"MR. MANHATTAN"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 169, 6 April 1918, Page 11

"MR. MANHATTAN"

AN AMERICAN MUSICAL FRIVOL "Mr. Manhattan," a musical comedy in two acts; book by Messrs. red. ' Thompson and C- H- Bovill; music by i Howard Talbot. Cast: — ! Mr. Manhattan Reginald BobefJ® . Sir Lewis Atnery m-. s !!f Odkin rlnl Snu , Ugo oaßa.ro Oliver P|«ock ■ Bobby Washington ; Oyn'l Rj^hard Pinker . Alfred Andrew ■ A Taxi Driver Sergeant Shott Harry Ratebffe . -prfiivn Evo woboer Madame Wo.rtier "Mr. Manhattan," which, was given its premiere performance in New Zealand by tho ltoyal' Comic Opera. Company before a largo audience at tlie Graiid Opera. House last evening, is something new in musical comedy- it lias "U.S.A." stamped all over it, and that means a bright and joyous succession of light and airy ■ mcoiisequentialities, filled into a score that ranees in character from legitimate opera, to "talked" songs and choruses, all of which have a sway and cbins that make for effervesence, whilst the intervening chatter is crisply humorous. In short, "Mr. Manhattan is a. breezy, free-and-easy style or niterdinner entertainment that _ simmers pleasantly for the time being, and. then is heard no more. An amazing feature is-that it has a good farcical plot. Mr. Manhattan is "a iankee at the Court of King George, and, being all over money, lie has a gorgeous flat, which is peopled with a bevy of flighty girls when 110 one else happens to be around. During ms absence, his man Odkin (who has teen in trouble at Treavillo through passing false notes whilst posing as his master) lets the flat to a fierce and intensely jealous Italian tenor, one Ugo Casara, whose pretty wife proves to be the lady whom Odkins assisted financially at Treaville (with somo fake _ money). Of course, it is easy to imagine Mr. Manhattan s unexpected return. The tenor's wife, thinking him a detective, pleads to him to spare her from arrest, and whilst ho is trying to make something of the matter a real detective arrives and bundles them both off to Treaville. There ,is lots of fun at that gay watering place before Mr. Manhattan squares everyone, and places himself and all his friends in the safety zone. Of subsidiary interest is the Yankee's love affair with Evelyn Amery, whoso hand ho wins by discovering her hypocritical father to be a. wicked old roue. In New York and London the title role in "Mr. Manhattan" was played by Mr, Raymond Hitchcock ; a oomedian of tho highest metropolitan standing. Last evening that important character was assumed by Mr. Reginald Roberts, who for the nonce forsook the romantic groovo of principal tenor to frivol with an all-demanding comedy role. Gifted with a pleasing personality and breezy address, Mr. Roberts flirted, intrigued, and made love with j convincing abandon, and did it all I without the slightest suggestion of the nationality of Mr. Manhattan, which, I perhaps, made for clarity of diction, if | not for national identification. Mr. j Phil Smith, the odd little comedian i with a whole gallery of funny smirks, made a complete success as Odkins, the gentleman's gentleman. With his cold-in-the-noso make-up, and his proficiency as a liar, Odkins was the outstanding pillar of humour, and his song, "You Oau'fc Do Without a .Bit of Lovo," was one of the hits of the evening. A sound comedy performance was that of Mr, Oliver Peacock as Uga Casara, a big beetle-browed tenor, who rushes round with revolvers and daggers looking for his erring wifo and thoso in | league with her in deceiving him. Mr. ; Peacock simulated the heavy tragedian j with comic effusiveness, and to him and Miss Gladys Moncrieff went the vocal, honours. Stylo and vocai declamation | | wero wanting in neither in the duet in I ' operatic form in the first act. _ Miss j MoncriefF, who was quite charming as j Lolottc, sang "What Would He Say j to Me," with freshness and vocal ele-; gance. As Evelyn. Miss Eva Webber: was colourless. 'Tho comedy is given! an unexpected turn by sliding directly j from ordinary dialoguo into a weird j form of spoken song, which cropped j up whenever Mr. Stanley Odgers, as a • phantasmagoric chauffeur heaved in! | sight with his plaint: "I want my ! Money." Mr. Cyril Ritchard figured as j a tall and dressy "taut" of the period; Miss Kitty Downes made a bright Hope Darling, and Mr. John Ralston made Sir Lewis Amery as gay an old roue as ever wore side-whiskers and a white holltopper. Mention should be made of Mr. Roberts's Bong "All Dressed TJp and Nowhere to Go." in which local allusions figured humorously. "Mr. Manhattan" is capitally mounted, and the distracting costumes worn by tho lady principals and chorus aro conceived ill the eye of fashion. On Tuesday next tho company will appoar in tho new musical comedy "Katinka,"'which has never yet been seen in Australasia. "Katinka" is being given the sorviees of Mr. Geo. Highland, a producer of tho first rank, and its premiere here is regarded in theatrical circles as quite an important event.