THE DOLLAR PRINCESS

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1009, 27 December 1910, Page 6

THE DOLLAR PRINCESS

$ ,- A BRILLIANT LIGHT OPERA. "The Dollar Princess," a light operi in three acts, music by Leo. Fall. Written "by A. M. Wilmner and P. Green- . baum. Lyrics by Adrian Ross. Cast:— Alice (Condor's daughter) _ , Miss Olive Godwin Daisy (Condor's niece)... Miss Lottie Sargent Olga Labinska Hiss Florence Young Freddy Fairfax Mr. Herbert Clayton John, Earl of Quorn ... Mr. Frank Greene Mr. Bulger Mr. W. S. Pcrcy Dick (Condor's nephew) ... Mr. J. K. lloguo Tartarolf Mr. Victor Princo. . ■ Sir James M'Gregor ... Mr. Charles Albert Duke of St-onaheuga ..:....-..... Mr. N. Albert Harry Q. Cornier Mr. Bert Gilbert It'is the_ music that counts in Leo.. Fall's brilliant light opera, "The Dollar ' Princess," produced before a packed holiday audience at the Opera House last •• / evening •. by Williamson's New Comic - Opera Company. It is so splendidly refreshing to find that the very lightest of musical comedy themes can be swathed ■in the kind of music ■ wliich fascimi'le'lr ' the . music-loving . among last evening's big audience. Plainly, enough .the Viennese school of comuosers, headed . by" iranz Lshar and.Leo'. Fall, have had theacumen to'realise that the flimsiest story can be idealised bv beautiful music, enhanced by respect for svmphonic form in orchestration. "The Merry Widow" was ,-IS-i ° awakening in this regard, and lie Dollar, Princess" will by manv be considered just as entrancing a'work musically. The opera has no overture—' there is only a few bars introduction to the. rise of the curtain, and thereafter melodies. stream from orchestra 'and singers without cessation. Dr. Leo. Fail has written a score full of charm, and his orchestration is as delightful as it is original. ./The opera satirises the -irneri- • can multi-millionairo most quaintly In this case he is Ham- 0. Conder, and having no. distinct hobby, like Carnegie or Rockefeller, he shovels out his "old fej >a -'i n ? "ambers of the Eiiglish°no-' bihty fabulous salaries to act as his servants. So we find John, Earl of Quorn, installed as" the groom and Sir James .Macgwgor the footman, while ! each and everybody in the establishment is a titled member of . the . aristocracy -at the least. Life for ' Conder' under these circumstances is not very pleasant, .as cvervoue snubs i mm, still it is a new seiftation, and ■that is what - : multi-millionaires are alleged to be out for. His son Dick brings relief from monotony in the nerson of a ' Russian lion-tamer, Olga Labi'nska, who poses as a orincess. She catches the fancy of Harry Q., and Dick, with Bulger, a' comic elerk (who has a humorous passion ; for the lion-tamer), nlan to put Conder- ■ off the match by branding Olga as a Nihilist, and subsequently as an avowed- : lover of Leo, General and'Rooseveldt, but ■ ■ the first allocation is exploded bv Olga without hurting anyone, and the" second she explains is true, but her loves are lions, so Harry Q. capi'nlatos. There are ' other love arrair= in simultaneous' pro- ,' gross in the Fifth Avenue nalac-e; Alice, ; the masterful dauar,tcr of the millionaire, become;; enamoured of Freddy Fairfax, an audacious young Englishman, but when she - thinks'she can buy him he stands on what passes for his dignity, and the two play at cross purposes, until Condor's brains get to work to'ease matters. The scorn of- the Englishman to be bought with dollars is made the excuse for n particularly fine quartet and iina.<e, in which the full strength of tho company is concerned. John, the Earl of Quorn, has his affinity in Daisy (Conder's niece), and elopes' With her platonieally aintil the situation becomes too ridiculous for words. So song and marriage make the twain giad. 1 ' It was a real pleasure to welcome back i Miss Florence Young, who figures bright-- : ly as Olga Labir.ska. Miss' Young is as vivacious as ever, and her clear'and lusty soprano-js a thing of.joy. To her falls' the catchiest number in the opera, the '■ "Olga, Alaska" lilt in the first act,'which is enhanced by an .'eccentric dance arid' "inch "business" bv'Messrs. Bert Gilbert, W. S. Percv.and J. R, Fogue.' .Mr. Bert nilWt; returns in the vole of Harry 0. CTf'er. which is admirably suited to his particular make-nn as a comedian: Thero were-limes when the humour of. the nart. seemed a little overdone, .or perhaps' it was lacking, but Mr. 'Gilbert -ct every ounce,out : of it." He made a ...hit in. his snnsr "Fooli* Question?,",, and bis love business with Olga was ex-" tremely diverting .throughout. Mr. W. ; S. Percy, who was accorded 0 wel-1 come, supplied a comedy sketch as Bulger, a nervon*.- '•.!>-<-':--ir-v- ( w-i-"i.» ,we«l of a clerk, who only bears out aa ' estimate formed, r.f lv- capabilities '->m; ago. Even admitting'that it is'a "fat" nart.'Mr. Percy played it with rare humour and resource. His driet, "Tramps," with '.Miss Sargent was a.' capital turn. Mr. Herbert Clayton's,. '■ fine presence and youthful appoaranco served him admirably as Freddy Fairfax, whiieh he played. with bright abandon. His light baritone.- voice was nicelysuited to the music, and his duet withMiss Olive Godwin. "Inspection."- was quite a.good thing in its way. Another' novel sketch was the .".Typewriting" duet, ■ also. with, Miss Godwjin. Mr. Clayton was shown to splendid advantage in the impressive finale to.the second act. Miss Olive Godwin sang well as Alice Conder, though..with hardly tho same breadth as formerly, and acted brightly throughout. -" Mr. Frank Greene cut a dashing figure, as. ths Ear! of Quorn, but was over- . exuberant'in his manner, and his tremolo ■) obtrudes in speech and song. Nevertheless, his. duet, "Ring : a-Roses" with JEs3 Sargent was one of the prettiest .numbers in the opera. Miss Sargent was pert, and pleasing as Daisy; Mr. Charles Albert gave a clever character. sketch as Sir James Macgrcgor, and danced delightfully with' Miss. Sargent in "Follow Me. Round." Messrs. Victor Prince and. J. R. Hogue also helped- in minor parts. The opera is magnificently staged, and, the company boasts a fine chorus—particularly strong in male voices—and an agile ballet. 'The dressing is very, tasteful, and the_stage pictures magnificent. Mr. Fritz iiart conducted with com- ■ mendablo verve and expression. Among those present were his Excellency the Governor. Lady Islington, the Hon. Joan Dickson-Poynder, and a party from Government House.