THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1669, 8 February 1913, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

[Br Stlvtos.]

The World's a theatro; the Earth a. Btago.—Heywood. A New Medicine Man. Hugard, tho magician, is to commence a 6eason at the Opera' House on Monday evening. Speaking of Hugard's performance a Melbourne paper says:—"Preceded by a big reputation as a Conjurer and exponent of the magic art, Hugard cam© as a performer of whom much was expected, and it may at onco be said that it has rarely been the fortune of an audicnco to have offered in the space of a couple of hours 6b many mystifying experiments, and such a wealth, of remarkable accomplishment in gloight-of-hand. Hugard presents an entbrtaihment whioh at tho ono time mystifies, amazcs ( and delights, and backed-by. an attractive personality his pcrfect knowledge and .6kill rank him amongst the highest in this particular brancn of tho profession. As a card manipulator, Hugard - must assuredly acknowledge no superior, and while he has at his command the whole stock-in-trade of the conjurer to which, local audiences have' been accustomed, this artist. has gone to -the very limit, and his extraordinary feats in up-to-date magic would impress, if not lalmost convince, tho most practical and sceptical." , An Injustice, • - ! "Tho only English comic opera that lives" was the rather: disconcerting .and'altogether untruthful line which appeared' o.i the "Dorothy" day-bill about town this wcelc. How anyone could havo tho .nerve to^makd'such a statement on a. Williamson day-bill in view of the promised revival of the works of Gilbert and Sullivan is difficult to imagine, but there it is, bald and uncompromising.. Quite ai number of people will disagree with tho person responsible for, tuneful as "Ddrothy" certainly is, no one. would dream, of venturing to compare -Alfred Cellier. with the late; Sir Arthur' Sullivan as a composer, and certainly the-librettist, Mr. Stephenson, is not to ,be .mentioned in tho same'breath, with the late Sir/W. S.' Gilbert. . ' . ( ' Tho opera, one freely and gladly is a charming work of. much' '-melodio grace, and with 1 a' well-prcserved/'atmos-nhere, and an.-attractive ' setting,. but 'Dorothy'.' is not on tho same ally, , or .in any otlier, way. . with !-- such operas as 'The : Mikado." "The Yeoman Df tho Guard," "lolanthe," and others by the great collaborists.-: There 'is not the - same resource or ingenuity employed in tho music, tho,brilliant harmonies and orchestration of. Sullivan are nowhere approachod in the straightforward music of "ellier, and 'Gilbert's- glistening .wit has jo counterpart in Stephenson's book. Personally I am very fond of "Dorothy" out cannot subscribe to it being' "tho only English comic opera that lives." It would jo wrong to allow such a statement to fi unchallenged. Tho r drama, "For the Term of his Notaral Life,' is being revived by the Wm inderson Company ,at Melbourne. ' m Mr. Clyde Meynell.vof the firm,of J. C. SVillinmiSpn, Ltd., left on a trip W Engand the day following the return of Mr. jeorgo Talhs. ■ - - _ ■.. Tho cast of tho Oscar-Asche-Lily Braym production of "A Midsummer, Night's D r® a ™»'. Melbourne Theatre . Eoval, yill include Oscar Asche as Bottom, Lily Helena, Alexander Onslow as Lheseus, George Sldllan as 'EgeUs, Eeginild I. Penny as Lysander; Frederick WorM Demetrius, - Norman'; 'Harle- as- - .hilastrate, Herbert'Grimwotfd as Qujnce;i Gordon Harker as la. F.- Ansoh as - , Jlute, Arthur-Trantom as CalebPorter as Starveling, Olive Noble ' As lippolyta, M.' Orton-Dring as Hermia, H. t. Hignett as Oberon, Lilian Birtles as Litania, Plorrie Allan as Pu'ok. Tho cenery is by Joseph Harker. The New Comic Opera- Company, at iresent in Wellington,' is to revive 'The /hocolate Soldier" during the' coming ' Xelbourno season. Mr. W. T. Andrews' ' rill appear as the Swiss. !