THE MERRY WIDOW.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1024, 13 January 1911, Page 9

THE MERRY WIDOW.

A MUSICAL PLAY, Adapted from tho' German of Victor Leon and Leo Stein; lyrics by Adrian Boss, rnusio by Francis Lobar.. Presented by-ilr, J. C. Williamson's Comic Opera Company, by arrangement with Mr. Georgo Edwardes; principal characters:- ... , , ~,,.

Prince Danilo Mr. Franl; Greene. Yicoml« Camillo do' Jolidon' " : " -Mr". Keginald Koberts. Marcuis do.Cascada....- Mr: .Victor Prince. General.Nc-7ikovich Mr. A. Mssant. Kisch .....'...' ;;..-. Mr. .Charles Albert. Baron Popdff Mr.' W. S. Percy. Natalie -. ...;'.... Miss Olive Godwin. Fi-Fi .-...;■-Miss. Lottio• Sargont.

Sonia (Tho Merry Widow) Miss Florence louiiq.

Accident's will happen, even in the best regulated families.- : . By the same token tho "first'night" performance-of "Tho Merry Widow'' by Mr. ,: J. C. Williamson's Comic Opera Company at the Opera House last evening'was attended by an untoward event—Mr. Bert Gilbert, principal comedian, who was cast for the part, of Baron PopofT--had suffered a suddeirindisposition,- and at practically tho last moment the cast had had to be rearranged; ' Mr. - Williamson's Comic Opera Company, however, may be classed among tho "bectregiilated families? already referred to, and so survived ■ the' unanticipated rearrangement -of tho -cast, for, aIL things considered,, tho performance was■;.&''successful-': one:; ''.-.The .Merry. Widow has .visited: Wellington once before, and left pleasant memories of her sojourn; her reappearance was very welcome, to: judge from the attendance of t the,public last .evening. -.Tho, play has certain conspicuous - It has a good.-plot;-, while, tho incidental music lives in tho memory, which is a'good deal moro-than, can be ; said of .some musical plays. As one might infer from the.- title, "Tho Merry .Widow"draws aside tho curtain just sufficiently, far .to allow one to conjecture what the life" is like. Prince. Da-, nilo is the last .hope of the comic opera principality, of Marsovia—which principality is, financially speaking, down at the. heels and out at tho,'elbows—and a source of 'unspeakable, ahxiety to Baron Popoff, the Marsoviah Ambassador at Paris, who.: hopes, by.. tho, exercise .. of • vaunted diplomacy, to marry the "Prince .to a large sum of money-r-and, incidenwife—and. so replote the Mar-, sovian exchequer. The Merry Widow", enormously rich, fills the bill, > so to speak, and upon this interesting lady the diplomacy" of Baron Popoff is concentrated. Prince Danilo is bon vivant, with a penchant for tho society of certain, a frivolous' young ladies at Maxim's, in ,Paris. v . The Prince, after one. of his "bad breaks," encounters Sonia, the widow, under somewhat dramatic circumstances, for Sonia is an,.old love,, whom;—for,.reasons of State —he..treated' rather badiy. There is an exchange of. uncomplimentary compliments, a defiance,, and. a challenge; much standing upon dignity, rendered difficult by the desire-of'each to make it all up to tho strains of the..Wedding. March; and sore distress' of...mind for Baron Popoff,,. whose ambassadorial, troubles are. complicated by. -a-sentimental, intrigue between Natalie,'-his'.young and pretty wife, and the Vieomte do Jolidon, The" intervention of Sonia saves Natalie front.exposure, but.she is herself-com-promised,, with the Vieomte, .an3."the discovery.,: drives Prince Daii.flo, ito.' Maxim's., in jealous. rago' an'd'vblaek" do"-'; ch'dsat Ma'xim'sjwhero everything..ends" auspiciously," to' ~tho intense, gratification of .Baron ,' Popoff, w-hoj ascribes to his own diplomacy the salvation of Marsovia.. - : -

As. on-the prdvious■• occasion, Miss Florae;£o'un£ takeg^qjpqrl.ptSoiiJs,,. tho merry widow,- and •presents in lier interpretation- that..', characteristic, and-, distinctive jierionality which, is-a sine qua.aion -of- .*souhto-histrionics: .-Ono agrees that there arc such merry widows off the.stage, and to say this'is to compliment Miss" Young.- . X little stiff, perhaps, : hero ' and there, 1 a_ tendency to "heaviness"—she ' was living.in Paris, one must remember— hut stillra characterisation which left a sense, of. 'satisfaction'.'-- : Her voice was displayed to its fullest advantage," and. her.'numbers were'sung'in'tlle happiest veinv.The. Merry Widow is Miss Young's opportunity, and she makes the be'stof • it. A's'Prince Danilo, Mr.'Frahk-G'reen'o was a' trifle stiff in the earlier sta'gcs'of the 'performance, hut warmed'un to his work as the plot developed, and towards tho end ono was occasioanlly reminded of his predecessor in the part, Mr.-- Andrew Higginson, whoso impersonation of the Prince left nothing to be desired. Mr. Greene.must 'strive for greater consistency in theso moments, wheri,: after "ono of'his wet nights," his irresponsibility becomes abnormal.. Havfiig to .step into the illustrious slioes of the Baron Popoff at extremely short notice, Mr."W. S. .Percy, who was originally cast for Niscli, wtas at a disadvantage, .which, to his infinite credit, was ' never ' apparent to the audience. His' was a. first-class performance;. he had-apparently saturated himself with the personality of the Baron long before, and had but to step into tho ambassadorial wardrobe to he at once that inimitable diplomat right down to . his : shoe-buckles. , Mr. , Charles • Albert .iwas less successful in the quick change he had to make from bi3 original cast—that of the head-waiter at Maxim's—to that of. Nisch, messenger to tho Legation at Paris. It was a difficult- a substitute without adequate and painstaking understudy, and the fact that he made no serious mistakes w-as a circumstance which' contributed in no small degree to the comparatively' 'even tenor of tho whole, performance, for he was an important, link in tho.chain of events.'. Miss' Olive Godwin as Natalie, wife of Baron Popoff, was ' distinctly good. Hers was an exacting role, most capably filled, and enhanced by the high quality of her singing, which was excellent. As the. Vieomte do Jolidon, Mr. Reginald Roberts's performance, despite a somewhat persistent vibrato which warred his singiim. w.is a conscientious out-. Mr. Victor Prince made a characteristic Marquis do Cascada, % part, of minor responsibility. Mr. A. Lisssnt, who too!-: tlie double part of the hvskrkallv jwilon? Oi.-n- ---' cral Novikovich and ih<i )ii-;'A v/aiter at Maxim's, .was rath«r tlr-.pu-JMnu, in th'j first'part.'.' Miss Lottift ,S's.r;{'.-irt, as V\. Fi was very lightly hnrikwii, 'fj, o other-members of tJrn nf,mfitmy ]y seconded tho work of tho pt;»cipais. '■ • "The Merry Widow" will be repeated to-night. - '