25, 1897.1
THE ADO
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. WLES CLOCHES DE CORNEVILLI" | whole, good as it was, failed to answer the high expectations that had been formed, the fact is worthy of note that there was no demand for a second view of the final tableau, nor were the principals, the stage manager, or the scenic artist called before the curtain, an almost unprecedented omission for a Hongkong audience at an amateur performance.
The cast was as follows: Serpolette (a wait) Germaine... Manette... Gertrude... Marguerite Jeanne...
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The Amateur Dramatio Club have this year an ambitions effort, having Les Cloches de Corneville for pre- There are comparatively few people not seen this lively and charming opera performed over and over again fessionals of more or less competence, and teurs who essay to perform it have therefore criticism of a different order from
expected in pantomime or broad | which depend for their success on soenic effect and topical allusions. "Les Cloches de Corneville is a master piece of its kind, requiring good acting and good sing- ing, and with which only very small liberties can be taken in the way of innovation without marring it. The Amateur Dramatic Club have for months past been rehearsing the piece most assiduously, we might almost say heroically, for the demands it has made on their time for afternoon and evening practices have been so great as to make all other engage- ments almost impossible. The first public performance was given on Saturday evening and was a very creditable one, though it would be mere affectation to say that it does not allow very large room for criticism. We had. not the pleasure of witnessing the dress rehearsal, but we are given to understand that Saturday evening's performance was a con- siderable improvement upon it, and with the additional experience now gained we look for a further improvement at this even- ing's and subsequent performances. To begin with, the piece is too long. On Satur- day it was ten minutes past twelve when the curtain dropped, which residents at the Peak and Kowloon find rather too late to be agreeable. As it was, the pruning knife had been a applied rather freely, but unfortunately at the end of the piece, where it interfered with the development of the plot and meant the sacrifice of some pretty music, instead of in less vital parts. We would suggest that it would be better, to abbreviate the second act, and especially some of Gaspard's business; not that Mr. Frowd was not successful in the part, but still, to see an old man slowly crawling round the stage to light a number of candles and then slowly crawling round to blow them tout again is not calculated to rivet the attention of the audience. The dances, too, especially the one at the beginning of the third sot, though| extremely pretty, were not part of the play and they delay the action. It would be almost a pity to saorifice them now, after so much time and attention have been expended on their re- hearsal, but if dancing was desired it would per- haps have been better to have selected a different piece. It was at all events the universal verdict Saturday night that the performance was long drawn out, and of course the dancing to produce that effect. Amongst nts inviting criticism it may also be ed that in the second act the darkness sed to prevail during a part of the time ried to a rather too realistic extreme, ong h the action is laid in a dark room the O naturally desire to see what is going
on
that
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music, was on the hole excellent, except orus got a little astray on one asions. Of the mounting of the
hardly speak too highly, there is one little defect to trifling in itself, but the remedy will improve the general effect. situations were all designed ged most artistically, with the excep- Gertrude had for some reason been wear an absurdly burlesque wig the harmony of pictures in which ness was the effect to be aimed at male characters were concerned. plendid and Mr. Buzzard and congratulated most heartily
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in the seats length of the or dances might be the ardour of the
that the
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The Marquis de Corneville... Gaspard (a miser) The Bailie... Grenicheux
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Gobo (the Bailie's shadow) Clerk Christophe (a cadet) Eugene... Scipion
Mr.
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PATTAT
the features
187
100%
given and formed one evening. In the reo heroes he was also but it was in this number that the one of the slips above alluded to cult part of Gaspard Mr. W S. From did well; it is a considerable feat for t to get through the part without ridiculous, but Mr. Frowd, if his .Mrs. D. E. Brown. tion cannot be described as pow .Mrs. E. W. Mitchell. tainly succeeded in conveying a correct iden ..Mrs. Brewitt. of the character. The part of the Bailie was Mrs. Francis Clark. taken by that experienced and capable acter Miss Humphreys. Mr. Grace, who did füll justice to it in every ...Miss Mast. point, both in singing and acting. Mr. DK Mr. G. P. Lammert. Sliman's performance as Grenicheux was more Mr. W. 8. Frowd, R.N. notable for the excellence with which the
Mr. C. H. Grace. music was rendered than for realistio acting Mr. D. K. Sliman. though the latter might easily have been
Mr. G. Caldwell. | worse. The song On billow rock Mr. G. Grimble. is one of the most pleasing numbers of Eric Grant Smith. opera and Mr. Sliman sang it with
Mr. Sawyer. R.N. taste and feeling. The omission of Grenichou.
Mr. E. Hill. valse song in the third act was a disappoint Peasants, Fishwives, &c.-Mesdames Aitken, ment. Mr. G. Caldwell as Gobo was irresist Bain, Clement, M. Clement, Eitel, Grimble, comic, both in make up and acting, and kept Hazeland, Holmes, Lammert, Mancell, H. Mast, the audience laughing as long as he was | Seth, and Skertchley.
on the stage. It is not often that a better representation of characteris seen, even when the stage is occupied by pro- fessionals, than that which the audience on Saturday night enjoyed. It struck us, how- ever, that the use of a whistle by Mr. Caldwell was a mistake, and that it rather detracted from the humour of the "Salute the Bailie" episode ; the actor's own voice without the whistle would have been more effective. Mr. G. Grimble, as the Clerk, was got up to represent a luminary of the Supreme Court, and although he had not a great deal to do he was a notice. able and useful figure in the tableaux. A word of praise should also be given to Master: E. Grant Smith, who as Christophe "shivered his · timbers" very audaciously.
Fishermen, Sailors, Gardeners, Coachmen, &c.-Messrs. Armstrong, Arthur, Brewitt, Chapman, Crispin, Duncan, Eitel, Gilchrist, Grimble, G. C. Hayward, S. W. Hayward, E. Hazeland, E. Hill, Humphreys, Holmes, Jesumann, R. F. Lammert, Th. Lammert, E. W. Maitland, Measor, Mirow, Rooke, Sayer, Shepherd, Eric Smith, R. Witchell, J. Witchell.
The scenery painted by the staff of the late Mr. M. A. Baptista, from sketches and designs by Lient, Buuzard, R. A. The Dances ar- ranged by Mr. George Caldwell. Musical Director Acting Manager Stage Manager
Pianist
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...Mr. A. G. Ward. ...Dr. Francis Clark.
Mr. E. W. Mitchell.
ORCHESTRA, ...Mr. Ormiston.
1st Violins ...Messrs. C. Sohwencke, Botten-
heim, and Sydney
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2nd Violins ...Messrs. Houben and Buchwaldy, 1st Clarionet. Mr. A. Camning, 1st Horn Mr. H. S. Cooke. and by kind permission of Colonel Gordon and the Officers of the West Yorkshire Regiment, Flute
Corporal Harper. Oboe
.Musicían Quaid. 2nd Clarionet Bassoon 2nd Horn Cornets Trombone Drums, etc. Volda Cello Bass
Corporal Scragg.
...Musician Wheeler.
Sergeant Murrell. ...Musicians Haley and Henson. ...Musician Chatwin,
...Musician Taylor,
Musician Skilton, ...Musician Jones. ...Musician Lyons.
Mrs. Brown madea vivacious Serpolette, soting the part with intelligent abandon, while her singing was charming, and it was several times with difficulty that the audience restrained itself from violating the rule as to encores. The couplets, "Marchioness! how astounding!" in the second act, «Though no more plain Serpolette in the third, and the cele brated oider song were especially well rendered and were loudly applauded. A note worthy feature of Mrs. Brown's singing and was the clearness of her high notes. Mrs. Mitchell was also well-suited with the part of Germaine and the reappearance on the stage of this lady, who has so often charmed Hong- kong audiences, was hailed with much satis- faction, but unfortunately she was suffering from the effects of a recent illness, which had necessitated the postponement of the opening performance from the date originally red, and was unable to do herself such complete ustics as we are accustomed to expect from her Her acting, however, was graceful fand- sympathetic throughout, and in her song should never say yes or nay" and the sub duet with the Marquis she was heard alm her best. Mrs. Brewitt, Mrs Clark, 1 Humphreys, and Miss Mast filled very fully the small parts allotted to Mr. G. P. Lammert made quite an ideal handsome and dashing, and the music suited to his robust tenor voice. His joy my heart has often bounded "*****
The chorus, with the one or two slips above. referred to, sang with very fine effect. It had an excellent foundation in the bass and the other parts were well balanced. The bass were particularly heard to advantage in the lines "If you groom or footman need." The tenors in "Who are drivers lacking ?" were hardly so good. Amongst the concerted pieces special mention should be made of the sailors chords “Let our torches.”
In the orchestra it`struck us that one of the instruments was occasionally a little out of tune, but with this exception the instrumental music was excellent!
Very great praise is due to Mr. Mitchell, the stage manager, and Mr. Ward, the musical conductor, for their indefatigable labours in the preparation of the piece.
The performance will be repeated to-night and we shall be surprised if it does not show a considerable improvement over that of Satur day. We hope our introductory remarks will not be construed as damning the piece with faint praise, for the performance is really a noteworthy one which no one should miss seeing, but "Les Cloches de Corneville much more ambitious effort than an ordinary burlesque or even a Gilbert and Sullivan duction and it was hardly to be expected in the first representation complete success should be achieved.
SECOND PERFORMANCE There was again a large attei performance of Leg Cloche de Cor by the Amateur Dramatic Club on M evening and everyone was well satisfied the way the piece went, as indeed they had good occasion to be. A gr the first representation was anticipated would be to say that noth
on the am Her pieces mBY: Applause by reas
ing local
improve