A COMEDY OF MARRIAGE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 100, 21 January 1918, Page 7

A COMEDY OF MARRIAGE

_— "YOU'RE IN LOVE"AT THE OPERA HOUSE "You're in Love," played for the first time in Wellington by the Williamson Company at the Grand Opara House on Saturday night, must be given a place among tho best musical comedies of recent years. It is a new production by the authors and coni' posers of "High Jinks." and it is even more melodious than that very popular comedy, while in the staging and mounting the Williamson management has set itself and attained a- high standard of gorgeous effectiveness. The relationship to the older comedy can be detected by the ear, for here and there a catchy bar from the "High Jinks" score has made its appearance in the newer music. The resemblance, scarce, ly more than faintly reminiscent, is all to the good, and the provocative lilt of the name-song, "You're in Love-" may become as familiar as the "High Jinks ' chorus before the community has done with it. \ The new comedy has other melodies of the kind that get hummed and whistled. The plot, of course, is thin. There are a couple who have married and are glad; a. couple who have married and are sad, and a couple wlio would marry but are kept m a semi-attached condition by the absurd restrictions imposed by a man-hating mint. Matrimony is the theme, and the situations happily arc more often funny than sentimental. The dresses are brilliant, the ballet and chorus aio shapely, pretty, and dashing beyond all reproach, and all the effects that belong to tlie art of the producer are quito extraordinarily good. In these respects the firm of Williamson has never offered Wellington people anything much better,, and to say that is to give no half-hearted praise. First place among the principals is occupied by Miss Maud Fane, who :.s tho maid who would wed has been given excellent opportunities to be charming and tuneful. She easily succeeds in being both. Her soprano voice, indeed, is above _ the musicalcomedy average- in quality, nml her playing is consistently bright. Her SOIO3 reach their climax in the famous '.'boom" song, -'I'm Only Dreaming, when Miss Fane, in pink pyjamas, is swung on tho boom of the good slap "High Hope" above the stalls, her I dangling feet a challenge to the male section of the audience. Naturally she loses her shoes, and the contest for these trophies has been a fiatnro -of the performance ever sinre the first night in Sydney. Clo.se behind Miss , Fane comes Miss Cecil 13radloy, a clever and attractive young comedienne, appearing; as the maid who has wed happily. She has gifts of person and charm of manner that have mado her progress very rapid, and that will carry her further. The success of the comedy element of the production is made certain by the present of Miss Connie Ediss and Mr. Alfred Frith. Miss Ediss, as tho lady whose three matrimonial ventures have convinced her that marriage is a failure, has never done better work than she does on this occasion. Her quaint intonation and assertive personality give added point to the barbed words with which sho assails that despicable creature, man, and her son*, "Keep Off the Grass," is one or tho successes of tho perlorinance. Mr. Frith appears as tho third husband, returned from voluntary exile 111 a mission station in foreign parts, and no supports his proved talents as a comedian with a most effective make-up, in itself an unfailing joke. Excellent comedy work is done also by Mr. lield Fisher, as the aged bo'sun of tho •'High Hope." Mr. I' , . Maguire, whose fine voice is hoard to advantage, and Mr William Greene are among the other principal performers. '1 here are solos, duets, trios, and quartets 1 abundance, many of them scope for most effective ballet and chorus work. The dances 0 Miss Madge Elliott are a feature of the moduotion. She presents a Hawaiian danco with tho ballet a sob ™»? dance, and a dance duct. Tally Ho, is 0110 of the cleverest and funniest items of the whole performance success of "You'ro in Love' at tne Sil Wellington performance on Saturday night was never in doubt. A S Luso saw the curtefu rise and enjoyed itself hugely to Jio end. The comedy will bo repeated this evfntgtlduring tho week givmg place on Saturday evening to another new musical comedy with a reputation, "Canary Cottage.