Pleasures of Paris

with The Fabulous Sabrina

and a cast of

Internationally Famous Celebrities

An ad in the Melbourne Age for POP on 30 Jan 1959

Thanks to James C we have, for the first time on any website in the history of the world, the 1959 programme for the Sydney production of Pleasures of Paris. Put on your best frock and pearls, sit back and enjoy.

Sabrina appeared in the London version (1957), Melbourne (1958) and Sydney (24 Feb 1959-29 April 59).

Also see the POP programme from London, 1957

Listen to Barry Crocker recall his days in Melbourne and Adelaide in the Tivoli with Sabrina - including how he became her manager.

12 December 1958 - The Age

People are saying...

The Sun --

PLEASURES OF PARIS A PLEASURE INDEED.
This is the show with Sabrina in it. The Horrie Dargie Quintet were a sensation.
The Mistin Juniors brought the house down.
The comedians funny [sic] ... Andrea Dancers memorable...
top class entertainment.

The Age --

Good acts support Sabrina

... the girl has a great future ... the Horrie Dargie Quinett [sic] funny and clever ... Mistin Juniors superb ... spectacular staging and costuming.

The Herald--

Sabrina's quite a trouper

Nobody could complain ... Peak of the programme. the Dargie Boys when combined with Sabrina. Mistin Juniors brilliant... Ernestina (Andrea Dancers) breathtaklng. Garnished with girls... production very effective.

The Listener In--

Pleasures of Paris lives up to expectations

.... . . personality English Glamor Girl Sabrina. Horrie Dargio Quintet clever and slick. Syd and Max Jamilton particularly funny... Billy Baxter a great favorite... Mistin Juniors brilliant...Nicoli Brothers spectacular. Lavish with plenty of color.

A (shall we say - disinterested) review of the Sydney debut performance on 24 February 1959 (Sydney Sun-Herald )

Sabrina In Tivoli Show

Miss Norma Sykes, formerly of Blackpool, and now known as Sabrina, appeared for the first time in Sydney fast night as the official leading lady in a Tivoli show called "Pleasures of Paris," a lavishly dressed and prettily undressed recapitulation of past and unrepented Follies.

Sabrina sings a little, acts a little, and moves in statuesque profile about the stage.

Her singing is an unsuccessful attempt to blend the brazen brassiness of Betty Hutton and the simpering blonde coyness of Shirley Temple. Her acting is rudimentary.
But she is enormously ornamental and she looks to be, behind it all, a nice girl.

The rest of the show is pretty much as usual, except for a brilliant performance by the Horrie Dargie Quintet, whose easy, relaxed professionalism shines like a good deed in an under-rehearsed world: it seems a little unfair that their second appearance is as supporting cast — albeit a slightly sarcastic one — for Sabrina.

Additionally there is a good acrobatic dance team, a highly successful female impersonator, a couple of slightly macabre and only occasionally funny comedians, and a young Belgian couple who in five minutes of brilliant virtuosity go close to proving that a xylophone is a musical instrument.

Billy Baxter, a personable young man, works extremely hard — and usually quite successfully as compere. JM

An ad from the Sydney Morning Herald, 26 March 1959

Evenings at 3.15. Matinees Weds., Sats. and Hols, at 2 p.m.

SYDNEY'S MIGHTEST EASTER SHOW!

Easter Holiday Matinees Saturday and Monday. 2 p.m.

Blue Ribbon Champion for Top Entertainment!

TIVOLI: "PLEASURES OF PARIS"

Starring the Fabulous

SABRINA

and featuring a brilliant, constellation of INTERNATIONAL STARS
eclipsing everything in the past decade.

SYD and MAX HARRISON

England 's Clown Princes of Comedy.

ANDREA DANCERS. HORRIE DARGIE QUINTET. BILLY BAXTER.
MISTIN JUNIORS. JACKIE MONNIER. NICOLI BROTHERS. EDIT
JUHASZ. JEFF PARKER. DAVID HAMILTON. DANCING KNIGHTS
30 of the world's most Beautiful Girls.
with the adorable TIVOLI BALLET.

LAUGHS GALORE!
WORLD-FAMOUS COMEDIANS!
LAVISH STAR-SPANGLED SCENES!
MAGNIFICENT DRESSING!
COLOURFUL! GLITTERING! GLAMOROUS!
ALL THE SPECTACLE of the "FOLIES BERGERE" brought from
PARIS to YOU!

Seats 12 days ahead at Tivoli (BA4331). Nicholson's and Paling's.
PRICES (every seat bookable) Evgs.. 6/. 15/. 20/ : Mats.. 5/, 10/, 15/ (Children Half-price at Mats.). Sat. Evgs . 6/, 20/, 25/,
MAIL ORDERS 4 weeks ahead.

A review of the Sydney PoP - Sydney Morning Herald - 25 Feb 1959

Miss Norma Sykes, formerly of Blackpool, and now known as Sabrina, appeared for the first time in Sydney last night as the official leading lady in a Tivoli show called "Pleasures of Paris," a lavishly dressed and prettily undressed recapitulation of past and unrepented Follies.

Sabrina sings a little, acts a little, and moves in statuesque profile about the stage. Her singing is an unsuccessful attempt to blend the brazen brassiness of Betty Hutton and the simpering blonde coyness of Shirley Temple. Her acting is rudimentary.

But she is enormously ornamental, and she looks to be, behind it all, a nice girl.

The rest of the show is pretty much as usual, except for a brilliant performance by the Horrie Dargie Quintet, whose easy, relaxed professionalism shines like a good deed in an under-rehearsed world; it seems a little unfair that their second appearance is as supporting cast — albeit a slightly sarcastic one — for Sabrina.

Additionally, there is a good acrobatic dance team, a highly successful female impersonator, a couple of slightly macabre and only occasionally funny comedians, and a young Belgian couple who, in five minutes of brilliant virtuosity, go close to proving that a xylophone is a musical instrument.

Billy Baxter, a personable young man, works extremely hard — and usually quite successfully — as compere.

JM.

TIVOLI CIRCUIT presents

"PLEASURES of PARIS"

TIVOLI CIRCUIT, in keeping with its progressive policy of presenting the greatest names in show business to-day supported by the finest international acts in variety and featured in fast moving lavishly mounted shows, takes great pleasure in presenting their new French follies "PLEASURES OF PARIS" featuring one of the most publicised names of our time, the Fabulous SABRINA . No cost has been spared in creating this spectacular Parisian styled revue with a cast of international variety stars and 30 of Australia's most beautiful girls.

For the future, Tivoli's have planned a line up of shows that they feel will more than fulfil the faith that the Directors hold in the future of live entertainment and variety revue presentations in particular.

Following "PLEASURES OF PARIS" you are invited to join England's jovial jester JOHNNY LOCKWOOD in "TROPICAL HOLIDAY" introducing from Rio de Janeiro the exciting BRAZILIANA DANCERS who will be completing a world tour.

Who's who in the Show . . .

SABRINA...

The story of Sabrina (Norma Sykes originally) begins at the age of eleven when she was the champion swimmer for her home town of Stockport near Blackpool. Her family moved to Blackpool soon afterwards, and it was here she contracted polio during an epidemic.

Until she was sixteen she was in and out of hospital nursing the after effects of this unfortunate illness.

About the time Sabrina was eighteen a photographer friend took her picture. English Post used it on their cover and Sabrina was "made".

An agent called her up for a B.B.C. TV audition on the Arthur Askey Show. Sabrina explained "it was only a small part but I had never been on the stage before."

She has had to turn down several film offers recently because of her commitment at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London, for a period of eighteen months, where she appeared prior to visiting Australia.

She has charm, a sense of humour and intelligence to realise that Sabrina is a much more fortunate girl than Norma Sykes ever was.

If you see a Saba-mauve Vauxhall car with leopard skin upholstery and a gold "S" on the door (probably surrounded by crowds of people) it will be SABRINA'S new car, the colour being named after her.

And more from the Tivoli programme