RADIANCE OF THE ‘NEW MOON’

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1930, Page 11

RADIANCE OF THE ‘NEW MOON’

;STAGE RETURNING TO ITS OWN.

NORTH TARANAKI WELL PLEASED ' Rising somewhat doubtfully through * dark cloud or two on,the horizon “The New Moon” shone, down with sparkling radiance on well filled rows of ’ seats at the New Plymouth Opera House ' last night, finally ; to set in a blaze of coral-pink warmth, and people went home with that comfortable feel-. I ing that nothing short of a champagne supperdr afirst" rate musical comedy can impart on. a cold night; With all the talk there ■ is these days,-of the inroads of talkies, it was very pleading ; taisee. such a genuine return bl favour to -, the . legitimate' stag?. Only sheer 'merit- in. both the production itself and / 'the ' people who interpreted ,it - could- - haye achieved -such a success, andiAvhile , Messrs. J. C.’; Williamson, Ltd.,.can submit programmes of the quality ,of “The Nbyr Moon,” there need,be. no fear for the ■ future ’ of, the in vNeW; Zealand. The. perfbrmance was not, f with? blit its faults, but people , with .the ■ .warmest and' dearest recollections' ,of " “Lilac . Time,”- “The Student ’ Prince,” .■'“The Desert Song” and “Rose Marie” ,;■ thrilled again, to;the same joys, sorrows and passionate romance on which' “The 1 'New Moon” shed its beams; L ' .'The basis of the story of /The New Moon” is founded on. the life qf Rob-' | ert; Misson,, a. French aristocrat with revolutionary tendencies. The periods of the play is those fateful years in French i , history—l792-1793—-and the ' < J rte’ne in the first act is the grand salon ; of;M, Beaumanoir’s, mansion, near New / Orleans, and in’ the -second act lis iri .the neighbourhood of the Carribean Sea. The hero, Robert Misson,. with his. faith-, ful attendant Alexander escapee from ■;■:. France, where Robert hqs slain a distinguished courtier, arid he and Alexander'ljave become bondsmen to M.;Beau-' rqarioir, who. is the owner of a ship called “The New Moon.” In pursuit- of Rob- ■ 'ert'.thereharrivesi the sinister figure of ; Vicomte Riband,whose duty itt is to 1 /itranspbrt ; Robert-,back ,to France.. In. spite of his inferior position; the’ gal7 laqt' bearing, of' Robert.’ has made a ?Jdirect; ' appeal,: to the susceptible heart #f his master’s daugh-thri^.aniirthe-intricacies of .his wooing constitute the main, features of the love interest, in which he. has for . his rival theteaptain of’“The New Moon.” have confounded the brain of . -many ■* creditor . but gladdened the heart of both players and management . tp^spe-so : few gaps in the long rows bi “the house”'when the curtain went up. . with butterafat., at. ' 10d the shock was so great. that the orchestra slipbed unwittingly into, a discord or two id the' prelude and thereafter: warm- , ed fqp to the task so thoroughly: that ib quite successfully crushed all opposition in. the form of the opening dia- • logue from behind the footlights, but it'sqon settled down to give real ser- . . vice. Anyway, it ip nearly,, alwpys, the two, principles in a ,musical comedy who . make or mar its success, and in this matter “The New Moon” is vqry fortunate. ,On the principle that; “any old ■ night’s a wonderful night if you’re out ’.with * wonderful girl,” thei audience immediately forgot about hard seats and a snow chilled atmosphere under the fascination of tki perfectly delightful .J uriinx Marianne. ; The leading role carries with it a long and exacting sing--ing- part, and Romola Hansen, the’ idol .. of*/The Desert Song,” was better than J , evjeri" , < ' ' ' ; Sidney Biirchall did not have a heavy load to carry in the role opposite the -leading lady, but a lot was demanded of- his voice, which was very pleasing indeed, and in. the romantic settings that from time to time occurred the pair would have carried every young man and maiden in the house into the seventh heaven of ecstasy. -. But quite ‘ apart from these Jim: Gerald was a play in himself. He is a comedian, of a new apd distinctly refreshing, type, and peo- : -.pie of the world who have, had a few . of 'the corners knocked off their romance were helpless in the face of. Mr. Gerald’s ingenuous humour. He over- .. . shadowed but nevertheless . was . most ably'assisted by the quaint maidservant, with whom his love ran not too smoothly. In a large cast of players one carried away appreciative: recollection of the clever, --calculating and sinister Vieompte Ribaud and the handsome but unscrupulous Captain Duval (Leo Darn; ton). ;. Eyery musical comedy has its air or ~two'by which it will always be remembered, and soon every Sir Galahad on the Taranaki coast will be whistling or murmuring the strains of , “One Kiss,’’ . “Wanting You,” and “Lover Come Back to Afe” to the fair beachcombers; even as the latter will sigh with won-' der at the romance of some of' the stage settings. All the latter, and particularthe: lightning changes of scenery, were; very effective, and the realism of • the waves on the deep blue ocean, and the clouds scurrying past in the sky will linger long in the memory. Nor will the new ballets be forgotten, for they, especially the'clog dance and the difficult solo by Jim Gerald, were original to a degree. , - .The company - will close its New Plymouth season to-night with the wellknown favourite “The Belle of New York.”