Pollard's Opera

Colonist, Volume XLI, Issue 9267, 3 September 1898, Page 2

Pollard's Opera

"THE GAY PARISIENNE." Thk Theatre was packed last night, not a seat being available, on the occasion of the first presentation to & New Zealand audience of the tiiusieal comedy " The Gay P.arislerine," which, after a great success at Hdme, came to Australia, to be there enthusiastically received, and we have no doubt whatever it will be intensely popular in this Colony. Mr Pollard having secured ■, the New Zealand rights . from. Messrs Williamson and.Musgrpve^ alsd ofitained the services of W.v'S. B. Watson, who but a year ago came from London as stage manager for their Christmas production, and who acted in like capacity when " The Gay Parisienne " was presented. First of all, then, Mr Watson should receive his meed of praise for the very great success achieved last night ; it is a long time since a piece was as much appreciated by a Nelson audience. The whole Company share in the credit due for so able a presentation, for It is only a fortnight since Mr Watson landed in New Zealand;, and that he has been able in so Short a time to bring the performers forward to the state of perfection exhibited last night is in itself a tribute to the allround ability of the Company. It must be remembered, too, that each night a fresh piece has been staged, so that the task of qualifying for the initial performance of another of the calibre of " The Gay Parisienne" must have been rendered much more difficult. As we have said, the performance was a very great snccess, the piece itself and the efforts of the individual performers alike securing the warm approbation o! an audience, which notably is little given to anything approaching enthusiam. The plot is, as is customary with musical comedies, no more than sufficient to provide such complications and amusing situations as will afford the performers opportunities for keeping the fun going fast and furiously, and sufficiently elastic to permit the introduction of many comic items having nothing to do With the development of the story, tn this case Mr Ebenezer Honeycomb (Mr A. Stephens) a clergyman and " a shining light," by mistake gets on the wrong boat, and is taken across the Channel to France. Once there the temptation to visit Paris is too strong, and he finds while in the gay city Mddle. Julie Bon Bon " The Gay Parisienne " (Miss Gertie Campion) in distress. Anxious to assist her, he accompanies her home, where he is discovered by Auguste Pompier (Mr W. Percy), who, pn<?'ng as her brother, threatens to make trouble, and Mr Honeycomb, to get out of the difficulty, declares that he intends to marry her. In offering a "card, when his name is demanded, he accidentally gives that of his neighbor at Kingston-on -Thames, Mr Amos Dingle (Mr G. Young), a fellowteaeher in Sunday School. In due time a breaeh-of-promise case comes on, Bon Bon v. Dingle. Dingle keeps his friend's secret, but Mrs Honeycomb (Miss Maud Beatty) and her daughter Norah (Miss Marion Mitchell) look with disgust upon poor Dingle, who is quite" disgraced in his neighbors' eyes. Norah's lover, Tom Everleigh (Mr Ernest Fitts) is retained as counsel for the plaintiff in the breach-of-promise case, and is instrumental in bringing Julie Bon Bon, followed by Pompier, to the Honeycomb household, and poor Honeycomb has a bad time of it, till be io disclosed as the real defendant, and flies the country. The second act finds Honeycomb at a Garman spa, where he has assumed Highland costume. Hither comes Dingle, who arranges for the publication of a paragraph in the papers detailing the death of big friend, caused by falling over a precipice, a piece of news which brings the supposed wido.v, her daughter, and Major Fossdyke (Mr Harry Quealy), an old admirer of Mrs Honeycomb, on to the scene. Pompier, who is acting as a spy on the German fortifications, is already there, and Everleigh and others, as tourists, complete the party. Honeycomb is discovered, but having witnessed some love-making between his wife and the Major, he impudently declares that his own conduct in visiting Paris and getting into the mess he did, was all part of a set plan to trap the Major and Mrs Honeycomb, and matters are patched up. The cast was an excellent one, and introduced Miss Gertie Campion, in the title rule, to a Nelson audience. This young lady sustained the part of the bright, not to say gay, Frenchwoman charmingly, and at once established herself oil good terms with the audience. There was a daintiness about everything that Miss Campion did that deserves very high praise indeed. She possesses a very sweet voice, not at all strong, however, and her singing was warmly applauded. Her most successful items were the opening duet and dance with Mr Percy; the duet "Tweedledum and Tweedledee" with Mr Stephens; and again with Mr Stephens in the sketch " First-class and third-class " ; all of which caused roars of laughter, and each had to be repeated. With Miss Maud Beatty, Mr Stephens, and Mr Percy she took part in the quartette " Cock-a-doodle-doo," which was so funny that it had to be repeated. " Susee, do," is a quaint little Negro melody sung by Miss Campion with the advantage of beautiful stage effects, and this also had to be repeated. Miss Maud Beatty showed that she is as capable in a woman's part as in the more robust characterisation such as has devolved upon her in the preceding pieces. Her acting was graceful and artistic, aud sustained her high reputation. Miss May Beatty, as Ruth, the Honeycombs' Cockney servant, was delightful, she acted, sang and danced with a dash and freedom that brought the character into the front rank. Her comicalities went a long way in keeping up the constant murmur of merriment from the audience, and culminated in the song " Sister Mary's high top note." Miss Marion Mitchell's acting and singing with her lover in the first act was bright and taking, and she received many marks of approval. Mr A. Stephens was really first-class, and he prtved once again what a capable artist he is, fairly revelling in the part of Honeycomb, which gave ample scope for the display of his versatility, the division between " the shining light " resident of Kingston and the Scotchman in an exceedingly inconvenient costume being a wide one. The character of Honeycomb will add to Mr Stephens' renown. Mr Percy had a very heavy part, and he was as brilliant as usual, and more than once had to re-appear. His impersonation of the lively dramatic Frenchman was really clever. Mr H. Quealy also scored another success, his representation of the terribly irascible Major of the " Buttersea Butterfly Shooters " fetched the housejin the most convincing manner, and his song, with chorus, "Butterfly Shooters" created a " hit," and the last verse was twice repeated. Mr E. Fitts had a part as the barrister which does not show up strongly where the comic element is so much in evidence, but he acted with taste and judgment, and his singing secured more than one re-call. Mr G. Young was efficient as Amos Dingle, and Mr Nable as Han3, the hotelkeeper, made the most of that part, which is true of all the other minor characters. A number of the choruses and the dances, and the scenic effects, might well be specially mentioned, but space forbids. We should mention, however, that the music is very catchy and tunefnl, and, in conclusion,

■»" 1 "-' r -' , " ■ '-■■ w regret that Mr Pollard does not to-night give another opportnnity for witnessing what has proved by far the most successful production of the present season; There will be a matinee performance of " Djin-Djin " this afternoon ; " Uncle Tom's Cabin " is the bill of fare for to-night, arid on Monday night, the Taranaki boat being delayed till a late hour, "The Gondoliers" will be produced.