HIS MAJESTY’S

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 242, 3 January 1928, Page 15

HIS MAJESTY’S

“ROSE MARIE” The lilting comedy, of the Canadian Rockies, "Rose Marie,” is evidently out to make new box office records in Auckland. Every performance, afternoon and evening, fills His Majesty’s Theatre. There is just enough of the dramatic in “Rose Marie” to give the audience a thrill without infringing at all on the indisputable right of musical comedy to be, in the first place, funny. “Rose Marie” has three great strengths—its humour, its famous melodies, and its spectacular beauty.

Of course, “Rose Marie’s” reputation was made, and had echoed down Queen Street, years before the well-known airs are here to be heard in their context. But here now, in the flesh, so to speak, they are far from trite. They are revivified and their beauties and great superiority over the big ruck of musical comedy ditties stand out in a noteworthy contrast .

The cast, headed by Harriet Bennet and Reginald Bandy, knows its “Rose Marie,” and there are no beauties in the book and lyrics which it fails to bring out. Harriet Bennett (Rose Marie) is a charming bird-like personality, who treats the FrenchCanadian character very well, and sings her songs with a wealth of expressiveness. Reginald Bandy makes a good figure of a hero, and no doubt charms more hearts than “Rose Marie’s.” Hardboiled Herman has some of the cutest of hits in his comic part, and Sergeant Malone plays well the traditional North-west Mounted Police part. /