English Comic Opera.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3291, 9 July 1879, Page 2

English Comic Opera.

"H.M.S. PINAFOEE."

The great success which, attended tho production of "The Sorcerer," Jiad prepared many for a similar success last evening, when " H;M.S;' Pinafo*e''lwas placed oh the boards. Neither were they disappointed, the piece coming quite tip* to expectations. The weather militated against the attendance, which! "hoiceTer, was very fair. The comic action of the piece was easily followed by the audience. It is something like this: Pompous Sir Joseph Porter, X.C.8., First Lord of the Amiralty, loves Josephine, the daughter of" the' Captain of the "Pinafore^ " Tho Admiral's suit is favored by the gallant captain, but Josephine, with womanly perversity, loves .Ralph Eackstraw, a sailor before the mast; and they resolve to fly. Dick Deadcye, a regular Danny Matoh;<infdrmi the captain of 'thil intended flight, and the lovers,' little scheme is knocked in! thehead: 'When things are looking very black for Ealph, Little Buttercup, a bumboat woman, discloses how mauy years before she practised baby farming, - and' had charge of two babies, one of whom was now the Captain and the other Balph Eackstraw, but, in her own words, she had mixed children up, and Ealph was the Captain, and the Captain was Ealph. The piece ends with a i triple wedding, Ealph marrying the'maiden of his choice; while the first Lord contents himself with his first cousin Hebe, and'the ex-Captain of; the Pinafore,;is united.in the bonds of holy matrimony with his foster' mother the' little bum-boat woman. ■ fT.he.. Drarif(tti$ i Persona is as follows :—Josephine "(tie' Captain's Daughter), Miss Leaf; Little Buttercup (a Portsmouth bumboat woman), Miss Isabel Hunter; Hebe (Sir Joseph's first cousin), Miss Teague; Bill Bobstay (boatswain), Mr E. Love ; Dick Deadeye, (able seaman), Mr Henry Hod-, son ; Kalph Eackstraw, (able seaman), 1 Mir John Cram; Capt. Corcoran (commanding H.MiS JPinafore), Mr Charles Harding; the Et. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter, K.G.B. (First Lord of the Admiralty), Mr Eiccardi. The sisters, cousins, and 7 aunts' of the first Lord', < 'sailor's*'and marines, composed the chorus. Miss .Leaf, as Josephine, shewed herself' 1 thoroughly conversant with the exigencies? of the part. Her rendition of her part of the duett with Ealph, commencing "Ec- 1 frain audacious , tar," quite carried/ the; audience away, and her upper notes in" the scena commencing " The hoars creep; apace" were exquisite. AH thrdugnu the opera her singing was marked with' taste and feeling. Miss Hunter, as the Portsmouth bumboat woman, was excellent, both in make up and singing, ■ and^ her portrayal of the character war as good as bne might wish to see anywhere; i In her singing of the opening aria, com' mencing " For I'm called Little Batter* cup," she was rewarded with enthusiastic plaudits. She infused the spirit of true" comedy into the romanza, in which occurs,. the following lines:— ' '•• 1' \f\ \ A many years ago i When I was young and charming, i ■' As some of you may know, \ I practised baby farming. The last, lines of the chorus were drowned 'by the laughter^ of audience. The scene was irresistibly comical, with, the quaint figure of Litttle Buttercup surrounded by a group of sailors apparently awestruck with what Was being revealed to them/ The only Other lady who took a leading part was Miss Teague, and she succeeded.in.satisfy ing the audience. Mr EiccardiVnne voice was heard to great advantage in the song ?• WJien I was a lad." His, make tip and'acting were excellent I.' ThVduet between the captain (Mr Harding) and Dick Deadeye (Mr . Hodson), was very grotesque,' and "an encore 'was' "demanded. The Eackstraw of Mr Cram was good and the., singing, of,, that gentleman was excellent. ' A Word of praise is due to Mr Love, who, as the boatswain, kept the risible faculties of.the audience alive all the time he^wds on 'the' stage. The whole piece was performed in a manner that showed the performers were thoroughly up in their parts, and did' the company infinite credit. The musio supplie4;by the, orchestra was excellent, and'the choruses were well up the mark. We must not forget to mention that several members of the Naval Cadets were on the stage as seamen of the "l Pinafore," dnd Mr Seagar, of the Naval Brigade, introduced a hornpipe. .... „.,.. I to-night, '[Pinafore " will be repeated, and should the clerk of the weather be favorable, we expect to see a bumper house.