THE GEISHA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 146, 7 November 1912, Page 4

THE GEISHA.

A BI!JLLIA.\"T PERFORMANCE. Just why the "local amateur" should • air !l^ s ' Ju re o ari '! e <l in his own immediate Nazareth" as "a thing of shreds and ; l )a tches," to be classed with the side •streets and the noxious weeds and the Borough Council and other permanent afflictions, is one of those things which it is difficult to understand. Poets make a mock of him, playwrights jeer at him, and the average newspaper man, when lie hears of an amateur entertainment, hies him to the nearest grindstone to put a razor edge oil the best of the office axes. Hut the amateur has his uses, .and, not infrequently, marked abilities that remove him very far from Gilbeits allotted niche in ''Madame Tussaud's Waxworks." Frankly, he, speaking generally, is not really the disease that a tenor is popularly necessarily supposed to be. He has his ambitions—without which 110 ■man should be allowed to remain out of gaol—he sacrifices his time and his money to cultivating his talents, lie both toils and spins, and if in the adjustment of accounts he is not always the peer o£ the professional who has spent his life in cultivating the art of mumming, there are times when the same professional ought to bo glad to be in Sydney when his amateur ■brother is'performing in \" tw Plymouth, lest the odious end of the comparison stick should overbalance his way. Despite the atrocious weather, the New Plymouth Amateur Operatic Society packed the Theatre Royal to the doors last night, when they produced Sydney Jones's delightful whimsical Japanese musieality, -'The Geisha." Their sisters and their cousins and their aunts literally girded up their skirts and defied the elements in their haste to he present, taking with them their fans and their opera glasses and their chocolates, and their menfolk and other little things about the house that are useful at theatre-going times. The result was a triumphant send-off of which the Society may well be proud. But, what is of more importance, is that the performance was frankly commensurate with the attendance—it was big. We have no intention of suggesting that the production was free of faults; it had plenty of them, but they were minor in character and easily susceptible of elimination at fu-. ture performances. But from the intangible standpoint of a bird's-eyc-viow, the performance was bright, crisp, vivacious and singularly happy. The spirit of the play was prettily caught, the singing was tuneful and "certain," ' the acting of the principals was natural and confident, the choruses were exceptionally good, the dancing was clever and pretty, the music never faltered in its excellence, the dressing was so-fresh 1 and bright as to put to shame the tawdry garments of many professional companies, and the scenery would have been a credit to many an entrepreneur of established reputation. The toute ensemble, in fact, was a credit to the producers in every respect, and while there exists a popular fallacy to the effect that amateurs must not be judged from the standpoint of professionals, so far as the production of "The Geisha" is concerned, it could well challenge comparison with much more pretentious performances. It is not necpssarv to go into detail with regard to the love story of 0 Mimosa San and Lieutenant Fairfax, a story which is worked out in the picturesque Japanese setting, for it has grown familiar in our mouths as household words, and in any event nobody ever expects comic opera to have either continuity or sense in its story. So that it sparkles and coruscates it can ignore the convenances and cover any multitude of sins of anomaly—of omission or commission. This bill " The. Geisha" fills with admirable exactitude, and therein lies its justification. Musically, -the opera is particularly bright and catching, ranging from grave to gay. from lively to severe, with all the happy inconsequence that pertains to such an irresponsible frivolity. As regards the principals, all were specially fitted for their parts. Mr. Will MeF.wen as "Wtmg-Hi" (proprietor of the Tea House of'ffen Thousand Joys) was the life and soul of the piece. He made an inimitable Chinaman, and his entry was invariably a signal for applause. His slock of quaint dry humor was delicious as it was inexhaustible, his several local hits being especially acceptable. As for the antics he cut, tney were unapproachable. "The Geisha" would have been a poor Geisha but for the fact that it was enriched by Miss Olive Buck man's presence. As "0 Mimosa San" (the chief Geisha), she was completely at home in her part. Her splendidly trained voice, with its magnificent register, her clever acting, and, in fact, her whole bearing throughout, were at once delightfully sympathetic and marked with that abandon which is born of true artists. Mr. J. W. Haslam made an excellent "Reginald Fairfax" (the principal of the English naval officers). As one of the principal vocalists, his voice was severely taxed, but he withstood the strain well, and acquitted himself with honors in respect both to his acting and singing. He was admirably adapted to the breezy and flashing numbers in the piece, and his recalls were frequent. As "Molly Seamore", and later on as one of the Geisha girls, Miss K. Bennett had an important role to fill, and her interpretation could not lnit help please the most fastidious of tastes. Vivacity was the soul of her part, and in this she more than lived up to the expectations of her success. £>be was the comedienne of the Geishas, and she used her vocal powers to full and oxtremely pleasing effect. Likewise her dancing quite captivated the audience. The part of "Juliette Diamont" (the French girl) lost nothing at the hands of Mrs. Hell. She charmed and enraptured her hearers, both with her sweet mezzo-soprano voice—her "C'est Moi" was delightful—and her winsome and dainty stage presence. Miss B. Clarke figured in another role inseparable to the success of the play, and at once put those present in a happy frame of mind. Tn all her acting she has perfect "sang froid," and cortfidence —not bold aggressiveness was stamped all over her. Mr. J. Sommerville lent dignity and all that is summed up in the word "pompous" in his impersonation of the "Marquis Imari" (Chief of Police and Governor of the Province), and his fine rollicking voice was a feature of the production. Miss V. Gilbert made a delightful middy as Tommy Stanley (of H.M.S. Turtle), and proved as popular with the aidience as he was credited witli being with Wun Hi's Geisha girls. Certainly the plot did not hinge on "his" part, hut "he" was indisputably one of the favorites of the evening. Other roles in.-idental to the piece were capably 'sustained by Mr. W. Ainsworth as "Captain Katana" (captain of his Guard). Mr. A. Mclsaac, "Takamini" (the "sons indispensable" to his master, the Marquis), Messrs. S. 1?. Ellison (Arthur Cuddy), A. 0. Downes (Duke Cunningham). W. H. Broome (George Grimston), all officers of H.M.S. Turtle; Misses W. Bennett (Marie Worthington), B. Olliver (Ethel Hurst), F. Putt (Mabel Grant), Miss Roberts (Louie Plumpton), English ladies, guests of Lady Constance; and Misses I. Buckman (Nami), E. Buckman (Okiku San), I. Gilbert (0 Hana San). Ainsworth (0 Komurasaki San), and Mrs. A. C. Downes (0 Kinkoto San). It is a matter of discrimination as to wliicli was the best of the solos—all were charming—but the following four.

as being the best known, were probably the most popular: '"Jewel of Asia' "Molly Mine," "Star of My Soul," and "The Amorous Goldfish." Of the choruses, "Chou Kina" was perhaps for the same reason most loudly applatidtd. Mention must also bo made of the%ighly successful ballet introduced in Act fit by Misses M. Tiplay, E. Flavell, G, Hawkins and V. .Toll, specially trained fry Miss Bedford. .

Under the capable baton of Mr. Renaud the orchestra won golden opinions, the music being quite a feature of the performance. The scenery, for which Mr. Bradbury was responsible, also contributed largely to the success of the evening. All things considered, th« stage manager (Mr. R. Hill-Johnston), the business manager (Mr. H, C. Collier)' and the hon. secretary (Mr. Bert McEwen) are deserving of every congratulation on the splendid manner in which the production was staged.

This afternoon there will be a matinee and to-night "The Geisha" will compete its New Plymouth season.