed with the village nonentities, so that there is a semblance of animation. Ceeiia, the principal lady lover, has sufficient originality to be able to assume a well-marked disguise, that of a Scotch lassie ; but her companion, who is said to be a Lancashire lass, might as well be described as being from Devonshire or from any of the Midland Counties, st little is there by which, she can distinguish herself. The best part is tiat of Mrs Culpepper, a widow, who is simply Mrs Candour, with a taste for being smartly libellous which Sheridan did not give to the head of the "scardalous college." L*dy Don was Cecilia, and she looked well, and talked pertly and with a good Scotch accent. She sang, " Comin' thro' the rye," w>th much spirit, and was encored ; and she also gave two other songs, one of them being to the very florid valso tune which Madame Gassier used to sing with such delicious criFpnfsa of tone. Lady Don sfcured by it a hearty round of applause. Miss Sheppardewas the companion of Cecilia. She looked very pretty ; but she has really very little to say or to do in the piece. Miss Dolly Green played Mrs Cv! pepper with laiylike ease and intense feminine maliciousness. There was a pervading self-satisfied purr ; but the sleek tabby had long, sharp claws, and delighted in the use of them. Mrs Wylie, an ancient enemy of Mrs Culpeppar, was made as forcible as possible by Miss Cassy Matthews. Mr John Dunn was very droll as a vulgir serving man ; but it was drollery by a s'rong effort, for Mr Dunn was ro UHwell, that he was aivised by a medicil man not to attempt to appear in the burlrsque. The Comedy, as a whole, was enjoyed by the audience ; and that it was so is a high compliment to Lady Don and those who. assisted her in its representation. H. J, Byron's " great classical and mythological burlesque extravaganza," entitled, " Orpheus and Eurydice," was played for the first time in New Zealand. We do not know how this burlesque would stand in a chronological list of Byron's similar works; but if we judge it by the " internal evidence" theory, on which the German and other commentators of Shakspe;e are so darkly profound, we must conclude that when the author wrote it he was " at the zenith of his matured powers " The quality of the puns is the great test of Byron ; and in this burlesque that quality is execrably good. As to the plot, Orpheus is made a young author we 1 " known to Fame," but not deriving much advantage fretn the acquaintanceship, so far as receipts from Eame's managing men, the publishers, are concerned. This fact gives aa opening for the polite attentions of Aristaeus. a dandy young hunter, who, because of Euryd ice's charms, contrives to get Orpheus arrested as ' a smasher." When the lady has been snake-bitten and ha* been ferried across the Styx by Charon, the audience learn facts in classic history and mythology which are not to be found stated ia the pages of Dr Smith ; but they lead to plenty of jealousy and quarrelling between Proserpine and Pluto. Orpheus, helped by Apollo, follows to rescue Eurydice, but he complicates matters by " spooning" with Proserpine. The old triaPis imposed, at last, that if he will trust that Eurydice will follow him to earth, but will not look back to assure himself that she is following, both shall escape. Of course, Orpheus fails, but we need n>it specify the cause of his weakness. Apollo interferes, and then comes the finale. Lady Don dressed well and looked most fascinatingly as Orpheus. She played with jovial gracefulness ; she " made"' every point ia the clearest style, without labor or a shade of obtrusivencs : and sl^e sang and danced capitally. These are the essentials for success in burlesque acting; and Lady Don was applauded frequently and loudly. Miss Shepparde was Eurydice; and Miss Dolly Green. Proserpine. Mr Dunn struggled with the part of Pluto, but he was evidently suffering much. The burlesque was well put upon the stage; and for a first night it was smoothly played.

The Prince of Wales and Lord Pai> mersion's Death.— Much painful commuit is likely to be arou-ed in society over tv/o unfortunate occurrences in Court circles. On Monday evening the Prince and Princess of Wales attended the opera. On Tuesday night they were to be at the Ilaymarket Theatre. Some will think this not quite seemly, while the body of the late Premier yet lies unburied. All must own that it is very far from being thoughtful or circumspect. Unhappily it is uot the first time a kindred mistake of heedlessness has been noted. While the corpse of the Czar's eldest son — the youth who was betrothed to the Princess of Wales's sister — was lying at Plymouth, there was no diminution of gaiety at Marlborough House— a fact, which stood out in strong contrast with the behaviour of the French Court,— N. B. Mail

Faust and Makgueeite. — Faust — Harry. — Oh ! come back to me. lam dying. Have pity on my poor tortured heart. They say they cannot oppose now. It rests with you. Oh! come, oh ! come, oh ! come. Have pity. Let me see you. Oh! let me see you. Your brokenhearted Margueiite B. . — Advt. in Times.