OPERA HOUSE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, 27 February 1913, Page 20

OPERA HOUSE.

Quite an extraordinary and novel turn is included amongst the many excellent items provided at the Opera House this week. The performance referred to is one in which Electra takes 1700 volts of electricity through his body. He performs some wonderful feats, chief of which is the ejecting of forks of electricity from his tongue. He also illustrates the working of the “death chair” well known as the method by which the sentence of death is carried out in America. At the conclusion of the performance, a most unique one, Electra was accorded a great reception by the audience. Athas and Collins, a clever pair of comedians, created hearty laughter while their eccentric-dancing was much

appreciated. Fred Curran, who has established himself a big favourite, sang a couple of new songs in ,his best style, and much applause greeted his efforts. The clever sketch artistes, Austin and Cowan, were again seen to advantage, while Mark Ericksen is still in the boom. The entertaining Punchinellos occupy the first part of the evening with a well-selected budget of fresh items, Will Raynor’s contributions in particular being well received. The programme, which is well up to the usual high standard will be repeated nightly, but on Monday will undergo a complete change.

Someone asked Violet Loraine, the “Puss in Boots” principal boy, what was her recipe for popularity. “Putting oneself on good terms with the audience,” was her reply. “Send your singing and your acting right over the footlights, and send over, also, the feeling that you want to be good friends with everybody in front. Dignity and restraint are not wanted in musical shows.”

Madame Clara Butt, the great English contralto, commenced her American tour in New York recently and made a great success when she appeared with the Volpe Orchestra at the Carnegie Hall. The New York “Times” refers to her performance in the following terms:—“Madame Butt’s singing had a power, a force of expression, a sweep and domination, and in many respects a beauty of tone, that made a deep impression upon her listeners. One of her most excellent qualities is her clearness of enunciation that makes the text of the music she sings clearly intelligible to her listeners.”