MUSGROVE'S BRAND COMIC OPERA COMPANY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 204, 14 September 1903, Page 2

MUSGROVE'S BRAND COMIC OPERA COMPANY.

I Hi THE "FOKTUNE TELLER" AND was " SBRANADK." tive as<t UKDbeds of applications for pea's are f 1 i ii;g received at 'hn Colonial PhnoUen )mp ny for th» forthcoming perfor- Hincea of " The Foitvme Telkr" and wi; a "Sermada" by Mr George Mus-itok ovc's Grai.d Oom ; c Opera Company j rev i the Theatre Royal on Monduyanditu uesday next, September 21s'. and j pre !nd. Tha box plan opens to-morrow pre oroing, and, judging by the evident sic tercs'u, an immense demand for seats var lould eventuate. Referring to ihe the 3rformances of " The Fortune IVler " pit id "Serenade," a contemporary re- too Lit'ks: —The crowded state of His Oh lajesty's Theatre las'; night testified clo ■ qn- ntly to the public's appreciation wo i a sterling opara, he.utifuliy rondo-e.l 1 mi ad produced, " The Fortune Tdlt'r "j em i a proiiuc ion which the public will, lie' 0 well not to miss. Miss May B?att.y,! ap] 1 the title role and its two mbsidiary j sov 'irts, was made the recipient of we.ll- col aned praise, which fouud fr. quent lit i?nt in unstinted Mr Lem- wi ii'iora Pringle's fine boss fifighig in the Ai ole of the gipsy minsfn-l created quite thi , turore, tha favourite artiste proving wi n excellent voice, and interpreting his Tc ausic with full regard to i ( s intrinsic at ■alue, Mr E3ward Lauri was better go hin ever in his impersonation of the it > diet-master, his humorous business th >eing of the best; and his constant state th if levity making mitt era continually on nerry whilst he was on the stag 3. Mr a' i boater Oourtenay gave a most comical T1 iscount of himself. Though cast in a wi jomparatively tmall musical pirt, Mr th F. 0. Piddock, the baritone of the com- m 3&ny, aquifc'ed himself wholly well, lii the general excellence of the petfor- a{ oaaoce extended to the members of the shorus, ballet, and orchestra. " Tha Serenade " is one of the most enticing operas seen here for many a long diy. To those who have not seen this really delightful production we may confidently recommend that they ■should not miss the opportunity of ' s doing so." °' The combination includes Mr Lem- r< priere Pring'e, Edward Lauri, J. (J. a Piddook, Fos er Oourtenay, Henry Hallam, W. R, Shenley, 0. Francisco, W. Whyfce-, J. rurnbull, 0. Rattray, eto., Misses May Beat' y, Lilian Boanas Bessie White, Lily Green, etc., with a grand opera chorus of 50 voices and a ballet of a score of pretty git Is. One of tha great features of the proJuction will be the augmented grand opera * orchestra of 16 instrumental'Vs under . die baton of Mr xJierto Zelman, Patrons in the outlying districts ate reminded to book their seats immedi- 1 ately aud avoid disjoin-mint. ® IVIAJERQMI DRAMATIC COMPANY- i * t Those who enjoy tha smsational should i have had their fill on Saturday evening when the Majuroni Company staged Marcus Olarko's great s'.ory "Fir the term of his Natural Life." Tha cast is i very powerful one and the dressing and general staging ( ,f the piece is most talistic and tffetive. Tne scenery <S dimply nam 11. us and it is safe to say that nothing < qual to it h S 9vpr be n *e°n before iu New Plymouth. The ship on fi-e as seen from the deck of , In Malabar was suffi realis ic to mske people hold their br<*a'h, but the ' rescue of the boat is perhaps thi most ' wonderful of ever stigeJ. Tha whola of the s age flior w;'& trans fonvd into a heaving sea, the boat in which the escape from the island wa» fleeted tossing and pitching on i's surface. Suddenly a ship sppeired ii 1 he d'stance, gradually coming clojur, until her sails and details of her rigging are clearly observed. The frantic flor-s of the two men in the boat to ittract th»i attention of the crew held '.ha audience sptl! bound. At lis 1 ; a dire was lighttd and the answering flash of a gun from the sh ; p broke the spell and was grated with dealing applause while the ship glided up to the boat. This scene alone was worth entrance money. Of the acting, little n'ed ba said of the Oompany, as their abilities in this lino are so weli-known and their reputation so high tint we need only say that they fully sustained it, and indeed surpvsaed any previous efforts in New Plymouth. The chief character Rufus Dawes " Good Mr Dawes" was well sustainrd by Mr Geer&e while Johu Rex, Matt Gabbett and V«tch the Orow (convicts) were very powerfully represented by Messrs Mario M jeroni, Harry Douglas and H. A, Mercer respectively. All the othpr characters die 1 :!if ir share in making the drama a buoitesd. Miss May Granville was a very dignified L>dy Devine, whil> Miss Rise Pnillip us Mrs Vickew, Miss Kate G'tiras Sylvia, and Mks Nellie Ogdon is Sarah Putfoy, left nothing to bo daf-ired, and Mies Djlly Nush ss Sweet L'ttle Syloxi was a favou>i p e from her first app-iaranc?. The difficult *nd unpopular character of Cap ain Maurice Frere was adm'rably taken by Vlr Ohas. Knigl.t, and the hearty groans from the pit was suffie'ent testimony of his success. Ah tha ot.W characters wi re well filled, the iitfile detai's, which show careful and punstaking training, being oar-->ully filled in. The drama is av ry id illustra i.ion of she terrible cruelty of the old j convicf, whilst as a warning rf what i a very small departure fr ?m t'nepith ; of rectitude may lead to it would he hml to beat. TO-NI jIHT The Majeroni Company will tak j . their j farewell in Mrs Hnnr'y Wood's famous i story entitlnd " East Lynne." Wi< h-ve , saen many representations of this powerful and sou-st'irina play, and are sure to r-ee a many more ; as it aiems likely to live for ev, r. F ■ • plays indt ed havj held the public far.cy as rhis one has, and it Fp*»ks volumes both for tha excellence of r he subject and the quaily of the drama. There is; ilways some n«w interest aHotted to j this performance; ba it the various! exponents t f the dual role of Lady' Isabel and Madame Vine or the dif- j ferent dramatizations r>f Mrs Woods'' noble work. Nevertheless the public' is fvw glad to renew arquaintano-i wi'h this tried and trusted friend. The i Mnjeroni Co. will to night ilay a new; version, and among oth 'r incidents will depict Lady Isabel's flight ft 1 m Gron- • oble, illustrating the censational mil-; way disaster in which she is supposed to lose her life. The scenery and mechanical effects are spoken highly o p , and no doubt will be much appreciated by the large audience which is ture to , j bo present. j