LYDIA HOWARDS TROUPE.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 163, 1 October 1881, Page 2

LYDIA HOWARDS TROUPE.

This talented Coiupany mpde the=r rrappearauee on Thursday eveni.i<f, on their return tour, at the. Fo vSte.s' Rail, a ; id ! an was exacted, vwe g eted with a' liuropet house. The niere selected' 'or the n> % was Hevve's hv t'lcsque or 'opeva boufTe, "Cbilnenc, King of tbe ! j Ganl«," aad although much of the success npturallv depends upon scenic effects and spec!«'cnla»' display, still the libretto' abounds with, iunumtrable puns sparkling witticisms, and iacy dialogue. The plot is take i from a page m ancient French history, and goes bnckto the Fifth Ce. - tui'y, and is as follow* : — Woen Clovl- Tied, he divided the territory of Gaul, an)ono;st his four sons. The division of tevviiovv gave rise, as might have b^eu expected, to innumerable crimes, until at length Clotbnive, tbe most vpl : iless of the brothers, found himseV.'lonein the mona'chy. He like bis fathe- 4 , divided his kiagdom amongst h's four and the bume horrovs recorntneuccd. One of these tons died, and ♦ -eve were t'uen only three Kiugs of France leff — oue, the Kiuj of Burgundy; piiothe' 1 , King of NeusMa, and another tie King of Aus vasia. A strange ci ciustance occurred m the police of Cli'lperic. King of Neust»*?a. Diuingh's absence m a c?nm;»gn s» >aii)st theSs\xoi)s ]vt wife bad broi ght him a dao^ter ; hut wben th« infant enme to be baptised I'ie e.\ peeled aod-niothei- failed to ppnea/. What .was to be done ? A voire answered from pmoMg the females — %< Who r 's so fit -o st?nd soousor as the Q nee. i herself." It wps tbe voice of Fiedegouda. a peasant gir], ibe favorite bandmaidep; aid tbe yowpt mothc, impniient for the c?i > eraonv, ?nd accustomed, perhaps to be S3vod the trouble of thinkingj at once took the vows. No one stopped i" her— ; not the p 'iest himself— they all looked ?. Fredegonda and weve silent. Thist. \ bou,">btless s»ct annulled the Qn-»«u's raaviiage, for according to the religions opi 'ions of the times, a woman cwld'-iio't be at the same moment the wife of a man »ad the godmother of hi a child. „ ITovv F etle^onda was as beautiful as she wai clever snd deceitful, and when Cbi^pevic enme home and found that he h:>d n« wife, she so man»<_ed that he married ber, »nd acknowledged her publicly as Irs Queen. This was a great fortune fir the peasant girl ; but it wits on'y the commencement of her difl(icu.«ie* and crincs. Cbilpe>ic's brother, tke Ausl"j»"ian King, made a choice of a wife mo'e befitting his rank, aad bis nupti? ls with a daughter of tue King of the Goths m Snain were celebrated with snch magnificence that Cbilperic began to l»ok with discontent upon hi* own humble alliance. But the remedy was not difficult, for it was the custom m thote days for the barbarian princes to many more wives than one ; and Fredegonda had toon th« movtification to see brought home to the j?a!#ce, \n royal state, another daughter •f the Goth.

The o->e a opens with Chilpevic and his household enjoying the c'aa.e, ?nd m thatsc:ae Mi Flowarrie gave iiisnlendid style the cc b-ated ;t Him 'rg Song," <»nd ohoras, but his Majesty although m pursivt pf the fox mi ses it, and catches a "dear" ill the shape of the pretty FredegOiitl.i. The niusic throughout is of the bold and dashing style, -and Chilperic brought dowa the home with the song •' I'll follow Thee," Miss Jenuy Nye pc sonntcl toe Peasant ' Q-ieon, and acquitted her<2lf with i a bswiichiag csphghn'e which, folly accounted for the r.>val inOittin;ion. During the evening she sang with groat feeling " The-Star ofLove," »u'l a p;>rody on " Cafi&shna," while < he piquancy of her "Liberty for me," m the "Soldiers ReUuu," :WP* warmly applauded. As "Doctor Sena," the Court Physician and Keeper of the Royal Di , -stioa, Mr. Fisher was intensely; amusing, and his comic rendering of the r well-known song " John Wcllingiou Wells," fom "the Soicever," was; im-,< mence. M* o De Gloria mr le | an excellent Lin ■ -, and her make up 'and bye play w • a most creditable piece of acting, aj verdict which cpn aLo be yns d 'upon Mt*< Aadrew's personation' of the Spa-> "sh PJnee.'. ■ • ; ; - The very important part .of Fato.ut,. 'Cb.iinberlain to Chilpericj 'and Grand Teferee m Entiqnelte, wi« allotted -Jtb Mri HLavry Power, ?nd his 'delineation of the love stricken ; courtier w.a*'. proy*ca T ; ! live- of the most side-split; irig merriment,! the comic parody on ." Nancy Lee " sv,b;v. jecting him to a most vociferous «ncoveK' Perhaps one of the. most amusing .oicneßj m the opera, is where; Frejdegon.^.a and. hin.self receive their coiige< and;bwlesqne the mad scene~of~O'i)he|ia m " ffccm^ .et,". tUe dethroned and deserted Queen i/O;)~ ing on the i L "ge with: all her goo r ls, and c'iattels on. a trplly^-udlher demented; "b'edecKed 1 ivifh paat, sauceparia= aa^gvidit'ons/ Inadditibu to the various solos. ". ' Ohilf i vie W ' aboimdg witb,^ the :i iye]iest and,; most inspiriting chofnses. 1 cl ief amongst w;hicb is, tuei well kwowu "E. 5t r u, Rain, Rain," ' while "Sprite to the G rove," is equal m beauty and sacred solemnity ,to the "Aogelus Chorus" m " Marifana." ,Of course, as we have said, the waut of st £c aeceisories, which f.)rm. such a large part of|opera bonffe pad burlesque or spetacular repreeutations, is a. great; dvawback j but as the Troupe give nofc only tjie music m its iritirety and integrity, '.but iq a highly a»--t'stic manner the treat was which all liveri of the beautiful well as the humorously inclined could thoroughly enjoy ard appreciate. yLast ;night ! " JbVd. Diavolo " was presented and was even a grea' *.r su'*ee«3 1 than 1 - it?. | predecessor, the :house being crowded, ?and the applause continuous. The, result of'the Beason so far, haabeett'mdst satisfactory to: the enterprising gentlemen who Lousht the houses, and a! conviticmg prcof that tbe people of, Palmerston can appreciate •aud i:^ili : 'i i atrbni?e .an entertaintneut of merit. i \''hr ii * We must not not forge* the able, s*r- . vices rendered by SIr v Watty! Hyde, ' who, at the piano, was a' 'full-blown'o'fehe'stra.-in himself, and by his excellent a.ccorar . panimeut. contributed m no small degree to the succe^. of. the evening;