THE CHRISTY MINSTREL CLUB.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1046, 21 December 1882, Page 3

THE CHRISTY MINSTREL CLUB.

The above club gave one of its very excellent entertaiumet last Tuesday evening in the Volunteer Hall. The attendance was not so large as might have been expected considering the now , well-known ability of the performers, but of course nothing better could be expected in Temuka. The performance opened with the chorus ‘ By the stars that above us shine,’and Mr Bell sang‘Annie dear, I’m called away,’ Mr sevens, ‘Oh dear, oh lor! ; Mr Coltman. ‘ Sweet chiming bells’ ; Mr Guy ‘ When birds and flowers dream’ ; Mr Burrows ‘ That wicked Su-si-au’ j and Mr Rowe ‘.Close the shutters, Willie’s dead,’ which brought tho first part to a close. The singing was very good, and the accompaniments of Messrs

Bros, were excellent, The jokes of the corner men were fresh, but they had

not the slightest hard tufureifK. On the whole, that part, of the entertainment was capital, l.ut the next item was M gem It was an overture entitled ‘Orphans played by Messrs Moms on the violin uud piano Too much praise could not be bestowed on the playing of these two young gentlemen. They played magnificently, and to hear them would more than compensate anyone for a visit to the ball. Mr Edmonds next sang ‘ The Bay of Biscay, Oh’ in his usually excellent style and was accompanied by Mr Morrison the piano. A very amusing speech on the Temperance Question was delivered by Mr Bolton. Mr Levens acted as his chairman, and created a good deal of amusement by the frequency with which he hoisted to his lips a pot of beer which the lecturer intended for himself. Of course the lecturer and his chairman were pretty well drunk before the lecture was over, and their acting was far more amusing than the speech itself. The performance wound up with a very laughable farce entitled * Waxination Gratis.’ In this Signor Frangi pana, a wax works showman, had lost all his wax figures through his servant having put them uear the boiler on board the steamer, and he is driven to his wits’ ends to get up a show. The servant suggests to hire men for the purpose of representing the figures, and this is done. When the Siguor is making money in this way Detective Bullseye arrives to arrest him for passing false notes, but by standing amongst the figures he avoids the detective until a pei’son arrives who offers to buy all the figures for £2OO. Of course the offer is readily accepted, on condition that the purchaser shall bear the name and title of Fraugipana. To this the purchaser agrees, and the next moment he is arrested by Detective Bullseye, while the real Frangipana escapes. This brings the whole show to an end. There is a terrible row amongst the wax figures, who want to be paid for their .services, and the curtain drops. The ‘ get up’ in the piece was immense, especially that of Mr Edmonds, who took the part of Frangipana, and Mr Guy, who acted the part of MrsGreeneye. Mr Levens, as Bob, the servant of Frangipana, would do credit to any stage, and, as the chief part was sustained by him, the success of the piece was mainly due to him. Mr Edmonds’s was the next heaviest character, and was certainly very well done. The other parts were sustained by Messrs Biuley, Coira, Coltman, Burrows and Bolton, but they had not much to do. They played their parts well, however, and the piece passed off without the slightest hitch. Wo should like to see them repeat the same programme. ___________