LAWRENCE AMATEUR CHRISTY MINSTRELS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 179, 13 July 1871, Page 5

LAWRENCE AMATEUR CHRISTY MINSTRELS.

During the last two or three years Lawrence has been favoured from time to time by visits from dramatic, vocal, and other stars, nearly all of whom have been received and welcomed by bumper houses ; our local amateurs, also, have generally been well patronised ; but on no former occasion has such an immence crowd gathered in any of our halls as that which assembled on Thursday evening last to witness the performance of our amateur minstrels. The Assembly Room was so densly packed that, as a stout friend of ours remarked, there was scarcely room to laugh, and fears were entertained by a nervous few that the centre of the floor would give way under the enormous weight upon it- -a catastrophe of which, however, there was not the slightest fear, the whole structure being built in too substantial a manner. People in the back ground could be seen clinging to the windows, or perched on barrels, chairs, or anything that would afford them a temporary elevation above the heads of those immediately in front ; and many a spill would have occurred had there been room to fall, which luckily there was not. Nor did our citizen's fair wives and daughters fail to do honour to the entertainment, by according, not only to the performers, but to the sterner portion of the audience, the pleasure of their presence. It was with mingled feelings of pride and admiration that one looked around and gazed for a moment upon the array of handsome, happy, smiling faces of the fair daughters of Lawrence, and a sigh escaped us as the question suggested itself, Who would be a bachelor ? As the hour for commencing the performance approached the audience became impatient, as was evinced by the loud stamping of feet, and the unearthly yells which issued from the back part of the house, which, however, increased tenfold when the curtain rose and discovered our friends in cork and collars. After the tumult with which the minstrels were welcomed had subsided, the overture from the opera of "Vampa" was commenced, and gone through in a highly creditable manner, Mr. Downes with the harmonium, aud Mr. Grant with the comet, greatly conducing to the success of the piece. The opening chorus, " Strike, boys, strike," was equally well rendered, as were the solos by Messrs. Holmes, F. Bastings, Browne, Groome, Downes, Muirhead, Grant, Leary, and Armstrong. An interval of ten miuntes having elapsed, Messrs. Downes, Grant, add Leary gave a capital character song, entitled "Ye Tailor and ye Crow," which was a complete comedy in itself, the performance of it eliciting roars of laughter. Mr. F. Bastings, our local Barlow, next appeared in his celebrated character "The blue-tailed fly," and we need not describe the manner in which it was performed and received, it being so well known that anything this favourite star takes in hand is sure to be done as near to perfection as it is possible. Mr. Muirhead followed with the song " I'm the happiest boy alive," and step-dance, which, in answer to a demand by the audience, which would admit of no denial, he repeated. Onr highly popular friend, Mr. John Grant, next appeared in the character of " Chillingawullabadorie " (or some such name), the make-up of which was really excellent, being as near an approach to what is supposed to have been the cos-tume-of Robinson Crusoe as could be desired. The song, most of which was in the Chillingawullabadorien language (whatever that may be), was given in capital style, which brought down the house. After another short interval, the curtain rose to a very original farce, entitled the " Dumb Detective ; or, the bobby bamboozled," which is rightly described as side-splitting, for from beginning to end the audience were kept in a continuous roar of laughter ; so hearty, indeed, was the mirth of some of the audience that the tears ould be seen streaming down their cheeks. We would strongly advise all who had not an opportunity of attending the late performance, who can enjoy a hearty laugh, to be present at the next Christy's entertainment, which, we understand, is shortly to come off, for the benefit of the Benevolent Asylum, with the same programme — they assuredly will not regret the visit. The walkiound " Dixie's Land " brought to a close the most successful entertainment ever offered to the Tuapeka public. We are informed the proceeds enabled the Minstrels to clear off all liabilities which they had incurred.