CARY'S JUVENILE OPERA COMPANY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3963, 10 February 1882, Page 2

CARY'S JUVENILE OPERA COMPANY.

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE. The Juvenile Pirates were again favoured with a good house last evening, when the " Pirates of Penzance" was re-produced. Trip *»•-*-! mil iM-iruiin.iiiut.' <>C Ihio piece went very evenly, and was decidedly better than on the opening night, the performers showing increased vivacity and animation. The solos and choruses were all correctly rendered, and the audience were delighted with the acting o£ the Juveniles. The efforts of Miss Lena Robinson and Master Williams were again favourably noticed, and they were perfectly deserving of the attention bestowed upon them. The audience gave frequent rounds of applause during the evening, thereby testifying their thorough appreciation of the performance. Mr. Gary appeared between the acts, and announced that a special programme would bo given to-night, under distinguished patronage, when " Chilperic" and one act of the " Pirates of Penzance" would be performed. The plot of the musical extravaganza, " Chilperic ; King of the G«.uls," is taken from Leitch Ritchie's History of France, and is related as follows :—": — " A strange circumstance occurred in the palace of Chilperic, King of Neustria. During his absence in a campaign against the Saxons, his wife had brought him a daughter ; but when the infant came to be baptised, the expected godmother failed to appear. What was to be done ? A voice answered from among the females, " Who is so fit to stand sponsor as the Queen herself ? " It was the voice of Fredegonda, .1 peasant girl, the favourite handmaiden ; and the young mother, impatient for the ceremony, and accustomed, perhaps, to be saved the trouble of thinking, at once took the vows. No one stopped her — not the priest himself — they all looked at Fredegonda and were silent. This thoughtless act annulled the Queen's marriage ; for according to the religious opinions of the times, a woman could not bo at the same moment the wife of a man and the godmother of his child. Now, Fredegonda was as beautiful as she was clever and deceitful, and when Chilperic came home, and found that he had no wife, she so managed that he married her, and acknowledged her publicly as his Queen. This was a great fortune for the peasant girl ; but it was only the commencement of: her difficulties and her crimes. Chilpcric'a brother, the Austrasian King, made choice of a wife more belitting his rank, and his nuptials with a daughter of the King of the Goths in Spain were celebrated with such magnificence that Chilperic began to look with discontent upon his own humble alliance. But the remedy was not difficult ; for it was the custom in those days for the barbarian princes to marry more wives than one ; and Fredegonda hail soon the mortilication to see brought home to the palace, in royal slate, another daughter of the Goth." The IfawWn Bay Herald, in referring to this Juvenile Company's performance of this piece, says — "This youthful troupe have conquered difficulties which even practised vocalists have found trouble in. The choruses were well rendered, and, in concerted pieces, the young voices blended harmoniously. Little Lena Robinson, as '•Chilperic," is a marvel of! inherent histrionic talent ; whilst young Willie Gary proved himself a worthy chip of the paternal block. The piece is well moifnted, the dresses rich in coloring, and in excellent taste." The Duchess of Edinburgh, when recently urged to buy an expensive shawl, firmly refused, saying, " I cannot afford it ; take it to the wife of one of my cooks." j