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H.M.S. Pinafore in the Academy.

Last evening the long anticipated per* formance of- Sullivan's favourite opera "JELM.S. Pinafore" eventuated. The fact that this charming conception was to be presented by Jady and gentlemen amateurs, was sufficient to cause a feeling of curiosity among playgoers, who assembled enmasst to witness their first appearance. Although many went with the intention of seeing what the amateurs would make of the piece, the highly effective repre* sentation of it dispelled this characteristic, and many who " went to scoff remained to pray." The scenery, conlidering the limited nature of the ap«

pHances at command, was Rood, and the i performance as a wbole was extremely | i satisfactory. The buildiu;? was crammed ( in every part, and the liveliest interest i i was taken in the proceedings. The overture was fairly well gone through, and on the ascent of the curtain the hearty men •o' - warsmen, who numbered about a score, were discovered en^a^cd in " scrubbing down." The opening, chorus " We sail the ocean blue " was well rendered, and the appearance of Mrs Brassey (nee Hunter) was • hailed with applause. Little Buttercup, i who gave admonition to the brave tars in i respectto their bashful characteristics, was ! in good voice, and her efforts were appre- j ciated and applauded. She drove an i excellent trade ritb her wares, and '■ although the commercial overtures were.' well conceived the acting was slightly over done. The Captain, (Mr Hilton) waa by far the most successful impersonation of the evening. Mr Hilton has a good voice, and it was evident from his easy grace on the stage that it was not the first time by many that he had appeared " on the boards." Indeed his rendition of the Captain's son?, and his subsequent aria, " lair moon," together with his distinct pronunciation, clearly demonstrated that he had. received far better tuition as an amateur actor than could be obtained on the Thames. His daughter, Josephine (Mrs Kilgour) was in good voice, and although slightly nervous at the outset, gained confidence as the piece proceeded, and her rendering of the difficult songs and tiring recitatives was worthy of all praise. Her dress, if not appropriate to her position as the Captain's child, was most pretty, and her. acting was everything that could have been desired. Mr R. R. McGregor as the First. Lord was most gorgeonsly arrayed in blue and gold, and his vocal efforts were received with demonstrations of approval. His cousin, the pert Hebe,' (Miss E. Coney) although only having a slight part, performed it with credit to herself; add the piquant manner in which she uttered the mots de re*istance i was most effective. Mr Airey as Ralph Rackstraw was good, and although his-acting on several occasions was open to comment, this was no doubt owing to its being his first appearance in opera. The duet with Mrs Kilgour, " Refrain audacious tar," was fair, but his voice failed him it the high notes. Mr W. Steward as the Bosun was good, and his acting caused great amusement. This is a most taking character, but it is possible to make too much of it. Care should always be taken, especially in a piece like Pinafore, not to turn it into a burlesque. Mr C. Brown made a fair Dick Deadeye. Mr Scott gave a step dance at the close of the first act. The entertainment both financially and musically was a great success. The dresses were good, and the general arrangements most excellent, and it is a credit to the Thames that it can produce such a really excellent opera troupe. We hope that thtfse who failed to witness the performance last night, will have an opportunity of doing so at some future period. After the performance a drnce followed, which was kept up until an early hour. Some little annoyance was felt by the soloists at the over zealous efforts of the orchestra, who introduced a mode of playing the accompaniments in a manner little understood by themselves, and most perplexing to the unfortunate performers. . . i

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THS18800730.2.13

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3617, 30 July 1880, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
676

H.M.S. Pinafore in the Academy. Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3617, 30 July 1880, Page 2

H.M.S. Pinafore in the Academy. Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3617, 30 July 1880, Page 2

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