MONCRIEFF SEASON

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 129, 17 June 1937, Page 10

MONCRIEFF SEASON

"Merry Widow" and "Maid of the Mountains'* A large amount of interest is bemg taken in the reappearance here on Wednesday and Tbursday nigkts next at the Municipal Theatre of the famous opera singer, Miss Gladys Moncrieff, and J. 0. WBliamson Ltd '_s Comie 1 Opera Company in "The Maid of tbe Mountains" and the "Merry_Widow," the recent Tcvivals of which in Sydney and Melbourne were received with great enthusiasm and they attractedrecord houses during seasons which had to be substantially extended, "Notable casts," wrote a Sydney critic, havo beon the happy fortune of "The Merry Widow," yet it would be hard to surpass the vocal luscjousness and lovely qualities of GladyS Mom crieS'8 Spnia, the romautic appeal of ; Eric Bush's Prince Panilo, or the drol« lery of Oecil Kellaway as Baron Popoff at His Majesty's Theatre on Saturday night. A typical Gladys MoncneS audienpe crammed tha theatre, reciprocating by every ardent sigh the sentiment expressed By the most popular of comio opera artists in her curtain speech when she declared that all her recent singing to radio audiences in Australia and New Zealand gave her nothing like the thTill of coming before flesh-and-blood people again. TEree times she had to respond again after her exceedingly lovely voicing of the haunting song "Yillia," while every note of her other contributions rang with the opulent ease and expressive appeal." It was in "The Maid of the Mountains," in the role of Teresa, that Miss Moncrieff has scored oue of her greatest triumphs, and her singing of "Love Will Find a Way" is one of her favourite 4 'over thq air" nnmbers. As Baron Popoff in "The Merry Widow" and as General Malona in "The Maid of the Mountains" Gecil Kellaway is highly amusing, and so is Don Ni'col as Nisch in "The Widow" and Tonio in "The Maid," Eric Busb has scored his bcst suecesses as Prince Danilo and as Baldasarre, and the tenor of the company, Arthur Clarke, is also at his best in both the operas which are to be staged here. It was acclaimed by playgoers ,and critiqs alike that never previously had "The Merry Widow" or "The Maid of the Mountains" beon better performed or more elaborately staged than they were during the recent revivals in Sydney and Melbourne. It was the triumphs of Sydney and Melbourne that induced the J. C. Williamson Ltd. management to send Miss Moncrieff and the pom.pahy tQ New Zealand, and the suceesses achieved in Auckland go far to prove that New Zgaland playgoers dearly love genuine cojnie opera when it is well presented . and portrayed and sung by first class artists, The box plans for "The Merry Widow" and "The Maid of the Mountains" will be opened at Eail's on Monday morning next at nin© o'clock. A queue will be formed from 8 a.m.