GRAND OPERA SEASON.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1839, 6 January 1920, Page 4

GRAND OPERA SEASON.

IMPORTANT MUSICAL EVENT. I After successful runs both in Sydney : and Melbourne, the new grand opera ! company organised by J. C. Williamson, 'Ltd., will commence its Christehurch season at the Theatre Royal on Friday, [Jamiarv 16, with the ever-popular I"Faust." "Tales of Hoffman," "La jßoheme," "Madame Butterfly," "I jPagliacci" and "Cavalleria Rustiicana," "Carmen," "II Trovatore" and I "La Tosca" will bo staged in the order named. The company, comprisjing 134 performers and a full operatic orchestra, is one of the largest ever seen in the Dominion, and is at present | playing to phenomenal business in Wellington. In addition to Miss Amy j Castles, who is making a welcome reappearance, it includes a number of English, American and Continental singers new to Dominion audiences. | Those who are making their first apipearance here include Ralph Errolle, ! lyric tenor, from the Metropolitan j Opera, New York; Carl Formes, baritone; Walter Wheatley, dramatic bariitone; Alfredo Valenti, basso profunrlo; [and Tom Minogue, baritone. The Australian artists who won much comjmendation during the recent season in the Commonwealth are Misses Gertrude Johnson, Strella Wilson, Elsv Treweek, Patti Russell, Vera Bedford, /Thelma I Carter and Eileen Castles. Mr Errolle, the tenor, has achieved an outstanding I success. During the season he will appear as Faust in Gounod's immortal opera of htat name, Rudolpho in "La Boheme," Hoffman in "Tales of Hoffman" and Lieut. Pinkerton in "Madame Butterfly." In these roles Mr Errolle has won ft great name for himself in America and on the Continent, ilr Walter Wheatley, who is an American, studied opera in Milan and Paris, and has appeared in opera in Italy, at Covent Garden and at the Century Theatre, New York. Mr Carl Formes has sung in opera at La Scala (Milan), Covent Garden and New York. Mr Alfredo Valenti studied under Sabatini, at Milan. In America he was one of the principals of the Boston Grand Opera Company. It is stated that the season is to be of the "popular" order as far as the prices are concerned. As already indicated, the opening opera will be "Faust," with Amy Castles, Ralph Errolle, Alfredo Valenti, Carl Formes and Thelma Carter in the cast. On Saturday, January 17, the first presentation in Christchurch of Offenbach's brilliant work, "Tales of Hoffman," will be given, with Eileen Castles, Ralph Errolle, Carl Formes, Alfredo Valenti, Elsy Treweek and Patti Russell as the leading characters. The box plans for the entire season will open at Milner and Thompson's next Monday morning.