POLLARD'S OPERA COMPANY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 570, 27 July 1909, Page 6

POLLARD'S OPERA COMPANY.

'.'. . •'' ■ ; ■•■ .%AtiOM." v v ; , "Manola," a comic.oper'a it;three.a'ctsy.by A. C. Lecocq. Cast:— , • . '! .;• ;■-■;- ;. ./Don Bazaro ...,i..:.;......'..,Mr. :Chas\ Albert Don Calabazar...... Master Bert Nicholson Pablo,-'...:...... Mr. Jack Willis - Miguel Miss Cissie O'Keefe Stephano .............'..... Mr.'Geo. Edwards Beatrix' '. Miss Madeline- Knight Tessa - Miss May Topping , Manola ..Miss Minnie Topping . Sancheta ...... Miss Ida; lacey Gpmic operas of over thirty years ago differ so greatly from the works.of.more 'recent times, and public taste has changed so ; much during the" lapse, of yearsj that it-Is a risky thing to venture;on. revivals of any but the best. Forms of ■stage .wit of i.thirty. years* ago in light opera as a fulo provoke little response from tie" playgoers of to-day r arid Likewise the stilted dialogue 'and forced situations l that Were then considered:: good "business" more often than not jar thosenei- : biKties/of the modern-patron of the theatre. Of course there are exceptions, as in the case of Robert Planquette, who .wrote,. ,"Les' Cloches de Corneville" thirty-two years ago, and, "Rip Van "Winkle" five years later,; but the number of'comic operas ,of [j thirty-five years ago that would ; be. welcome fo modern ears and eyes is small. ■ ."Mandlai" , .produced by-the Pollard Company atthe; Opera House last evening, is old-fashioned, and owes most' of the brightness it. possesses to Mr. ■ Pollard's capablo hands. The; company, which is- neither,' adult x nor juvenile,. ,wae not ! at its best ,-. in .'• ~ this; ;opera. One could imagine a handsome baritone with a tuneful voice cutting a~ romantic figure, as Miguel, but; in- the , hands of a, , young' lady in her teens all power of conviction is; lost. Mr. Charles.Albert,.whose talent-cannot- Dβ 1 questioned, had little chance to show, his calibre.as that amiable ass Don Bazaixvwho is introduced .in .the first act as' 'a : Barion about to be married' to, fair Beatrix,'. froiri Italy. ; Whilst; awaiting;• bis bride; Prince Calabasar, an-amorous old gentleman whose one joke-is to read, a few lines of doggerel to every pretty woman he meets, has carried off Manola; and has secured her in' an apart ment in the.very place where her lover Miguel (valet to Don Bazaro) happens to be; She' is' released , by Miguel, arid to''escape further attentions from tho Prince, on Miguel's suggestion" to ■ impersonate'. the expected bride.; Don'Bazaro is "so , well pleased with the substitute that when Beatrix does really; arrive/ and, desiring to help her old- school friend Manola out of a' scrape; does not disclose her identity, tho ; former still holds first place in the.young, man's affections., : This complication forms; the entire plot of the; opera'.' : The comedy, was weak' throughout, and in the main depended on more or less funny .'falls, and the sedulous kicking, by all and sundry, of an underling.' .-*'■_■■'■■ ■'■■ Miss Minnie Topping made a rather mechanical Manojai.: Her prettiest item was the vocal invocation' to ' the moon, "Gentle Phoebe." With Miss M. Knight (Beatrix), and Miss' C. O'Keefe (Miguel) she. assisted in'the' gein number, of the opera, a prettily, harmonised trio, entitled "Little God of Love." Miss O'Keefe struggled valiantly with Miguel with indifferent success. Her enunciation needs attention. The same remark applies to Bert- Nicholson, who can be genuinely, funny when rightly placed. Calabazar is a comedy part, with little comedy in: it. He speaks his songs, and his words were mostly incomprehensible. Mr. Jack Willis was excellent as the much' kicked Pablo, forced,,to. assume the .raiik of.a general. The.Beatrix of Miss Madeline Knight' lacked vivacity. - She has, a tuneful soprano voice of excellent quality, which was heard to advantage in the "Coo Coo" duet. Miss Ida Lacoy, arid Miss' May Topping were really smait in minor parts. Mr.' Brahms still wields the baton. His orchestra will do better, with a further acquaintance' with this- music. - It .is rather a pity, that" Mr. Pollard' has seen fit , to; expend so, much labour on. an opera like "Manola." His grouping! ; marches; dances, and ' ensemble "business" were well thought out, and to his credit aro duo two of'the features of the performance, the finalo of Act 11, and the March of Pages. ' .;. .. '■