SONG AND HUMOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 March 1922, Page 4

SONG AND HUMOR.

THE QUALITY PERFORMERS. AN EXCELLENT ENTERTAINMENT One of the best things that can be said about the Quality Performer® (who opened their New Plymouth season in the Empire Theatre on Saturday night) is that they are going to be here for two more nights, for most of Saturday’s large audience—the theatre was packed —will want to go again, and those who were not there should go> if they enjoy a thoroughly bright and original entertertainment, in which the singing is above the average and the humor is fresh. To borrow a phrase on the programme Saturday’s entertainment was truly “a harvest of humor and harmony.” Since the original Dandies of several years ago there has been a veritable “epidemic” of costume comedy companies, but only two remain in the memory—Claude Dampier’s Dandies and the Diggers. But when the Quality Performers have gone their memory, also, will linger, for the company is far above the average of such parties that have come this way in recent years. The items on Saturday night's programme were uniformly good, and every ’ member of the party had distinctive merit. The versatility was remarkable,»» for from the humor of the halls the audience was taken to th© gems of good opera, arid the members of an excellent orchestra threw off the cloak of conventional music to entertain with all the weird attractiveness of a jazz band. Another welcome venture, too often absent from such concert parties, was the distinctive enunciation of every singer, so that the words of songs which were unfamiliar could be followed through- , out. The audience was put in a cheerful spirit at once by bright opening numbers, in which Messrs. Sharrntt, Webster and Scott were prominent. Then “The Miserere,” an exquisite number from “H Trovatore,” was sung by Mr. Aneurin Morris and Miss Hazel Fuller, and its beauty was all brought out by charming voices. An old English country scena, introducing most of the company, was a scene of quaint beauty, and the lyrics were topical and catching. Something quite distinctive was a Hawaiian scena, in which plaintive melodies of rare beauty were particularly captivating. The picturesque scenery was a feature in this number; in fact, each item was set in appropriate surroundings, a feature which greatly enhanced the whole performance. Another splendid scena comprised a number of choice items from “The Tales of Hoffman,” in which Mr. A. Morris, Miss Hazel Fuller and Miss Rose Fitzgerald sang delightfully. Miss Fitzgerald’s contralto notes were beautiful, while Miss Fuller is the possessor of a rich soprano voice. Another excellent . item in which most of the company appeared was a clever sketch entitled, “What is a Wife Worth?” It had a touch of the dramatic, but Mr. Geo. Sharratt (who entertained often during the evening with clever humor) saw to it that many amusing situations were introduced, and altogether it gave a pleasant touch of variety to the programme. Comedy and eccentric dancing by Mt. Harry Webster was a very entertaining item. If some have been overlooked suffice it to say they were all excellent plotters in the successful plan to entertain the audience with a programme rich in good things. The last paragraph has been kept for Mr. Leonard Nelson, in the belief that a show in itself deserves a notice to itself. In each half of the programme Mr. Nelson played a big part, and juat as he has delighted thousands of New Zealanders in other towns for some years past, so he filled the Empire with merriment. His repertoire of comic songs, humorous characterisations, etc., was lengthy and varied and four or five times he had to respond to encores. Without Mr. Nelson the entertainment would be excellent; with him it is moH excellent. To-night and to-onorrow changes of programmes will be presented.