“REVEILLE.”

Waikato Times, Volume 120, Issue 19991, 15 September 1936, Page 5

“REVEILLE.”

V COLOURFUL PRODUCTION. GAIETY OF THE FROCKING. With brilliant frocking, bright ballets and the most effective of lighting “Reveille,” which presented ils opening performance in the Theatre Royal last evening, was a gay and , happy extravaganza from beginning to end and was received by a most | responsive audience. Clever sketches with charming settings, with always a ; cunning note of colour introduced into the scene, bright cabaret scenas and popular musical favourites throughout, combined to make it a j delightful performance. ! The initial number featuring the ■ word “Reveille” and a splendid ballet, I was an auspicious opening, and the closing number with carnival streamers and lights and the concerted ballets in their diversity of costuming and the gay air of “Sunny Side Up” were two of the most spectacular of the scenas. Indian dance's and melody numbers showed the chorus in Indian costumes ! of ochre and scarlet with the traditional feathered headdress, and parI licularly attractive was an Oriental ballet wearing Chinese suits in white and lacquer red with loose white coats and baggy red trousers and 1 black caps and pigtails. The soloist ! wore a handsome Manrlarin robe of gold and emerald. A Cowboy number was danced in rust red shorts with crossed braces, white blouses with perky rust, ‘coloured bows and large sombreros, and was most effective. Perhaps one of the most striking of the ballets was the “Streamlined” presentation in which the dancers wore close fitting frocks of i white dull crepe with modernistic designs in black and steamlined caps lin white and black. The approj prlate movements made the ensemble a most effective one'. J One of the most appreciated and ' certainly the most humorous item of the evening was the scarecrow ballet where rags and tatters were at a premium. Scintillating mirrors which cast circles of light over the walls of the theatre were dazzling on trim black costumes in the mirror ballet and many of the ensembles wore the most attractive romper costumes with stiff bows and ruffles at the neckline which were most delightful In pati terned materials with contrasting shades in the ruffles. The “ Jazz Ballet.” Modernity was the keynote in the 1936 Jazz Ballet which was frocked in close-fitting rompers of black, red ■ and jazz patterned crepe with gay red shoulder straps with bows at the neck. Scarlet frocks with tight bodices and short flared skirts and the crispest emerald ruffles were worn in the number “I Saw the' Stars,” and one j of the most charming of the ensembles ' worn was that of George Kingston’s tappers. 'Close fitting bodices of white satin with bouffant skirts of . white net finished at the corsage with a single flower of black velvet with a centre of diamante were worn by the girls and the men wore mess jackets of white with black buttons and lapels. Some very charming evening frocks added an even more colourful note to the various scenes, pastel shades being a charming foil for the more brilliant colours. The lamp shade ballet, j with its full wired skirts in rose and ' silver with a patterned flounce and black bodice, was unusual and attraci five*, and the Misses Marjorie and Joan Campbell singing “Me and the Man in the Moon” In a simultaneous chorus feature, wore striking costumes in ' black and white checks with coats of white cut like a dinner suit with huge black and white check bows and silk • top-hats. Petal pink satin bodice's and brief skirts of frilled net were ‘ worn by the Misses Campbell in an 1 Rdagio chorus, while the chorus was • frocked in cherry checked rompers j with gay bows and ruffles.

Black and red was a bright contrast for the' rompers worn by the chorus ballet in the musical comedy success “Home,” and the parasols were used most effectively. Black ninon skirts and flowered bodices with bright ruffles were worn by the' chorus in “An Old Favourite in a New : Setting” sung by Mrs A. C. Lavington, who wore a frock of ivory pastel flowered ninon, and Mr L. Trenberth, and big pink and black checks in romper effect with long trousers were' worn in a speciality number sung by Mrs Lavington, who wore a frock with a fringed skirt of pink satin with plaid taffetas blouse. With such a multitude of costumes much work must have devolved on the wardrobe' mistress, Mrs McKenzie. Miss Sophie Vivian was responsible for the make-up.