GEORGE WALLACE REVUE

Southland Times, Issue 23182, 24 April 1937, Page 21

GEORGE WALLACE REVUE

LIVELY SONGS AND DANCES A PRODUCTION WITH HUMOUR Bright times are brightly welcomed b ythe Connors—Paul Vaudeville Company in its new revue “Hello Prosperity,” which was presented to a big audience’ in the Civic Theatre last evening. This new show has everything to commend it. The humour of George Wallace is as infectious as ever, the ballets provide lively song and dance numbers, the specialty turns are of a uniform standard of excellence and the whole production goes with a swing from start to finish. Throughout the show the costuming and settings of the ensembles, together with the dances, for which Miss Queenie Paul is responsible, provide welcome touches of colour and melody. Principal among the specialty performers are Rex and Bessie, who present an entirely new sequence of steps and dance movements of a most attractive kind. The Marcella trio was again in good form and continued to keep the audience both interested and amused; in a mixture of burlesque and clever acrobatic dancing. Minnie Love delighted the house again with diverting impersonations of well-known stage and screen personalities. Mike Connors and Queenie Paul are heard in one or two attractive duet numbers and Miss Paul won popularity also in her song scenes with the ballet. The ballet has one special featured dance, “Little White Gardenia,” which is very attractive, not only for the excellent work of the dancers and singers but also as a result of the colourful and attractive mounting of the turn. The tap-dancing of Edna Hardy and Harry Lock, and of June and Ginger the singing of Leo Trenette, the wellknown Australian tenor and the work of the Russell brothers and of Delaney and Butt, are other highlights of the show. George Wallace appears in several sketches and farces, all of which brought laughter and prolonged applause from the audience last evening George Wallace is a hard worker, and after two hours of nonsense and merry-making thinks nothing of taking to the boards and dancing himself almost to a standstill. In this show he is seen in many different roles, but whether he appears as a commissionaire, an opera singer or a big-game hunter, his humour is always to the fore. Able assistance is given him in his laughter making by Lulla Fanning, Will Miller, Mike Connors and Queenie PauL Among the best of the sketches last evening were: “The Lesson,” “The Domain Orator” and “Short Stories.” The ballet work throughout the show is outstanding. The orchestra, under the direction of Ern Beachem, provides an appropriate accompaniment throughout the show. The programme will be repeated this afternoon and again this evening.