MR. HELLER.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 255, 2 November 1870, Page 2

MR. HELLER.

On to-morrow evening the peculiar and most fascinating entertainments of this conjuror, who-e fame, has been heralded in all the Southern papers, will commence in the City ETali. In default of having ourselves witnessed his remarkable performances, we cannot do better than reproduce the following extract from a Nelson paper, being one of scores of similar notices which we have observed in our Southern files : —

" UELtEB. —Oowd?d houses every nighfc have testified to the extraordinary interest which this talented professor has excited amongst us. Peerless among all his compeers who have undertaken to amuse and mystify a fselson audience ; professedly somatic, yet to his audience so far above the ordinary "legerdemain" of the profession that he'might be thought to possess some potent diablerie, altogether ultra-corporeal, he shovrs a facility and neatness whi'h are, in a high degree, artistic. The Dessicated Canaries, the Cabalistic Cookery, the Silver King*, the Seventh Bullet—take whatever you please a3 a specimen of dexterity, and you are impelled to say that amongst much of this sort of thing which ordinary sight.-seers must witness, never were they better, and voj seldom were they anything like nearly so well performed. His discourse, too, is unique. The bombastic selfsufficiency of the ordinary "conjuror" is happily wanting, anil in 'he place we have a cool, imperturbable, "chaffy" talk, which is amusing, and sometimes witty. The absence of the gorgeous apparatus, which forms the usual stock-in-trade, is another feature which one feels to be an absolute relief when such wondrous effects can be attained without its assistance, find so far, Mr. Heller has benefitted his profession, for ali who come after him may do without these cumbrous adjuncts -but they must (no little contingency) be equally clever if they wish to be listened to. As a pianist, Mr. Heller is probably one of the most brilliant executants that ever visited Nelson. The fantasia variations on well-known popular air?, exhibited his powers, his energy, his rapidity most completely. The " Last Rose of Summer," ever welcome, come in what guise it may from tho fingers of an artist, wa3 brilliantly rendered, and, through a perfect shower of variations, the air was readily traceable. But that exhibited the mechanical ability of the musician, not the true power and pathos of the composer; and we venture to say that had Mr. Heller, after displaying his great musical muscularity in the way of variations, played the pimple melody, without a single adornment, it would have reached the hearts of his hearers more fully than all the clever variations of shrill and thunderous sound with tvhich he enwrapt it. His comical musical performances are effective, teste the " Boarding School Miss" of last night, to which we can only refer as an excllent piece of musical acting. The " mystery " part of the entertainment is that in which a blindfolded youth, with his back to the people, rapidly' tells the nature of the manifold articles handed to Mr. Heller, while walking amongst the audience, and describes a beer bill, a locket, its portraits, and the value nnd number of a bank note, all without hesitation. This is by no mewns the least wonderful of Mr. Heller's many wonders. Those who cherish pleasant recollections of Punch and Judy can have all these recalled, for that attractive performance forms a part of this evening's programme, and is a delightful thing for .children. Those who intend being present this evening had better secure their tickets and seat-* early, for last night scores of persons wore turned away from the doors."