ENTERTAINMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2491, 3 May 1909, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS.

COMIC OPERA COMPANY

In the approaching visit of the Royal Comic Opera Company, now at Wellington. local theatregoers' can, _ with safety, anticipate one of the richest lyrical treaty that has been afforded them for many years. Wellington critics state that it is the most powerful company sent to New Zealand since the days of Charles Ryley, Wallace Brownlow, Nellie Stewart, Violet Varley; Billie Bilton, and Howard Vernon. In thpse_ days Florrie Young was one the youngest of the principals, but (he training she has since had in England and under March esi, not to mention -the big round of parts she has successfully filled in Australia, has fitted her for the prima donna roles in the present repertoire. But she is only one of many principals of exceptional talent, Mr Andrew Higginson, from England, is one of the most attractive light baritones that this country has seen, and those who have seen him in ‘‘The Merry Widow” and also the performance of Mr. Joseph Coyne, in London, say that the former lias nothing to learn. Then there is Miss Fanny Dango, Victor Couriet, Mr. W. S. Percy, Miss Nellie Wilson, Mr. James Hughes. Miss Connie Milne, Miss Marietta Nash (Mrs. Geo. Lauri), and Mr. Arthur Hunter, and last, but l>y no means least the popular tenor, Mr. Reginald Rober. Owing to the enormous success of “The Merry Widow” the run of Frank Lolior’s brilliant work had to be twice extended in Wellington, where no fewer than fourteen performances of the c'pora were given. This is the record run for any opera in New Zealand, but is merely a repetition of what occurred in every other part of the world where ‘The Merry Widow” has been seen. Over a thousand seats at 6s each were booked in Wellington before tlie curtain rose on the first performance, and to such an extent lias accommodation been bespoken in the country towns during the flying visit the company is to make during the next two weeks that the management is experiencing real difficulty in making arrangements for the accommodation of the 110 members of the organisation. On this occasion the company is in charge of Mr. Geo. H. Smith, and Mr. Bert. Rovle is attending to the advance work.