A GOOD SHOW.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1302, 4 December 1911, Page 3

A GOOD SHOW.

The lato Harry Rickards amassed • a fortune in' the vauuovnio business in Australia and -New Zealand.- Many ut.'iers had tried to emulate his examine, but tew succeeded, none in anything nke the men'suro of tne pioneer or penuanent vnudvvii.o m Australia. The secret of Mr. KiekHi-us's success lay in tho fact that he always'submitted to his patrons the very best talent procurable, even ,-n times whou the salary list, prohibited any great margin of profit,'and so a name was built.np and traditions established,which the artist-uiauager.'s heirs and assigns would :do well to follow. The compauy which appeared at the Opera Houso oi, Saturday evening compares favourably with, some of the best companies which have boon- sent through Now Zealand of lato .years, and tho entertainment-given was-'thoroughly . enjoyed by an audience which filled, every .seat in the theatre There is usually one bright, particular star ih-.an organisation of .tnil kind. In this cat* it is Mdlle. Alcide Capitaine," who' discloses to admiring eyes the poetry of trapeze work. This duinty artist, whose every;pose.-gesture, and movement is'the embodiment of'-igrace, .idealises what would ordinarily be a clever- gymnastic display.' To ' seo-her .catherine-w.hv round thn bar a score of times and conclude by balancing 'herself 'horizontally is high art. Skill,'strength, and daring'are needed for-the'oft-repeated feat,of hanging, by one arm,'and then, with a jerk, throwing 'tho body 'into a horizontal position by a simple dislocation of the arm. This act won much . applause. Perhaps tab most daring feat .was Mdllo'.'s inverted stroll across'the stage, in midair, hanging' to 'a laterally suspended ladder by her,toes, To. those, in tho gallery It appeared as though Mdlle: were giving an imitation of the house-fly'.walking the ceiling, and to-all'.it was rather .a breath-catching business. The whole acis'refined, beautiful, "and extraordinarily clover,-oven to'the graceful attitudinising ou the vertical,'.rope as this.queen of- the air descended to earth in a blaze of calcium.light. ~ The'humonr. of Mr.-Svd-ney Bach,.who:frolics cleverly .with : the piano and is for. a.running flro of.musical burlesques aud imitations, caught on at-once.- . :His medley on popular-songs.was distinctly amusin's. and his outrageous burlesque on Mark Tllambourg at thc.'-piano. ! and a curate and n Salvation ;Anny ; bahd. buying' "Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?" were provocative of hearty, laughter. .Mr.. Alf Holt is a gifted and original imitator,.and an excellent siffleur. In nautical attire, in a nautical setting, Mr. Holt gives'imitations ot various classes of steamers whist-jing-in a fog, from' the.arrogant oceati liner to the impudent harbour tug. From the ocean he wanders to the farmyard, and imitates with astounding fidelitv the various animals and, poultry to 'be found .there; thence to.the city, where a dogfight is raging; and again to the moonlit nouse-roof at,2r a'.m., when there is a' most, o-iTivincing cat concert in progress. •Mr..- Holt: has a • bright, breezy manner, and a stock of jokes, ancient and modern, which are. mterpplated as occasion serve*. Ahother star r 'tturn" is that- supplied by ■ ■ e n,, Mosto1 .' comedians and dancers. They are primarily clog ■: dancers tminus the ..clogs), pur excellence. ■ They get. in more beats to the second'than any performers in,the line 1 that one can'conveniently rememberj' their rhythm and time is,perfect (as-shown in-the 1 comical twin dance), and . the variety .of'.their steps -eccentric,/and is uuusual. ■-Thanks are due-to the duo for .gags -which, are actually new,': thrown out ;.when they.-are- not: shaking music trom their soles.' Another .'comedy' pair are.Binns.and Bittns, two males, who eke out-a certain form of low comedy, from £'f r . wigs,- syphons,, etc.', and »k?;i H le - mn?,c - the »wm of e), Sii ey '' glve 1 a B«>il i'nitation- of a church organ on two.cohcortiiia's.' . 'Pn'Cor aiid-lnncers whoamuse.np to. a .. Iw int. Tl e-lady, who possesses a mczzo-sorraiio voice of-uncommon a: 'coon song- rather well; and her Kirtner piS M round, ( hd a few .'flip-naps .airij>B«? a' humorous, burlesque on'; Sotisa's:<Km"l uc £ iw. ; , 1 om-Dawson is always popular. \< the crushed husband''in .-comic, ,4g he has made a niche for, himself ''Hilfon", I nas a.subtle gift of humour which makes fc- ( in U i ly • M *Ptabl<,-- Miss.cSn le S a "„ msa .'-«ry nice soprano .vb ce! tonesy particularly i„ her upper She displayed more vocal cha7nv in 'Soenes That .Are Brighter' t w many old^laygoers- #% a n , sacred to the memory.of Annis Monl-,g„ e Jl™ t£ my J°T ri . was "el c "n I ed. She obliged^rith"a cheerful lovc-uJ-nn aeroplane, ditty, and. w',th a few h ,r ta ions of p. 3pu u . footlfeht favour te" Miss Powers also stepped out sand-jig nimbly Tlie Marlowe Sisto,- con tribntwl a couple of songs, and dance* on well-known lines, and Mr. Godfrey jf m ™