"THE GEISHA"

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 279, 28 November 1935, Page 2

"THE GEISHA"

OPENING NIGHT A SUCCESS A PLEASING MUSICAL PLAY. LOVE AND THE MYSTIC EAST. A large and happy audience enjoyed the first night of “The Geisha” at the Opera House last night. They were transported to the wistful, seductive atmosphere of Japan, with its drooping wisteria and petals from cherry blossom and its gay magic lanterns. There they enjoyed the story of “O Alimosa San,’’ and her meeting with the gallant English Naval officer, Reginald Fairfax.” It is a story based on love and the problem of East and West. It was played prettily and in settings which have rarely been equalled on a Wanganui stage. It is strange how appealing these old musical plays, really are in this very modern present. We live in an atmosphere of artificial music; perhaps that has something to do with it. Alaybe it is because man, musically minded, outdid himself in the past and has never quite excelled since. Afoot points these, but they lead up to the fact that ‘‘The Geisha” is a type of musical play which cannot help but appeal. Its story is pretty and is set in a pleasing atmosphere, and its music seems to have embodied the very spirit which those scenes suggest —sweet, cherry blossom intermingled with wisteria and a million magic lanterns in ‘‘The Tea House of Ten Thousand Jo j s. ’ ’ The cast was as follows: THE CAST O Kiku Sn. , Norma Holiuea O Hana San Thelma Bergen O Kinkoto San Jean Harman O Komurasaki San . Leslie Hall Wun HiF. O. Bridgeman Dick Sunninghamß. Nelson George Criinston . . F. Kiiieen Arthur Cuddy E. K. Cameron tommy Standby Noel Lewis Reginald Fairfax J. Rawson Nanu (Wave of the Sea) .. .. Nancy Hales Juliette Diamant Joan Broad The Marquis ImariW. Hastings Takaminej. Broad Lady Constance Wynne .. .. G. Lovegrove Miss Ethel Hurst ]). Drew Miss Marie Worthington . . H. Bassett-Smith Miss Mabel Grant .. .. E. Bassett-Smith O Mimosa San L. Rankin Captain Katana J, M. Linaker Molly Scamorc M. Spurd e Oyucha .. K. Takarangi Alexia Rankin has made a sweet ”U Alimosa San,” the charming Geisha who is the Pride of All Japan. she sings sweetly, and acts with just the natural tendencies one would expect of sucJi a pretty jewel of the | Jim Pawsc-D, as Reginald Fairfax, has found another role to his liking—■ that of a gallant English naval officer under the spell of the mystic East. Gladys Lovegrove, well known to Wanganui audiences for her exceptional we-rk in the Repertory Theatre, plays tihe part of “Lady Constance Wynne,” an English visitor to Japan. She plays the part with an excellent conception of what is required of a typical example of the sight-seeing English aristocracy. Perhaps the incident which best shows the character in its true part is when the slaut-eycd “Wun Hi” grovels at her ladyship's feet and “she thought it was a spider.’ ’ That favourite with Wanganui audiences, Alerle Spurdie, plays the part of “ Alolly Scamure,” who is engaged to “Fairfax” and finds h-erseif up against the strange lure an Eastern maiden can have upon a “gallant English officer.’’ Miss Spurdie has been well cast in this part. She has an excellent voice and her ability to act was again evident last night. “Wun Hi,” the rather lovable Chinaman, who owns “The House of Ten Thousand Joys” and secs it sold and all his Geishas sold above his head, is played by F. O. Bridgeman. This part is not a new one to this clever player, and he makes the most of every line. His slippery figure, pathetic one minute, full of life the next, full of hope and ambition, invests the play with the right foil for its more sedate aspects. Air. Bridgeman is a Chinaman to the very life. Will Hastings, who played the part of “Fricot,” the French chef in “The Belle of New York,” has found a very suitable part as “The Marquis Imari,” chief of police and Governor of the Japanese province in which the pay is sot. He makes a very telling Afarquis, alive to his own ambitions and never aloof to the charms of a pretty face. Joan Broad, another of the young.’x members of the Society who- had pl< I ing parts to play in “The Belle _<f New York” and “No, No. Nanette,” portrays the character of “Juliette Diamant,” tire temperamental Frem* fill who is attached to the “ r len House of Ten Thousand Joys.” She plays it very realistically, too. J. AL Linaker, the possessor a wonderful tenor voice, plays as “Captain Katana,” the lover of “O Alimosa San,” who, like “Alolly Seamore,” senses full well the disturbing influences w’hich arise when a gallant English officer and the Geisha who is “the Pride of All Japan” meet beneath the scented blooms of wisteria and stars of the mystic East. Air. Linaker sings delightfully. Nancy Hales, as “Nanu.” Jim Broad as “Takamine, ’’ and all the other members of the cast play their parts well, and “The Geisha,” judging by the appeal it made last night, will be another successful production so far as the society is concerned. The scenes are very pretty and the ballots, trained by the George Allen School of Dancing, have been moulded into the settings so as not to disturb the atmosphere of the play itself. The producer, Air. Harrison Cook, has been careful to safeguard the real settings and appropriate atmosphere, and Air. Allen and he in collaboration have so moulded the ballets as to make them part and parcel of gay Japan at bios-

soin time. There are three ballets all told, including “The House Ballett” and “Chon Kina Ballet.” AU of them are spectacular and entrancing. -Mr. Gordon Mcßeth ? upon whom so much has depended in training tho chorus and directing the orchestra, has fulfilled his responsibilities thoroughly. This is to be Mr. Mcßeth’s last appearance and it is pleasing to know that he has fully achieved his best standard. Mr. H. J. Trussell’s orchestra has co-operated with him and it is fitting to know that because of that a comradeship between Air. Mcßeth and Mr. Trussell, which sprang up in France in the far-off war days, is being preserved. No comment on “The Geisha’’ would be complete without reference to the wonderful scenery which Air. Bob Howell has painted. The stage settings have been “made” by the happy understanding of his brush, which has transported a slice of Old Japan into Wanganui as realistically as if it had been hewn out and conveyed here in all its detail. “The Geisha” is being presented each night up to and including Saturday night and the plans are at the D.I.C.