ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 401, 9 January 1909, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

' OPERA HOUSE. "The Village Priest" was repeated at the Opera House last evening before a large and commendatory-audience. .The excellent acting of Mr. George Titheradge, as. the priest, Mr. H. Kolker, as the innocent convict, and'Miss Humphrey, ,as : the Comtesse, was rewarded ':with: liberal plaudits, the gradual development o& the play kept: the .interest of ,the audience, tense. The play • will be given again to-night. • ■ i . ■ _—i— WEST'S PICTURES.' • .Included in the change of programme to,hight*at; the Town Hall' is! an interesting ■ series of .pictures : graphically -describing Messina. before ,the earthquake. A splendid bird's-eye view of the city has been secured, and it is a strange coincidence that almost with- the-news -of; the-.terrible disaster the management should -receive such a-pictorial subject, as.-ifc;embraces; a: fine'. panorama of : the main, thoroughfares-and buildings, of the city, showing the cathedral, hotels,, churches, arid palaces that have been recently reduced' to ruins-with such appalling mortality. There are also pictures.-of.,tna Sicilian-rfishing fleet, whioh suffered so severely during the upheaval, ..when over 500 boats were lost or scattered. The audience is also' afforded ' a splendid .yieW'of the workings of the sulphur mines'of : Calabria. The entire series ;is : of-historio .in'teresty. being, it .is claimed, the only moving picture'record—especially ;.of. in'g Italy's, southern: province before ' .the [ which one may. learn'much, of ■ its: industries: and commerce.,-, IQther--items on the- programme- .are of. a .varied and up-to-date standard.. . A. matinee will be .given, I at 2.30 this afternoon, when children will be admitted for sixpcnco to all parts. | : "THE SCARLET TROUBADOURS." > Toriiight' the Concert Chamber at the Town Hall will be occupied by. "The; Scarlet Troubadours."" There- is an-old saying relating to a "cloak covering a multitude'of 1 sins,' shortcomings, and other things," but in the case .of, the "Efcarlet; Troubadours, r the,,folds of the scarlet, cloak cover ..a "multitude : of talents.". In ' the tiro hours' .programme they set before their audience are given, all that ;is prettiest and. wittiest ; n . musical pome.dy, all that is most stirring and ar-' tistic.in .solo, work, , L daintiest of dancing, and in- - male t singing Vail that ' beauty ;of. tone ; 'and';jpeijee£ion: of i blend: which: "made :t^-)yery....naine|iof.^he i ."Westminster Glee. ..Party'* houseKolqyword. -...As the ■; 1 the .•forjto-night next ■the' Cherniavskis,' ' the .wonderful Russian'; instrumentalists, give a matinee in the Concert • Chamber at' 3' p.m. ■, - " , , : i ' THEATRE ROYAL.: , ' Another very.-large' audience witnessed the excellent pictures shown by Fullers' Cinema Pathe. To-night an entire change of pic-, tures will be given, including ..Italy's Marvellous Cavalry," a sensational picture entitled <.'"The.^Vagabond,"■■ and many others,: including magnificent comic pictures, all of .which -have just arrived from- Messrs John Fuller and Sons' London agents. . TO-MORROW EVENING—HAYDN BECK.

At.Opera .House' .to-morrow evening (Sunday) 'the wonderful little New Zealand violinist, Haydn Beck, ; will be assisted ; in' an iattractive.'programme by ' a Vcapable- com-' - irirly, .pf yyooalists .and instrumentalists. ; ''Mr: Gecii^ra^yan'■' (^b v iflauti^ , Qf,.J)el;ftra'on'B flute 'solo, doin^ositldii"-'bfr : fiia Amy. "Hyde, the very'.popular, sopranois'..; assisting |;with' two ? solos,. .-'and 1 •also _;,Messrs v ,1!! ;i and L., .Moran. (bassi);. are.' •'sinking...' .Mjss, Amy-' Remington,'.acts ..as accompanist. ~; Altogether'.;, a' gretit'.Wd/- unique' in'.'store,:.and':;Ltfie;' 'bpera House should .be'filled, a 8 . ; the'object of the silver collection" at'..the doors'- is .a' deserving one, ; and no. doubt the-child's,,fuqds will be/coridderably •au^ntod';','.,'; •/-. ■..

WONDERLAND -—'Wonderland 'is. v ii6w.". J>ractitfaDy "freelafld," for, after'p'iyjng. tKe'small" entrance 'fee," pat-., rona have the"'free 'use of- all' the sideshows'." Frequent cars run...from ..Courtenay Place, •,(ind as the pleasure resort' is "open from 2 till 5 and 7 till 10, it should attract large crowds. '■ , • ' j;. : ' THE MALLINSONS'. The musical public will'learn with pleasure that".the,Mallmsoris' are.' returning'to;.Welto ; 'two firewell "• cong .-recitals/ .prior-1to'-th'eir departure ; froiri : New'Zealand; - Theso'-.cojlcefts;-- to be -given on-.Tahuary :29 : iihd 'Februaty 2, : will''be ■ing; as it ' "is' the infention -of Mr. -'Mallingon ';tp .introduce; -some^'-'of 'his newest soii'gs that' Have not hitherto been heard in r 'New 'Zear ; •limd. -Jt ..is -alsq:>gxatifying -to learn that -'Mr;; Jo'hfl" "will' assist; /-the. ■; popular •baritone being set down'for tWo "groups' bf '•'songs by the eminent composer-accompan-;ist.! .-• ' ' . ; THE TITTELL BEUNE SEASON. Miss.Tittell Brune,.-who 'is .supported-'by' .Mr. Thomas Kingston, Mijs../Robert Brough,' and'J. C. Williamson's combined dramatic company, will inaugurate' a season of thirteen . nights, at • the. Opera House of .. day next. During the- season'four , productions willbe'-istaged. - The opening bill being David Beiasco's great play "The"Girl 'of-.the• Golden:-West," a story .of .the. golden days when people from all parts drifted l towards the Sierras, jn California.; certainly.; a ■ picturesque period • of American history ' toat lends' itself to the dramatist -both from a 1 scenio and story point of view. .."The Girl of the,--Golden -West'-' will be- staged -for five performances, followed by; another new/pro/ductipny, Cicely,. Hamilt(jh's ; romantitTcomedy,. of Dobsori's,'j,/an .episode'. ;in .the' life (Ot, f.tondpn.'iShopigirl. .iThe'sthird-presenta- • Jiipn' "vvill be a revival of thei J ch'arming coniedydramEtt'i'SundajJi'' .aiiplay.'that has irresistible mosti:. theatre-goers; The last -two performances.*.rciH'.-ba 'devoted to a revival, .of "Romeo and Juliet."•: The company in-' eludes Messrs. Loring; Fernie, Greghan, MacMahon,.'teoiaard Willey, T. W. Lloi'd. Fred Cambourne, Roland Staveley, Harry Sweeney, Redge Carey, George Bryant, Misses Emma Temple, Edith Lewis'; Florence Kelly: Nellio' Calvin, Adele Kelly, and Georgie O Meara The box plan for tho entire season of thirteen nights will bo opened at the-Dresden on Tuesday morning.

."THE SKY PILOT." : • Mr. Edward. Reeves; had a large -and- appreciative audience for the third and last of ■ his : recitals; in,' the Municipal. Concert- Cham'•ber.'last', night;.- His material was- a judicious abridgment of Ralph Connor's popular story • . "The Sky Pilot,"' and those who had heard -•Mr.' Reeves on previous occasions or knew his reputation were not disappointed. in the anticipation that he would enter fully into the: spirit of the theme. The opening description of the foothills "country . was finely done, and created, the right .atmosphere at: .'oncfe:'- Yet it is not'in descriptive passages that- Mr ; Reeves particularly excels. . No .'elocutionist—not even .one' so. refined aid imaginative as Mr. Reeves—can bring him-' ' self to 'recognise';.that there, are sentences that should be spoken . evenly,: and: almost monotonously. Hence we hear, unnecessary modulations of; the voice, and see with the eye of the flesh gestures that do not help us to see ..anything with the; eye :of the mind. These faults are less' prominent in Mr. Reeves|s.,work than i,n' that of " most elocutionists, and.it is the high level which he generally, maintains tliat causes one to observe .and. grieve for them. r When he. comes to dialogue, be it humorous or pathetic, to .scenesjof .pathos, a moment of solemnity,;he is-masterly. With a voice that owes more (to training than,.to nature, he. differentiates, with .a' sympathy and insight that dive far below-the superficial region of mimicry, between, tho utterances of the different characters of the story.. You.can. sep them. Janice in delirium tremens, Gwen when 'she learnt that site would never ride again, Bill raisihg the wind .for the "psalm foundry," .the -. "oldat.'unaccustomed prayers,-are ;fignres that will;not,soon be forgotten by tho audience.-.,, The closing, scenes of the Pilot's lifo Were' very., impressively rendered, the" effect being anhaiioed by the organ musio.