THEATRE ROYAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13316, 19 June 1907, Page 5

THEATRE ROYAL.

RICKARDS' VAUDEVILLE COMrANY. I Mr Harry .Eickards' Vaudeville Company commenced their, Timarit season at the' Theatre Royal last evening, when the; ; downstairs portion 1 of the house was crowded, and the circle well filled. The programme was opened by Mr Harry Hart a, vocalist of than ordinary excellence, who sang " Down where the Swam® River flows" in a. manner which well deserved the encore demanded. Mr George Dean followed with a couple of intensely amus- " ing nuUibe-rs, " Romance and Reality " and! a sketch of married, lift, and at a. later stag'e of the programme his rendition of "Woman's Moods and Tenses," another highly humorous song, evoked a repetition of the applause which followed his first appearance. Miss" Ada Sadler, who. possesses a very pleasing', cbntraKo voice, sang a couple of ballads in a most sj-mpathetic : manner, entirely winning the approval of her audience. " Coster Joe" then ap--1 peared under the tutelage of- Mr Fred Russell, who was able by his veniriloquiaT powers to provide several minutes of amusement, and at the same time to excite admiration of his skill. " Coster Joe " ; is a puppet of almost human naturalness and impudence, in Mr Russell's hands, of a kind seldom if ever witnessed in Timaru. "King and' Benson," the former uniformed as a' messenger boy and the latter in the , costume of it music-hall provided one of the most successful and popular contributions towards the programme. Both possessed of very fine voices, with a sparkling wit and breezy vivacity, they sang ballads, humorous songs in duet and solo, danced and acted' burlesque turns, and had to respond agairi and again to the applause which followed each effort. A •ballad of a stirring character, sung by Mr Harry Rocbfort, closed the first part of the programme. He later appeared with Mr Hart in the duet "Excelsior," which was veiy finely rendered. The main feature of the performance of . the two Ob a rleiKS was a. wonderful display of balancing and juggling by Mr Charlene. Commencing with a top-hat, umbrella and overcoat, he balanced them on his head, and tossed them from hand to hand, _keeping the three unwieldy articles in motion as simply as though they were billiard ball's. These were followed by other astonishing feats with bottles, plates, bowls, etc. Madame Charlene gave a performance on the xylophone, on which sh? is said to be the finest player in the world. Certainly anyone who could surpass her performance of some of the fastest musical compositions, which she played, would b? little short of miraculous. This item is one that can only be heard to be believed. Tlifi Charlenes ' concluded their " turn" with another astonishing display of juggling, this time of three blazing torches, by Mr Charlene, accompanied by Madame Charlene on the xylophone. Miss Cassie Waimer, " The Dusky Princess," appeared in a number of music hall impersonal-ions, " The Star on and off th-si Stage," a cijon song sung in ti- English and American styles, and concluded her performance with a very fine display of step dancing. The latter included several minutes' dancing on one foot only, and the whole item was a, most popular one. A very good bioscope series ot the whaling industry, showing all the phases from start to tinish as conducted 'by modern: methods, arid a good: humorous film, formed the finale of the programme. The company will give, their second performance this evening, wHen this " combination of all-stars" should receive good patronage in the shape of another crowded house- *