POLLARD'S LILIPUTIAN OPERA COMPANY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 10319, 29 May 1895, Page 2

POLLARD'S LILIPUTIAN OPERA COMPANY.

. OPEN TO-MORROW NIGHT. The charming opera of Olivette, in which the clever juveniles will renew acquaintance with a New Plymouth audience tomorrow night, is by Audran, the composer of La Masco tte, and most* critics prefer it to the latter opera. It was first produced in the colonies at the Opera House, Melbourne, in 1881, where it drew crowded houses for twelve weßks. Since that time it has been a standard attraction throughout the colonies. The plot is very cleverly constructed, and bits a purely Gilbertian flavour. It deals with the wooing of an old sea captain, one Do Merrimae, who is engaged to Olivette by her parents' wishes, though she loves his nephew Valentine. On the day of the wedding the old captain is called away to chase some pirates, and during his absence Olivette persuader "Valentine to disguise himself as his uncle and proceed with the marriage. This is done, and tho wedding duly comes off, but while the festivities are going on the real De Merrimae returns, and is congratulated by everyone he meets on his marriage with Olivette he thinks them all mad, but ! has an idea that his nephew is up t* some trick. While he is trying to unravel the complications thedisguisednephew enters, the meeting of these two dressed exactly alike being one of the moat amusing situations in the whole round of comic opera. There is, of course, a counterplot, in which a needy nobleman, the Due des Ifs, his fourth brother, Cocquelicot, and the Countess de Lucignan are concerned. | The former of these is a bora conspirator, always trying to dethrone someone. -He is, at the time of Olivette's wedding, engaged in ' his fortieth plot, tho other thirty-nine having turned out failures. He is in love with the Countess, and in j order to force her to marry him he is trying to seize her possessions. He is assisted by hi» imbecile brother. Oocquelicot, and the complications in which I these two find themselves keep the audience in roars of laughter. Everything, of course, ends h&ppily after nearly three hours of bright music, clever dialogut, and excellent comedy. The production "will be under the sole direction of Mr Tom Pollard, who bears the reputation of being one of the best stage managers in the colony. ■ Olivette can only be produced for one night. On the following night we are promised another novelty in the shape of Offenbach's grand military and spectacular comic opera, La Fille dv Tambour Major. This work holds 'the Australian record for long runs/as/it was played at the Opera House, Melbourne, for one hundred and twenty consecutive nights to an average of £21$ nightly. It was reckoned at the time; that, Mr George Musgrove, the lucky speculator who managed the company, netted on the season £11,000. There will be an orchestra often picked musicians, under the baton of Mr H. T. Harrison, so well known in the colonies as conductor for many-years with Williamson and Muegrove, • ;t.,,; t ., , '