OPERA HOUSE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1557, 26 February 1920, Page 36

OPERA HOUSE.

An all-vaudeville programme of high grade makes a special attraction at the Opera House this week and engages the close attention of patrons. There are a number of new-comers with their own particular line of goods to catch the eye and ear. Foremost is Eurasian, an Eastern necromancer, who mystifies everyone with strange tricks, some new and some old, but all neatly executed. An effective artist is De Sylvia, a graceful figure in- black arid silvqr spangled tights who does some skilful manoeuvring on skates and performs all manner of nimble evolutions. An agreeable performer on the banjo is Mr. Louis de Blois, who in a medley of populai; ballads' and ditties shows his mastery ever the instrument and has the house keeping time with him, Kelly and Aldous —a man with a proclivity for eccentric stepping and a vivacious girl—provide a merry quarter of an hour with singing, dancing and exchanging crisp patter. Clegg and Hart provide a bright little act in which they make a feature of ragtime. A clever retinue of stopovers help to make the bill a highly desirable one to see. These include dainty Maggie Foster and her violin, Celia Mavis in musical oddments, the Charlebert Bros, and Harry, in 3ne of the best tumbling acts yet seen, La Belle Marie in truly sensational trapeze work, and the harmonising Falvey Sisters. Next week the Harry Burgess Revue Company are due to open.

Miss Gertrude Johnson, the Victorian soprano, who has caught the critics’ ears and praise for her work in the title role of “Lucia Di Lammermoor,” is now in her third Australian operatic season. Her first essay was with the company organised by Count Fillippini to tour Queensland. She was also identified with the RigoSlapoffski season in Melbourne last year. 9 a • c. “South African Pictorial” k (Johannesburg) praises a young Australian in its review of “The jk Babes in the Wood”: Miss K Nellie Fallon, as Maid Marion, ™ is the best principal girl His Majesty’s has had in five pantomimes, extending over seven, Christmases, and her daintiness and charm are decidedly one of the successes of the production. * * * * It is a matter of great satisfaction to musical people throughout the Dominion that the Williamson Grand Opera Company’s tour is proving such a pronounced success. The company is noted for its good all-round quality, rather than for the possession of many big stars, poorly supported in the smaller roles. In the present company all the smaller roles are well filled, the chorus is excellent, and the orchestra a worthy part of the scheme. No doubt, also, the company will become a permanent institution in Australasia. The material in it is too good to lose, not to speak of the good singing material that will be coming forward now that there is some real encouragement for Australian and New Zealand singers.