THE VIOLET DANDIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 August 1915, Page 5

THE VIOLET DANDIES.

New Plymouth lias already made tie »w|imintaiiec of several of "the Branscombc Proprietary's costume . comedy companies, and retains exceedingly pleas-1 unt recollections of those clever coteries of entertainers. Therefore it was not surprising that the first appearance hero oi (lie latest of these talented combinations- the Violets—was anticipated with considerable eagerness, and that the Theatre. Royal last night was filled almost to overflowing with an expectant audience was, under the circumstances. only natural. The Violets met with a' splendid and well-deserved reception. Their entertainment is on the same refreshing lines as those of their fore-'' runners—the Greens, Reds, and the Oranges—and embodies the whole gamut,' from some delightfully funny foolery to quite high-class vocalism, leavened with some distinctive dancing. The personnel of the parly is quite now to New Ply. . mouth, but each member .became an established favorite long before the tint'; part of the programme had concluded. ' The company is strong in specialities, each lady and gentleman standing- out strongly in ] l( -r or his individual confcribuions, and us a '■' Harmonious whole"' the Violebi leave nothing to be desired. flood, well-sustained voices, devoid of throatiness and nasal intonations, are something to be thankful for, and though the music may be light it was always .. a'rtistically rendered. Indeed, the great feature of the combination is the ant, well-balanced, and always enjoyable chorus work. The Violet Dandies answered a queslii.n. People have been asking if they were as good as the Red Dandies., They compare more than favorably. Messrs Otto Collins and 0. Brown introduced to the audience some real ragtime": It is not everyone that fully appreciate* .this somewhat boisterous stylo of singing, but last night's audienco soon became warmed up to the joy of the songs, and were placed in happy mood by these two artistes. Their dancing was by no means the least feature of an excellent performance. Mr. Howard Hall possesses a particularly fine bass voice, and he Is entitled to premier place amongst tl>;. j male vocalists. His items in the first [ portion of the programme were excellent, but in "The Persian Rose," a very tine scene which concluded the programme, he scored the greatest success of the evening. This scena is one of the best items which has ever been introduced into a vaudeville programme, an added ' charm being given by the staging, dressing, and lighting effects. Alias Kate' Cheekott, in her rendering of ''The Dream of Home," won the hearts of the audience. She must have known New Plymouth when she sang "Annie Laurie" for an emphatically demanded encore, for the song roused the audience into rounds of applause, which brought Miss Cheekett back again, wh«n she rendand "Mighty Like a Rose" in a pleaiing manner. Miss Shirley Cooke showed that she possessed a delightful metxosoprano voice, and her vocal items, com-. bined with the spirit she put into the •' concerted numbers, made her thoroughly popular. A word of praise is also due to Miss Le Roy, whose dancing imparted a deal of charm to the programme. Mr. Rose is a versatile comedian, who last night threw his audience into laugtiter i, with every item he gave, and his monologues were exceedingly good. He was ably assisted by Miss Dorothy Gardner, whose excellent efforts met with grefcf; appreciation, and her solos were alio much enjoyed. It only remains to be said that' th« Violet Dandies appear again to Right, and, as there will be' a complete change of programme, all who desire to' be thoroughly cheered up should .go to the Theatre Royal.