"THE BUTTERFLIES."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1694, 10 March 1913, Page 6

"THE BUTTERFLIES."

A 1 TALENTED COMBINATION. After a long flight from South Africa, the "Butterflies," a company of bostume comedy performers, commenced a tour of New Zealand at the Opera House on Saturday evening before an audience of healthy dimensions. From the outset the newcomers succeeded in making an entirely favourable impression. There is quality, point and finish in- all they do, say, or sing, and tho splendid combination which marks their concerted work established them at once as a coterie ofgifted artists under resourceful control. The costume comedy is now an accepted form of entertainment all oyer the world, thanks to the inventive-genius of Mr. H. G. Pelissier, the comedy caricaturist, and travesty artist of "The Follies." He infused. "up-to-date, good-natured humour, and topical fun, into an oasily transportable show with a limited personnel, and properties restricted to a couple of pair of curtains and a piano. Personality, talent, and a nimble sense of the most acceptable class of humour are tho chief which have kept tho "Follies"' going since 1895, until tliey are now regarded as an institution at the Palace. Like the "Butterflies" companies constituted ..on "Folly" linen have winged their .way to all parts of tho Empire,- and have been more or less eagerly accepted. In the case of "The Butterflies," success ; was spontaneous. Mr. "Jack" Waller, the head of the company, could easily quote "We are Seven, as that represents the numerical strength of the company. Yet they are adequate to every requirement. The standard of talent is high and uniform. Mr. Waller is a comedian and burlesque artist and violinist who sprung into favour at once. His voice, though not, powerful, is 1 always tuneful, and is peculiarly ; elastic. He" has an ingratiating individuality, and a dry humour permeates his work in song and sketch. He showed his quality in "The Cat's Courtship" duet, in which he-is associated -witli Miss Cecilia Gold. Both artists purred, mewed, and spat with amazing feline fidelity, managing at the same'lime to preserve- a correct musical relationship. Mr. Waller was very clever iu his imitation of the village choir singing a quartet, and his burlesque absurdities in "Excelsior" and "The Hypnotising Man" were highly amusing. Miss Gold, who is reminiscent in appearance of Miss Lily Brayton, is a clever and charming soubrette. As the female puss in the "Cat" duet, she was as fertile in idea as she was feline ■in action. In "Jeremiah," "Keep a-Whistlin'," and the Quaker song "Ebenezer" she exhibited a sweet little voice, and all the little arts .and graces which spell experience. Miss Marion Armitage uses a broader brush to get her effects. She is the low comedienne of "The Butterflies," and a dialect singer of. much aplomb. She scored in 'the Yorkshire song, (in which the dialect was perfect), "Sam,' and "I Want to be a Lydy" (from 'The Chinese Honeymoon"). She was hardly eo effective in the sketch with Mr. R. Foster-Hine, "Wanted, ,a Soprano, which had its halting moments, antr which did not prove a very effective finale to the entertainment. A performer of exceptional talent is Mr. Wylie, Watson, who is a bright comedian, a singer with a pleasant voice, and an excellent 'cellist. He sang the hilarious song, "Stopping Out Late," provided a serviceable tenor in the ensembles, and kept the 'cello going with the happiest effect. The baritone of the company is Mr. R. Foster-Hine, who has a robust voice of, musical quality, and sings with force and conviction. He gave a capital livo leading of "The Toreador's Song," from "Carmen," in which he should have opened. "The Rosary" was a rather laboured effort and was not improved by the violin obbligato. Mr. Waller was a trifle sharp throughout. Miss Ada Smart is the possessor of a nice full-bodied soprano organ, and has platform .graces to assist her. She was encored for the Spanish serenade, "O Sole Mio" (Dozza), the pizzicato accompaniment to which was too obtrusively played. She was happier in "The Waltz Craze," which fragments of "The Merry Widow" and 'The Chocolate Soldier" enliven. The pianist, Mr. Frederick W. Donnett, is a thorough artist. He is an executant of unusual capacity, and is highly temperamental. He gave a really good exposition of Liszt's "Rhapsodic" (No. 2), for which he was doubly encored. and good music were cleverly co-mingled in the extrftvaganza. "Impressions of a Hungarian Orchestra," played by "M. Patti .M'Wntson, Signor I'addi Donnetti, and Herr Kubelik Wallerinski," in which disguiso Messrs. Watstm,-Donnett, and Waller won admiration and abundant laughter with their sound musicianship nnd clever .foolnljV feature of the entertainment w«-s tho pretty stage setting. Tho butterfly figured - prominently in tho . decorative scheme and also in application to the costumes worn by the company. A brilliant transparency butterfly glows conspicuously over the stage and smaller specimens are scattered over tho hangbrilliant. transparent butterfly glows ings. The male members of the company wear butterfly clasps in lieu of buttons in their coats, and the ' drossrs of the ladies also are garnished with butterfly adornments. ■ Such a company can hardly fail to attract large audiences throug'liout t thc week.