POLLARD'S OPERA COMPANY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 67

POLLARD'S OPERA COMPANY.

j " Manola." I It is many a long year since the publio of Diifugdin bad an opportunity of listening to the bright sparkling music of " Manola," but long as it is, it can scarcely, have faded from the memory. It is nuifiia that makes a lasting impression. For that?) : reason alone a fair number of the large 1 audieho. at His Majesty's Theatre or the* Ist, it may be takei for granted, were: attracted by pleasurable recollections o£, the past. It is 25 years since a very strong 1 , company, under engagement to Mr Dun- j nuvjj, nnyiuned *' Manola." and other operas with very great success, and the ) Pollard Juvenile Company made a wise ' selection when it decided to open the DunI edim season with Lecocq's popular work.' i , I "Manola" belongs to a different class ojj ( musical entertainment to that which has, ' j as a rule, besD presented to the publio J 'of late years. It is nothing unusual tc , meet with what is even dignified by the name of opera largely devoid of music,- ' ,but rich in spectacle .'and humour ' is not the case, however, with "Manola."' There is the spectacle and the humour, ' but there is also the music, and that musio j- is of a decidedly good and clever kind. '< r When- ft is said that much of the music I of "Manola" might be sung apart from; , the opera altogether quite successfully and! t prove thoroughly enjoyAble,- .a correo* imi pression as to its- real' worth will be gained.. .Then, as to "the, fund of amusement tho -opera provides, there are few comic operas "I that excel it. Not many writers of opera. 1 have succeeded in creating a funnier character than Don Calabazar, and, for1 tuna-tely. that character was in very capablo hande when it was entrusted to Mr Charles' Albert. As to the spectacular side of the op»«-a, the Pollard Company has, in its representation, added very considerably to the beauty of the setting, some very pretty, and "effecthe pictures be.ing placed before the audience last night. Costuming necessarily plays an important part in the production of stage spectacle, and the Pollards have evidently not considered the question . of expense in. this direction. The plot of I " Manola," like those of most comic operas, , it. not very deep, but gives openings for, the introduction of music of a class, and is sufficient Jor the development of the most amusing situations Oalaoazar, who is a thorough old Dop Juan, causes " Manola " to be abducted, and has her locked up in the castle of his friend, Don Bazaro, who is hourly expecting the arrival of his betrothed. This young lady he has never seen, and the happy thought occurs to Manola to impersonate Beatrix (Bazaro's . bethrothed) in order to get free from the clutches of Calabazar. The plan is carried out with most satisfactory results until the arrival of Beatrix, who, happening to be an old schoolfellow of Manola's, is 'eventually persuaded to lend herself to the deception up to a certain point. Pablo, & servant of Calabazar, is forced into the position of a general (uncle to Beatrix), much against his will, and much to the amazement of his master, and provides a large portion of the humour of the opera, being most deferentially .treated on the one hand, and ignominiously kicked about whep opportunity occurs by Calabazar, hi* master. The time conies when Manola andi ' -M%uel (her lover) are to run away, l>ut the old Don has to te got out of the way, and this is effected by Manola casting a .spell over him, and inducing him to mount a ladder and enitetr a dovecot. The ladder is removed, and Calabazar is left among the pigeons, and as the moulting 1 season is evidently on, he cuts a most ludicrous figure among the feathers. The young couple escape and get married, and Bazaro is reconciled to accepting Beatrix in Manola's stead, while Prince Calabazar. consoles himself with -a little Italian maid. Mr Albert made a decided hit as Prince Calabazar. He was exceedingly, Eumoroui aft through the evening, and sang hid two songs, " Woman's cruel 1 though divine," and "Onions are like an, 1 April day " in a way that could not fail to meet with approval. He was very. funny in the dovecot scene, and imported! a great deal of humour into hi 3 dancing, of the minuet, with the evolutions of which' he was palpably unfamiliar. He was worthily seconded by Mr Jack Willis, who appeared as Pablo, in his efforts to amuse. Mr Willis rarely failed to turn to goodaccount any chance of provoking mirth, and was genuinely funny in all he- did. The Manola of Moss Minnie Topping was distinctly good, if there was room for. improvement in some of the songs she sang • She was bright and vivacious, and the best of her many eongs were " She is a lady," "Oh, I remember, long, long ago," and " Ah, had I only known." Miss Madeline Knight's Beatrice was a fairly commendable performance, and she sang " Yes,

it must be pleasant, I own " with considerable -success, but it was in the pretty duet, *'Two little birds went out a-maying, with Miss Topping, that she was heard to the best advantage. This delightful piece of music bad to be repeated. Mr B. Williamson had but little singing to do in the part of Don Bazaro and a cqurttevl himself Satisfactorily The. Higuel oJ-MMsCasie O'Ke^fe was particularly good and M« CKeefe sang her music weH. Mr Ge°rg« Edwards made an eccentric Capjain ofthe Guard, Miss May Topping filled the small part of Tesea creditably, and the leqmnsmente o£ the remaining characters were fully met. The choruses were a feature .of the performance, and the young ladies takinffPart in the march acquitted themSS? admirably. A word of commend^ tSn is due to the gentlemen -who * ngthe " Drinking eong." and much of the success attending the production of the opera was due to an efficient orchestra under the direction of Mr A. Brahms. "The Gat Htjssab." The eaiety of "The Gay Hussar, as tfon^etng quite almccess from every point of^iew. Latter day musical comedy being Superior to plot, one is well £ look for materialistic elements m TheJ Gay Hussar." Like the lUustnoua J^^J> "who had ten thousand men,^ -irfWj ■way marched them up. £*^ hilK and marched them down again,^jhe Hussars are ordered from Ea-rlis Court to Japan whither thej are followed by a swarm ot £ riSta lij have, left behind *«~m the guise of hosptaal nurses, a-nd aboat n«S of sudden^weddings. tak-3 place . m tbetemple behind the Shrine of Shinto. lK>rd Guilfail, impecunious, of course, has for a son the Hon. Rev. Algy, of the chesrful idiot order, and is desirous of marrying liim to his niece, Enid Marmont, a ward in Ohanoary. The latter, however, has .already bestowed her .affections upon Captain Clyde Buxke, of the Hussars, whose assets are an overdraft at ins bankers and an eccentric soldier-servant. Influence in about to be brought to bear to hustle the captain away on active or passive service, when the whole- regiment receives ita marching orders for the land of i*e ChrysanAhemum. Here certain developmenis, in which ladies of Japan are concerned, receive a check by reason of the arrival of tfce English lady contingent. The Hon. Rev. Algy also arrives in a J^ s**5 ** and falls head over ears m love witib l> Numi Numi San. He greets hia aristocratic father with the news that he has married her, and is therefore not in a position to wed his niece. All, however, is not yet lost. O Numi Numi San, it appears, is the daughter of a weaMfay Japanese gentleman, who proves amenable in the matter of a dowenry, co the Anglo- Japanese alliance is cemented by the paternal benediction. The piece is a comedy of contrasts. 'One sees the curate plunged into the Society of Costers, tea shop girfe, and geishas, holding a eomewfcat unorthodox conversation wita a brazen- Buddha, wjiose interior is occupied "by ' Bobs, the Cockney soldier servant. Mr Charles Albert's genius for comedy revels in the part of tt»e Hon. Itov. Algy, which .is* generous in furnishing opportunities for , being funny. The -clever absurdities in j which Master B. Nicholson is so. admirable ; are lavishly e/pread over tihe part of Bobs. He has a character, part Costermongerj part soldier, part servant, and wholly and delightfullj impossible. Mastar Nicholson is worthily supported by Miss Ivy Aldous, a3 Mary Lousey, a Coster girl, and this ■well-assorted pair are responsible, among other things, for a characteristic Cockney duet, which finds favour generally. Mies Minnie Topping fills the role of Enid Marmont with graceful facility,- and both in gesture and make up Miss May Topping is convincing in the part of 0 Numi Numi San. which she plays prettily and with spirit. Mias O'Keefe, who figures as Captain Burke, is poeeeeeed of a contralto of considerable depth and tensity, which is heard in several soulful songs, some of •tfhioh, however, are (perhaps a little long €or the rather brisk procedure of "The* <»ay Hussar.*" "Afternoon tea" is- among the most catchy of the songs, and sung with a chorus of afternoon callers to an accompaniment of tinkling tea spoons, itis effective and apropos to a national habit. ; Miss Minnie Topping and Mr Charles i Albert scored heavily in " How to make ■love," and songs and^-musio have a sparkle in their rollicking refrain that lifts them from the commonplace. As might be expected, the stage drill is almost perfect, and the situations and groupings are deftly handled. The Japanese dance with fans and parasols at the beginning i ■of She second act is one of the most ! pleasinjr and graceful, touches of the sea- ! There is. not too much dancing, and, ! if anything, the piece suffers through there being too little. What dancing there is is distinctly good, both in the grotesque and graceful branches of the art. There is nothing tiresome in the piece, which occasionally attains brilliance, all the parts being well taken, and there ie a~youthful glamour about it which is most refreshing. " The Gay Hussar " will be repeated tonight