BRILLIANT SPECTACLE

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20821, 3 June 1939, Page 19 (Supplement)

BRILLIANT SPECTACLE

“HOLLYWOOD HOTEL" REVUE Glamorous girls, subtle lighting effects. magnificent costuming and expert staging are the outstanding features of •‘Hollywood Hotel" Revue, one of the cleverest and snappiest revues ever to visit Hamilton and at present playing at the Theatre Royal. Last evening the appreciative audience hud scarcely time to admire one of the artistic settings, before another even more beautiful was unfolded. The frocking in "The Silver Staircase” was a riot of glorious colours, skilfully blended and mingled with the glitter of spangles into a picturesque whole. One of the most colourful numbers was "Gringoia,” the lovely chorus* being in charming versions of Mexican costumes, with bright blue spangled trousers, vivid scarlet boleros and jade green sombreros. Stately senoritas moved gracefully through this scene in long lace mantillas draped from 12 inch combs and in feather gowns with hats of an astonishing width. Of an entirely different nature was the "Showboat" scene, featuring the famous Eight Apple Dancers. Here lovely taffeta old-world frocks cleverly created the atmosphere of the period depicted. Magda Neeld, who played "Helen Morgan” looking particularly attracticve in her old-fashioned gown. Perhaps the most spectacular scene in this show of lovely pictures, was the waterfall scene, where the chorus danced against a background of perfect human statues grouped around a playing waterfall. That poetry of motion can be produced from the subtle and skilful waving of a fan was amply demonstrated by the chorus with their marvellous ostrich feather fans in "The Feather Ballet.” A particularly pretty effect was obtained by grouping the fans around the girls’ faces, creating the illusion of flowers.