"PAUL JONES"

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2197, 9 July 1914, Page 9

"PAUL JONES"

i'Vv v -s V> •! •-V .V V'8Y AMATEUR OPERATIC SOCIETY ■ ■ ttyn-1 '■.'Paul Jones," a comic opora; in three' j acts Music by Robert Planquette, • b ncs ancl,words .by H: ; B; Farmo; Oast? •'-•K-'W- Jones v.-..:. '........'..Mr., v.IE:': Mori-ifitlT Kulino do Martinez Ur S Ltvslcu Lscton Bxi-ofiuc& Di Ii Isaacs Uon iiocadeio Mr A W Sew ton . : • .-•'•••.•■••■••••••••■•••■•••Ml'.'.W'. Ji. Mcrcditli "•'* f.u?? 1 , 11 ?, 1^160 •»'•• -K- St. O.Bales (SR. 1 f 1 16110 , Uaiter A Fuller : Wctnel.. Decimus bridge: nw?° Miss Q Helen'. Gaxd'her niif"™ 0. Miss Oara Dtnliard JJelpliino ilias Anuio SuJln.ni ■;J E. ; IT' OoriMfUsk-1 i". :'-/'. l j d><}d from .the lavender after>noarly i a .six)re of ;\c.u\s, Robert . PJaiiquetto's i comic opera, J'l'aul Jones,'.' produced ■-■ '■:■ .ftY.'. Wellington Amateur:; Operatic , : bocietj at the brand Oppra House last . ej ening, turned out as fragrant. and ; . melodious -as ever, rand : not a fow;.:prev;: G lt..tlie .iuflucnco.of, fclio.roiuanco. •', ;;'"'it-.bfeathckv.'r e miridirig; .'them'. of more Jouthful dajg. Some could possibly-.re- ■..• member when. Marion Burton was- : tho: ,I'aul, Jones .to. Jiellie,:.Stewart's • sweet . Yvonno. in Melbourne and Sydney,, m . - rivliicb cast' Geo. H.'Siiazelle wasa'great -Insect. -Our best .memory of "Paul* ~Jones" was when it:was last produced' •-. frmi, Wellington. by,tho Royal Comic Opera : .Company,'; with i-Wallace Brownlow v - as . : ; lia]cy.on.days of.comic.opera."'Andliow y;..'art. empty; patches.;lierd.; .and, : tliere;. wliero. a . soloist is. called , upon to 'tako : ./..and iliold-.tlio wholo' stage tliTougli the \ length of' a long song.;, A courso of. •: pr ting'cbopises taevery'- lilt' that /blows,f rvjf)'!nasj'.made-;tlie^ ' opma a little old-fasliioned, and per- ... :but tlero is 'ample com-. ; . ; v,'pensation;in tbo fino.flow.of melody, the: .il-^-pleasaiite^ i^^l^deßi'^lio^-bMadly^-^icbiniov^'rqlie^VtStiha.. ciisti'act even tho most blase * playgoer: iAs ,aii amateur'- first.iiight. itho! .wancowas.remarkably :good.' Thero'were: -spots'" hero and there -that Y.-.'. iiliould liiot bo ; too.'severely :• criticised,-. ;;,=. l i.and Awliicb; will (probably disappear/ m a iiijght. or. ■ two,V; ahd-soine . liotably.-'ablo ft Sscli ..v-.'."-au>atoiii'.<sliand&rd.>.'..^or>'esample}i3l)Sß l ' .-Helen Gard'ner's '-.Yvonne'. was positively i.-i-i. ~dejv.v,iii its .spring-like freshness." ! She' ■■■.lookcd tbe :wise little. maid of St- Malo, i-• >t>-';>vith.. a . heart that.: knew its " business,'' ;M.--.and acted; with a-full: appreciation'; -ots \'. : 'of tli'o- ;:' >:i'dame.- . Her, nicply-produced voice .rang-' ,y4jr..put.:swcet and true,"; and.was capped by. «aya,top.notei.which provediof infinite•ser- -: i,<f vice.on:many ;vi,;■,sang,-: -'AHittle; Bird on ■.-Weary.AVing" .V ! i7s'f < -y ; eJ , j: i ' in the charming solo "Before tliej Alj wero Dr. Noruiau;Hales as :Bouillabaise, andllastef A Fuller as Petit* Pierre, -.r- (the.. Insect)., • Ihe - outrance of the in;;:i '.separable, pair of -notorious .smugglers■: iVirtand'ibeacTico'mbers'i^as'v^^ all'theyi Jnipioved 'as the cjiera progressed.:- .'Dr. ■ Jiouillabaiso is .a -lulc, rough: :tenip'eratufe. : bf./ /the.flholo.operii.:' -In complete contrast: 'r.-rwas:: the . liisect-^iv' l wizened. little lijiage: i..... with a quizzical face and a bright • sense of humour , The two made a hit m '• .-'-"Two Manners Bold" and m'the Indian: >in. ■the &finalv iieejy, ..which ;is.>a : considerable aid-'.' to: .. : .;the. thirtf-year-old. dialoguo of. Mr.' H. -..-.8, Farnie;.': Jlr. :Vv -R. 'Meredftli made a ; likeable and manly Paul Jones as far as M-: tlie'rol6 Wonld' T all bilnffij fbu't 'there aro .times...when ■ he;, could.- be f moro -.at ■ his ;posiug."foriiaiif[lcall.v,'' wliich : : fl f perhaps is tho fault pf flio part more than its exponent Mr l * Meredith "cut sang the music well;: though:, it . was lpw.jri pitcn:fpr'Ks bari-;' ,y| .of tlio'l second act -was particularly ffejfecii % 'ftv. w'Hi^vbest'} splojv^asthe .romance 'Ever and E\er Mine v " Mr A W ■■■■.. .Newton was a delightfully eccentric Don -: Trocaderoj and hopped about m dazzling: i:,. .pmk silk clothes like-one of. the mos;v:.:... quitoes .native 'Estrella. , In' his' ~s eftort;to. speed up in the song ' 'Opon tlie:. ■ Council," Mr.. Nowton •• rather i ovcri/. • number,, and must.bo observed: Mr. S. i: ■■ Exton was :noti very comfortable as :t]ie. .. despised Rubno, and.was timid .at letting the:audience know:what..lie- was sayings Ho sang tile serenade of . tlie -sccond act .fSirly well, but'.more solid voice : is. ■> needed .dialogue. andunusic be--any/I effebtV'can:4be;-gaih^:. ;. f-.Tsaacs hardly-: incisive»enongh.- as V;:/: }ffieKcr«Styjy irritabl^lold^Kcoquet^G;- • . .was .too : contcntcd ~ and— comfortable 1 . ;throughojit to give point to lis disldce. , to Paul Jones Miss Mane Fix, was ■ I !iV!.;,v-bHgti)i i her'actibiis M.'(Sopiilr, tic work.. ■ Not' a'? word cf her 7 opening '■■■^sblq? ; reached;.^'acrass^lieJfOptEght«.' ; :She. ;iihprpved : asthe.'cy.ennig-advanced; .■::: sang "He Looked at-My.Sabots"-:fairly -v', .;Well,? i ! ;biit.: : liardly:.:-. : tKe;,'roguish .- 'coqiiottislmess..'. of ; the | mmiber. rTlio. A (i.; accompaiiying; dance': Was quite %oodj and/, >A';^'_madeja' ; tp' ge^ ; any.'n'atiiralness into; her ; diaJoMei w ■ sang."A':Southorn' Song'.' really; .. well.. '' Mi W J Meredith "daslied" 'as Captain Kit Kcstiol, and Miss E M'Cor-smick-was Alva; and.Jtyss Annie Sullivan l app Q irod as Delnlnno V ■ ' :Tli'o dresses, wore, a ..'feature 'of tlio : . monious-colour-scliemes ■ credit la duo to ■ 1 ■ :Mrs. -Jas. Hannah. ': The scenery of Mr.' ■ -, AV: J. Beckan .the-first .two acts is exJ last act "set ' is. .;ratlier i-:Cweirilly 'cplpufed,,' in'; tones;':'th at v.froiiv itliol ; e'lEe6i!"*--;of y. tlioV :'dresses'L*: •.Tlio. orchestra ;was exceptionally. ': good: for .a ;firat nightj and -Mr.-D.---A'. .'Kenny, kept-his forces.togothor.admirably: -Mr ; . ,]r; :Tpm;;P6llaiyi : :deserves;J' praise .'i';for-.Vtl;o; 'goodlworklhe/haiyph'e:invprodncihgithe; .. ; opera-—his talented hand in stage .' JV'.jng- an'tl:niaha2emfent i : .:'wasf.;sem > f;Hgbt thiough tbo opora ' • .. . ... »p all i Jones"-. :s to ,bo produced for .; . the next «ixflights;' :•' . ...