PLEASING PROGRAMME IS PRESENTED AT THE NEW OPERA HOUSE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18939, 9 December 1929, Page 7

PLEASING PROGRAMME IS PRESENTED AT THE NEW OPERA HOUSE.

The audience at the New Opera House on Saturday night, was convulsed with laughter during the greater part of the production of “ Sunny ” by the talented company that has been presenting musical comedy there for the past few weeks. Again the theatre was packed. “ Sunny.” with its pleasing music and songs. atti’active scenes and pretty ballets, is distinctly of the better class of musical comedy, and, like many equally successful shows, it hails from New York. The story, which is worked out in more detail than usual, begins at a circus. After two pairs of lovers have gone through all sorts of amusing troubles they are left on the way to live happily ever afterwards. The plot has a simple framework. “ Sunny ” (Miss Betty Lambert), the fascinating daughter of a circus ringmaster, runs away to escape an undesirable marriage and stows away on a trans-Atlantic liner. She finds aboard the ship, however, her lover, at present engaged to someone else, her father and also Jim De.ering (Freddie Forbes), who has left his “ darling Weenie Winters ” (Miss Catherine Stewart) behind him in England There is plenty of scope in this novel situation and the trip -ends with a marriage between “ Sunny ” and Jim Deering so that she may be permitted to land in America. The situation looks complicated, but all the difficulties are finally straightened out satisfactorily. Freddie Forbes, the English comedian, who, as “ Jim Deering,” is the victim of the plot in “ Sunny,” has become a great favourite with local audiences, and i again on Saturday night he was given a splendid reception. His art is not i helped out by any elaborate make-up as a “funny man.” He gains his effect by amusing mannerisms and clever patter full of real wit. As the very sentimental lover who marries someone else to oblige a friend, Freddie Forbes is placed in many humorous situations, out of which he makes a great deal of capital. He is ably assisted by Miss Catherine Stewart, who has several times shown her ability in a comedy lead. She takes the part of Freddie Forbes’s sweetheart, a perhaps not so simple country girl. The scene in which she appears

with Ernest Arnley is particularly good. Mr Arnley, as Mr Wendell-Wendell, the affected owner of a circus, is at his best. He has something original to show in the way of costume. Miss Betty Lambert, as “ Sunny,” the circus girl heroine of the story, had a part that suited her admirably. Her prettiness and good stage appearance are marked assets. She looked her best in the wedding scene, for which she wore a very magnificent gown. Miss Aster Faire, as Marcia Manners, the scheming young lady who nearly wrests “ Sunny’s ” lover from her, had less to do than usual, but she made the most of her part. Fred Webber played the part of Sunny’s lover. He acted very creditably. Cliff O’Keefe managed to add to the fun in his part as Sunny’s father, the circus ringmaster. The music, which is fairly well known, still has as much appeal as ever and the several catchy songs were given on Saturday night very attractively. The title song, “ Sunny,” was pleasingly rendered by Fred Webber, Frank Wignail, Charles Perrin and the chorus. Miss Catherine Stewart and Ernest Arnley were given much applause for their singing c-f “Two Little Bluebirds,” and they were equally successful with a comedy number, “ Strolling.” Miss Betty Lambert was at her best with “Do You Love Me?” and in the duet, “Who?” with Fred Webber. “The Big Four ” quartet again received tremendous applause and repeated encores. The ballet dancing was particularly good. Pretty girls and. pretty costumes were an effective combination. The best ballet was “ The Breakaway,” led by Miss Betty Lambert, who also sang the song. Dainty Miss Verna Bain gave an attractive toe-dance. She also appeared with the girls in a beautifully staged ensemble dance, “ The Story c-f the Poppy.” The excellence of the scenery and lighting effects was an outstanding feature of Saturday’s production, and many beautiful costumes were worn.