‘ROSE MARIE’

Evening Star, Issue 19804, 1 March 1928, Page 5

‘ROSE MARIE ’

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC AND SENSATIONAL DANCES ‘Rose Mario’ is the most expensive musical production ever staged by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and, when it comes to Dunedin will no doubt amaze all who see and hear it. It will come to His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday, March 10. Songs from ‘ Rose Marie ’ have been brought to us, and such hamiting melodies as 1 Indian Love Cali,’ ‘Rose Marie,’ ‘Pretty Things,’ ‘ Lak Jeem,’ ‘Totem Tom Tom,’ ‘Only a Kiss,’ ‘ Wanda Waltz,’ ‘ Door oi My Dreams,’ and others have only whetted the appetite for more. ‘Rose Marie’ is a romance of the Canadian Rockies, and the cast is one of the best ever assembled by the linn. It will be welcome news to New Zealanders that the charming Miss Harriet Bennett will he making the trip, and will be seen in her original role of Rose Marie; Reginald Dandy, a clean-cut young Englishman, who has the juvenile lead, is an actor and singer of some distinction, and shares with Miss Bennett the principal honors. One must not forget the character study of Frederic Bentley, also an Englishman, in the comedy role of Hard-boiled Herman, nor the work of. Yvonne Bauvard as Lady Jane. Miss Stephanie Desto has a unique role, that of Wanda, the Indian vampire, who leads the Totem girls in the dance that lias been the talk of contii ents. 'There arc other names, too—James Hughes, as Sergeant Malone; George Bryant, as Black Eagle; Lou Veinou, Emile La Flanime; Noel Allan, Edward Hawley; and Mabel Lambeth, as Ethel Brander. ‘ Rose Marie ’ comes with huge scenic equipment and dressing, an army of chorus girls and Totem dancers, selected from England, America, and Australia, and a., crowd of churns men so essential to the talc. It will he a revelation (according to those, who have seen ‘ Rose Marie ’) to watch the evolutions of the Totem girls, an extraordinarily beautiful and vitalising action song, in which some fifty girls take part with a precision that is military' in its perfection. Each of the dancers is dressed in the bizarre colors and symbols of the Indian totem; like jumping jacks they come to life and begin evolutions that are as unexpected as they are clever. Marching with automatonlike jerks, they then dance in lively fashion under Miss Desto’s direction, writhe like a huge caterpillar, and stand, only to collapse like ninepins in a sensational finale. This is only one feature of ‘ Rose Marie,’ with its haunting songs, its romantic love story, its gorgeous settings, its pretty girls, its posturing ballets, its melodramatic developments, its operatic atmosphere suddenly descending to the level of pure farce. Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart have done their best with the musical side of ‘ Rose Marie,’ while there could be no more interesting stage love tale than the books and lyrics of Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein. Mr George Highland will “produce” for the firm, and there will be a large orchestra to usher in and accompany ‘Rose Mario.’ Bos plans are now open.