ITS MAJESTY’S THEATRE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 933, 23 January 1908, Page 16

ITS MAJESTY’S THEATRE.

“ BREWSTER’S MILLIONS.” It is a ong time since we have had anything so genuinely funny as “ Brewster’s Millions,” which is now running to splendid business at His Majesty’s.. Everybody has heard of the p ot, or read the story, so .hat it is quite unnecessary to recapitu a e it. At first sight it might be thought an easy task to squander a quarter of a million in a year, but the restrictions hedged about the bequest make it much more difficult than one would anticipate- Indeed as Monte Brewster said at the close of the twelve months it was far more iike hard labour than pleasure. Monte’s efforts to ge". rid of the money in the time are Tunny in the extreme. All sorts of ruses are adopted to shunt the superfluous go d. He telegraphs reply paid messages to his office staff in the nex room, treats his typewriter to ‘ the royal box at the theatre, backs as forlorn hope at the races, invests in apparently worthless stock on the exchange, stars an unknown ac ress, publishes an impossible book by an equa - ly unknown authoress, takes all his friends for a long voyage in the most, ex*‘ 4 pensive yacht he can find, arranges to pay the expenses for a continental fete, pays a totally unnecessary salvage claim and is overjoyed with glee when a bank fai’s in which he has on deposit. In fact the humour of the pisce consists in Brewster invariably looking at life from an entirely different standpoint to the rest of mankind. Instead of wanting to make and save money, he tries to get rid of it in every possible way, and this gives rise to excruciatingly comical situations, the audience being kept in roars of laughter from end to end. The second and thrid acts are the best, while the fourth might easily be brightened up a bit. Altogether, it is the best comedy ,< that has come this way for many moons. Thomas Kingson, as Monte , deve'ops a vein of comedy that one- . would hardly have given him credit for possessing. One or two particular man-,, nerisms are still there such as the peculiar habit of closing his eyes when speaking, but in comedy work this can-be over-

’ooked. He throws himself ’into he part and carries the. weight of a very heavy role with conspicuous abil y and sue cess. His pals, “ the little s n -, of ihe rich,” al lend yeoman servi e. They are Charlie Harrison (Mr Leonard Willey , Archie Golding (Mr Cyri Mackay), Joseph McLeod (Mr Gregan McMahon), Frank Bragdon (Mr Vivian Edwards), Tommy Smith (Mr Lawrence Hardinge), Horace Pethinghill (Mr T. W. L 1: yd) and Jack Gardiner (Mr Stanley Lu a ). There was not one of them but did good work, playing up splendidly to the principa . Our old friend, Mr J. B. Atholwood. whose great performances in “Sher.cck Holmes” and ‘‘lf I were King ” are so well remembered, has, but a small part as Colone’ Drew, but makes the most cf it. Mr Roland Staveley was exceTent as Mr Grant'the solicitor, while Mr Frank Har- , icourt was sufficiently pompous as Rowles. Mr Charles Berkeley, as Monsieur Barge was the conventual stage Frenchman and the other ma'e characters were well filled. Mrs Robert Brough was not given much of a chance to show her powers of comedy as Mrs Dan De Mille, but there were g impses here ’ arid there and one could :have wished to see her in a bigger part. Miss Nellie. Calvin,, in the. ingenue part of Peggy, was a most winsome and dainty heroine, if such she might be cal - ed, and it was not long before mere han Monte were in love with her. Miss Nellie Ferguson, with whom life seems to be agreeing, took the par: of the San-dow-’ike Janice Armstrong and played it with much skill. Miss Mary Hungerford, Miss Irby Marshall and Miss Edith Lewis completed a somewhat lengthy caste. The mounting of the piece left nothing to be desired. So much has been said of the famous yacht scene .hat one is almost tempted to cri icise. Thus the vacht is far too small for the long cruise suggested in the play. Then again, she r is evidently a; sailing yacht with a small . auxi iary engine and not by any means ■’ the great coal consumer talked of by Brewster. Also wou’d a steam yacht lie at anchor in port with all sail set and his with a heavy storm coming on? This is, however, but the carp'ng spirit

cf criticism, for -take i: altogether it i far and aWay the bl st nautical scene that has ever been at.empted here, and the realism of the storm-tossed yacht is such as to provoke a perfect whir wind of app ause. Mr James Hazlitc and the mechanical staff deserve much kudos for their efforts in this direction. " Brewster’s Millions ” will be played for two nights more in Auckland. I is a piece that should most certainly be seen. THE CLARA BUTT SEASON. RJadame Clara Butt sang a. three con certs in al at His Majestys, an extra one being given •on Thursday night. Very large houses were present on each occasion despite the high prices. A unanimous verdict was given by Aucklanders in favour of the world-famous singer./who certa’nly has a magnificent voice of immense range and power. I cannot he p thinking however hat it is by the simple little ballads such as “ Smiles,” “My Treasure,” “ The Thrush in my Garden • and the a ! l-too-few songs of that class which Madame Butt gave us that she w 11 be remembered here. The irristible manner in which these were rendered charmed everyone. I must "confess to being a litt’e disappointed with “Abide Wi.h Me, concerning which so much has been ■ heard. The rendering seemed altogether too dramatic and hardly in keeping with the spirit of the words. The famous “ Lost Chord ’ suffered in the same way. Among others whom I have heard sing this gem of. Sullivan's are Antoinette Stirling, Patey, and now Clara Butt. The first named, as with Madame Butt, used to fairly gabble the first few I'nes, the idea being doubtless to give sharper contrast to the magnificent ending. At the same time such a rendering does not in any way suit the words, more especially when one remembers under what circumstance • they were written. Still we shall all remember Clara Butt as a very great singer whose like it will be long ere we hear aga’n. Mr Kenner ey Rumford is a pleasing singer rather than a great one. His variety of expression in such songs as “ The Sands of Dee ” was simply wonderful, and altogether he

ispleased every one of his hearers. Mr Carl Barr’s violin playing was brilliant, but somewhat lacking in “soul.” Mr Frank Merrick at the piano was frankly disappoint ng. Pieces written for the harpsichord are not altogether suited to a grand piano and he might have done

himself more justice with a better'selection of music. Nothing but the warmest praise can be given to Mr Arthur Godfrey,, whose work as accompanies! was an object lesson in this respect. Mr T. E. Midgley lent valuable assistance at the organ, but was hampered with such a smail instrument.. Altogether the'> concerts proved particularly enjoyable.