"PAUL JONES"

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2200, 13 July 1914, Page 3

"PAUL JONES"

•: * , ■ AMATEURS IN GOOD FORM, w Although through usage it is the,common practioe to tlo so, it is scarcely fair to criticise, amateurs on their, first performance in a season of opera. Perhaps it would be' more equitable to "generalise on the first performance and criticise, say, on the third, when-all concerned will have "shaken down" into their parts, 1 lost all, or- nearly all, of the ;nervousness, and remedied ■ weaknesses in actions, situations, and stage management which oannot be adjusted altogether at rehearsal. We are in New. Zealand not accustomed to seeing professional 1 "first nights." If we were a great deal more tolerance would be extended to amateurs, for .professional "first nights" are often just as 6hort of what they should be as amateurs' are, and the voice of the prompter just as loud in the land, for the simple reason that on such occasions the professional is almost as. nervous as the amateur. Ho is often more so,, as he (or she) is often over-anxious to "make Kood" . for bread and butter ' reasons. There was never a stronger plea put forward for delayed criticism than in the case of the 'Wellington Amateur Operatic Society, which is packing the Grand Opera House nightly with "Paul Jones." On .the first night the performance was marred to some considerable extent by misjudging the acoustic properties of the Grand Opera House, which are by no means faultless—indeed the idea, generally expressed, is that the . new theatre is more to blame-for this, shortcoming in some of the performers. Then there were nervous mistakes _ inade here and there, a little "cutting', in" before the right.cue is given, faulty' lighting, etc., all minor mistakes inseparable from a first, performance. What a change has been effected since 1 ' Every', principal has benefited b'y the criticism, all are speak-' ing out better, all have crept into the" shell of their characters, and the effect of Mr. , Pollard having shifted the action a little -nearer; the footlights has meant a marked improvement. The performance as now givon is.,a most effective} and picturesque one. . Miss., Helen Gard'ner's Yvonne remains the same sweet, bell-voiced maiden it was on the opening night; Mr.- V. R. Meredith is much more reposeful, and is speaking his lines clearer and-with a fuller voice and more manly tone than nervousness permitted at_ first. Dr. Norman Hales as Bouillabaise and Master' Fuller as Petit Pierre have deepened their comedy characterisations—their humour is": now riper and bubbles up with livelier spontaneity than it did. •'• One of tho most noticeable improvements- is that effected' by Dr. Isaacs as old Bicoquet. On the first evening' he presented a,stout, amiable, impressionable old gentleman without much, force of character. Now, he is'getting the , cni'stiness into, his manner,' the testiuess', into his looks, ' and the- acid finto his . voice—which , accords with ;Bouillabaise!s description of "old Biscuits."-Another much improved, performance y i's. that of -Miss -.Marie Fix,J as -.Chopinette.. - She speaks her.lines;, audibly and infuses more abandon: into her actions.' Thanks to a "down-stage" policy, Planquette's sweet' music is now being done justice to by a finel chorus of 80: voices—the' largest operatic chorus even seen in Wellington. As to the business tha,t "Paul Jones" is'doing,' it only has to mentioned that the theatre was packed to the roof ,j on Saturday by an audience that hugely eniovetl itself. : - ■ His Excellency tho Governor and Lady Liverpool are to attend the, performance to-morrow evening,. ' ' • • -t—. - '•