WILLIAMSON'S OPERA COMPANY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2921, 9 March 1910, Page 69

WILLIAMSON'S OPERA COMPANY.

" The King of Cadonia."

I A very large audience welcomed the appearance of Mr J.. C. Williamson's new comic opera company at His Majesty's Theatre on the 7th, when "The King of Cadonia" was presented for the first time on the local stage. " The King of Cadonia," summed up, is brightness and colour materialised. Spectacularly considered it is a triumph of gorgeousness. It presents the well-k.iowrr elements of musical comedy cleverly and artistically mingled. Its humour is buoyant and breezy, its sentiment is of gossamer-like airiness, its characters are as romantic as unworldly, and its action never goes at less than a hand-gallon An equai essential, however, to the success of the piece is the fact that the whole is set to music of very bright and effective order, for which Messrs Sidney Jones and Adrian Ross, composers whose wo.k is well-known, are jointly responsible. The libretto is generally smart and never dull, what is serious being cut down to an artistic minimum. Kings and princesses and generals are characters of priceless worth to tho writers of opera and musical comedy. The atmosphere of earthly "splendour that surrounds them in the popular imagination is an invaluable stage asset providing pretext and opportunity for the introduction of the brilliant pageants which are the strongest feature of musical comedy, which give it ample justification to the ravished eye :>f the public, and permit stage management to claim some of its greatest triumphs. From a spectacular standpoint the second act of " The King of Cadonia" has probably not been surpassed in a locally-staged production. Itpresents the regal palace, and the fine harmonious proportions of the interior depicted combine with the brilliant uniforms of the soldiery, the bewildering toilets of the courtdames, and the glowing pageant that culminates with the King's entrance, to contribute a rare visual feast. The plot on which the piece pivots is of entertaining and whimsical desc-iption. Cadonia is one of those out-of-the-workl principalities, of which Rumania stands a type, in which royalty is as pompous as it is ridiculous. Many Cadonian sovereigns having paid the penalty of their exalted position through the solicitude of the Anti-King League, young Alexis, the hero of the comedy, remains intact, thanks to his close confinement in the palace. He wears a beard and moustaches because nobody can bo trusted to remove them. Over the neighbouring Duchy of Alasia presides an eccentric duke, whose mortal fear is that, being heir to the throne of Cadonia, he may any minute learn that Alexis has met a tragic end, and • that he will be summoned to wear the crown and inherit the consequences. The Dak© having a daughter, arrangements are made that she shall marry Alexis, whom she has never seen. Being a young man of spirit, the King - is not more taken with the idda than the Princess, and seeks a way out of the difficulty. A trustworthy barber being found, the King is at once transformed and improved in appearance, and being' unrecogniisable. carries out a scheme he ho:- formed of escaping from his overattentive advisers and protectors, and mixing with the people especially with a band of Anti-kingir.es, of whom a desperado, Laborde by name, is chief, in order to find out what kind of a king his subjects really went. While thus masquerading he encounters the Princess, and each finds at orce an affinity it: the other. On the disappearance of Alexis the Duke is made Regent of Cadonia, with the terrible prospect of being crowned at a Certain hour if thd King has not then been found. In the 1 interval Alexis has appealed to his comrade Laborde as just the - type'' of sovereign Cadonia should have,; and Laborde undertakes to shoot the real King in the palaca when he does make his promised apearanoe. The climax of the comedy is reached* when, at the appointed hour, Alexis, no longer masquerading, appears before an expectant assemblage

in all regal dignity. Laborde drops tii( weapon, • recognising that Cadonia has al kvt got a king worthy of the name. The Princess is not more delighted than the Duke, who has bee.i living on the roof of the palace as the safest place for a man of his expectations, and all ends happily. The company is a strong all-round organisation, and the leading parts are in very capable hands. It is always a strong merit in a musical comedy that it presents not one bit several characters which stand out by virtue of personality or eccentricity, and "The King of Cadonia" has this recommendation. Mr Herbert Clayton thoroughly, suits the part of Alexis, which he imper-i eonated admirably throughout. There was alwass an excellent vitality about his work, and his stage presence was a material asset! to his presentment. Mr Clayton was hearct to advantage vocally, moreover, in two takings duets with Miss Dorothy Court (as Pvincesi Marie), and used his baritone voien with particularly good results in a most effective rendering of one of the best numbers in the piece, the patriotic song, " There's a king in the land to-day. As second baritone Mr Frank Greene mad© a very favourable impression by his easy, treatment of the part of Captain Laski, the King's enterprising satellite, and sang: his numbers with zest, although handicapped as were most of the soloists in the first act by too robust an accompaniment. The comedian par excellence of the production is Mr Bert Gilbert. To attempt to describe Mr Gilbert's achievement of the humorous would be pathetic and undeserved.: It suffices to say that the Duke of Alasia 13 the very froth and champagne of " The King of Cadonia'' bouillabaisse. Mr Gilbert is the most infectious of comedians, and] made much capital out of his songs, "Don't forget to shoot" and "' Things I know I could do,-' besides participating with Miff Lottie Sargent in a most humorous duef " Disguises," which culminated in the reit dering of the Apache Dance, a weird realistic, and very clever performance, which is quite a feature of the piece. Mi;! Sargent's acting in this Parisian reminis cence was noticeably effective, and througho'lt her part of Malitaa, maid to the Princess, she showed herself a particularlybright comedienne and vocalist and dainty, dancer. Of her songs "Situations" was perhaps the most effective. As the Princess, Miss Dorothy Court appealed to the audience at once as a graceful and very natural actress, her stage work gaining artistic effect by its very restraint. Possessing a light but flexible and pleasing soprano voice, her singing was always acceptable, the ballads "Thj wind of . love" and "Prince Charming" (by Madame Liza Lehmann) being perhaps her best efforts. Excellent comedy of the ponderous orde» contrasting well with that of Mr Gilbert was provided by Mr Victor Prince as Bran, <a soldier servant, whose brains and .couraga have run to girth. The role is a iuost amusing one, and Mr Prince made capital use of his oportunities, which were mostly provided in association A'ith Miss Sargent and Mr Gilbert. Mr P. Bathurst. as Laborde, Mr C. r Beetham as the pompous General Bonski, Mr A. Lissant as the Duke'a secretary Panix, and Miss Ada Stirling as the Duchess all sustained roles of soma prominence satisfactorily. The members ofi a capable and well-balanced chorus sang their music with welcome zest, having several good numbers to render, and an effective ballet was introduced in the first act. The orchestra, under Mr Fritz Hart, gave the production very capable assistance, though not always subduing its accompaniments sufficiently. The comedy had a tnosfc appreciative reception throughout.