THEATRICAL MATINEE
A GREAT SUCCESS.
His Majesty's Theatre was packed from the stage to the back wall yesterday afternoon, when members of the theatrical profession now in Wellington gave a. stieeial matinee performance in aid of the Press baby fund, which is to benefit both the Red Cross and Red Jersey Funds ultimately. As soon as the doors were open the big crowd waiting onteida made a dash for the seats, and as a great many of them had been reserved by the prudent, many were disappointed at not being able to find the most desirable accommodation, and were not backward in expressing their excited feelings. By the time tho performance commenced every seat in tho big auditorium wns_ occupied, and there wore a few standing. Tho programme was a notable one. In the first part Miss Ada Reeve, the distinguished comedienne, made a fleetim? appearance, singing that sweet old ballad "Daddy" very tastefully, and ns a second 6ong the humorous sketch "In Lovo." Miss Reeve was the recipient of a floral tribute and much applause. Vaude and Verne pattered comically and sang ludicrous 6ongs, with a giggle in every line, and Jones and Raines performed brightly at the piano, playing 'with a certain brilliancy under a camouflage of airy. flippancy. Miss Billio Wilson, best of child impersonators, talked, recited, and sang ("Carrots") just as our own five-year-olds do. Her work is full of flue touches. Delmora and Lee's amazing aerial act on tho trapeze and Roman rings (suspended at either end of a revolving Indder arrangement) is a hair-raising performance of a, unique character. Their clean, finished, style and perfect poise added much to what iB reallv a striking act in tin* domain of aerial gymnastics. One of the most delightful contributions to ths programme comprised the duets of Miss Elsa Langlcy and Mr. Leslie Austin, of .the English Pierrots, who charmed tho big audience with nn entirely new number, "When You're in Love," and "Way Down in My Heart." Miss Bima Young accompanied with intuitive sympathy. Mr. Talleur Andrews (of tha Ada Reeve Company) sang '"Till the Boys Come Home" and "It's a Long, Long Way to Ireland" in as happy a manner as could bo expected from a man suffering from a severe cold; Hamlyn and Mack, clever American dancere and singers, exuded joy and gladness "from the bottom of their soles," and De Car, the agile, gave an imitation of humanised india-rubber in action.
■ An interesting feature of tlie second part of tho programme was the dancing of Miss Estetle Beere's pupils, who gave a really delightful exhibition of the art of which one never tires. The tiniest pirls were the most successful. Little Joan Bcero and Florence Hcymontli dnnced "A Dainty Measure" and "Jo Puis,' Bonsair," with" a daintiness ami intelligence delightful to witness. The former dot also executed a Dutch dance with a song thrown in, and with vivacious Bene Taylor pranced round to ragtime. Miss Daisy Donnelly, a younj* lady with some idea of the poetry or gesture, posed as the.grief-stricken symbol of Belgium. Pens Taylor, a minute, dash of 6Carlet in the centre of the big stage, danced "The Bugle Call" instead of playing it, and showed plenty of promise, whilst pretty little Florence Heyworth fluttered round ever so pathetically in "The Dying Swan," to the appealing music of Saint-Saen's "Le Cygne." The ballot "Joie do Vivre" was gailypranced by Misses Isabel Wilford, Doris Scott, Beryll Ossipoff, Edna Wakelyn, Bertha Edwards, and Dnisy Donnelly, the girls being equally divided as columbines and harlequins. A "Pas de Fascination" was danced by Miss Molly Peck and Thomas O'Carroll.
Mr. Frank Crowther conducted the theatre orchestra in his usual happy style, and Mr. Harry Jacobs played th» accompaniments for Miss Reeve and Mr. Andrews. !
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 209, 23 May 1918, Page 6
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629THEATRICAL MATINEE Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 209, 23 May 1918, Page 6
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