OUR MISS GIBBS.

Waipa Post, Volume IV, Issue 188, 14 February 1913, Page 3

OUR MISS GIBBS.

The visit of the Merry Widow Opera Co., under the direction of Mr D. B. O'Connor furnished the public of Te Awamutu and surrounding districts with one of the best, if not the best productions of light opera it has ever witnessed. With a programme including the names of twenty-' four players, the difficulties of production on a.'stage of such limited dimensions can well be imagined, but it speaks volumes for the excellence of the management which made it possible under the circumstances to produce such a finished performance. That in staging a musical comedy of such long standing popularity as "Our Miss Gibbs," the Merry Widow Company would be assured of a good-'audience was a foregone conclusion, and the result more -than justified the expectations ol the management. Notwithstanding the fact that ni)st of the seats were prijed a. four and three shillings tne ban was packed to its utmost limit, and a large number of playgoers were unable to obtain seats, and had to stand throughout the performance. The-number present must have been little short of four-hundred, and the door takings amounting to £56 odd may be taken to constitute a record for an evening's entertainment, at the Te Awamutu Town Hall. As is usual in this class of musical comedy the plot was somewhat sketchy merely forming a framework on which to hang the many pretty songs and dances with which the entertainment was interspersed; Miss Eva Moore, in the title role, gave a charming performance, her brightness and the excellent rendering of her "'catchy" songs showing her undoubted right to occupy the leading part ot the play. Mr D. B. O'Connor as Hon. Hughie Pierpont (an amateur burglar) provoked considerable amusement, his up-to-date version of the popular song Yip-i-addy-i-ya being received with great applause. Mr John Ralston as Lord Eynsford gave an excellent rendering of the part of an impassioned lover, his songs " Your eyes have told me so," and " Love rules the world," being particularly fine. Mr G. Edwards made a very droll Timothy Gibbs, his grotesque posturing and many smart quips being followed by loud outbursts of laughter from the audience. The scenery was very pretty, and Messrs House and Daking.who arranged the excellent millinery display in the first act, are deserving of considerable praise. The absence of footlights was again to be deplored, but the alterations and improvements to the hall to be carried out at once will no doubt include the remedying of this very serious defect.