ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 406, 15 January 1909, Page 10

ENTERTAINMENTS.

. • —; — y ■ ■ ■■ . ■ ,■ - - : .."operxhouse!'■".."' '..;'..', : . Another performance of "Zira" was given hvthe Opora : House last night by Mr.- J. G. [ Williamson's Star Dramatic Company,; before . ) a good audience. The name part, which was , filled-by Miss Ola Humphrey, demands act- . i .ing of a highly emotional nature, and this the , actress was Very successful in supplying. As ; tho : Rev.. Gordon Clavering, Mr. Henry ' Kolker made the most of a difficult, part, ■ while. Mr. G. S. Titheradge gave a clever '< presentation of the physician, Sir Frederick ' Knowles. "Zira" will bo staged for the last , time, to-night, when the Wellington"-season. ; y of .the Company will conclude.- v : ' WEST'S PICTURES. . West's Pictures continue to- inter- , ested. audiences to the Town Hall: The star ' pictures 'presented last evening: included ■ a : long'coloured film-depicting the life of"Sam- J ■ son,.the strong man of Biblical times. f series of. scenes •in -which Samson '.wage's. - single-handed l war against Philistia-'ari'd, laid j ' low. by' the wiles of a woman; has been • graphically acted for picture purposes by a f ■ company-of. finished players. "The Squaw ■; • ;Man's Daughter," " Sicily Before the Earth- f quake,".and *W. film[depicting the- training , of-.-cavalry 'horses are . splendid, samples i6f r . the. kiriematqgraphor's art. -■ De -Groen's . Orchestra-is a pleasant accessory. ■- f I ;:.,HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. ■ V Despite the wintry-weather of last evening, f I the audience that viewed the Royal Pictures £ ' at His' Majesty's Theatre was a large one. 5 1 This.week's programme contains pictures of * f- a very interesting nature. "Richard"•■lll;"' 2 is a film depicting a tragic period in the his- i 1 toryof England: The lighter side of life is ' J ; shown in "For the Peace: of the Family." g '' The, story, tho picture tells is of a .henpecked j 1 husband,- who, driven to desperation by fran-. j tie and ineffectual struggles' with ■a. collar- s .-. stud, : emits a blaze of temper which leaves ' . his'wife and mother-in-law almost petrified t - with'-astonishment at his unwonted boldness. ' The.morning air cools the heated.brow, and j >' hot temper of, the husband, and he .resolves to 'show.his penitence by gifts of flowers and ( . gaymillinery. Losing his. purchases and re- ,j gaming them after some amusing adven- j tures, he reaches ' home and hands his- wife :;; '. thebdx. which he thinks contains, a summer ( hat.. The-wife, somewhat mollified 'by the- • gift,'opens the box and finds- therein not:the , - hat but.the headgear.of.a horse—the.result . of-the pranks of some'youngsters'who. had i I taken-charge .of the gift. And'then,. of . course—tableau! AHthe other pictures arc ; '■' well-up to. the standard. The' programme ~ will -be repeated to-night. . ''; : I : ' ''-: '. TBEATRE ROYAL./' '\ ''■/ ~ i '. > The' excellent, pictures ■ shown by Messrs j f. Fullers'.Cinema.P.athe'attracted another'good audience,to the.•Thcatre.:'Rpyal : last ; night. f i. As there ! now remain, but two,.nights, of. the. j present' 'programme, persons who. have not seen'it snould lose no'time', in doing, so.-- -'. 1 \ .: "SCARLET, ' ,j .- This bright' littlo.company of. entertaining people are finding as. much favour'hero pro r 3 portionately as do their, brilliant originators, { " The Follies," in Lceidon. It is 1 true .that . they'lack tho :bulky Pelissier,--.whose musical f .- quips arid comical business-is so excellent, .'. but.'in . MessrsA Alfij QuriningKam, Sidney..] Manneringj 'Ford-Waltham',- -Edgar Warwick; ] and.Percival Mackenzie, we have y'capital quintet, who are never at ..a..loss'. • .Misses | Fane and,.Gertrude Parker are both.bright. . and.winso'riie in their business.'Add to that j g talent of rather more.than ordinary.kind, , j, and pleasure is- assured. The Troubadours t i conclude,their season.in Wellington on Satur- 1 a : day. \: ■>. ; ' -.-'''THE TITTELL BRUNE SEASON. "' , The opening, production of the Tittell 1 r Bruno season at thoOp'era House on Satur- ] • day. evening will-be David'Bolasco's play, j "The Girl of the Golden Wcijt," which . has : been running at'the Belasco Theatre, New ' York, for the last years, "and; when j staged recently in.Sytuiey-was .voted-as.the; \ . best Miss Brune has yet given to Austr'ala- j 'sian theatre-goers."., The Sydney, press., \ were ] unanimous in their appreciation of'the all- ] .round. excellence of' both;-play,, arid players,. ( and bestowed liberal ..plaudits on .both. In 1 the play, the audience are transplanted to ( : California, the West'of about 60 a years ago.: At' that history-making period' .-.' of American progress pioneers of, all nation-: 1 - alities were reaching out across the plains, ? almost.burntiup ,-by, tho heat, of ..the.'dusty, i 3 i ."trails'," choked by'the-' alkali-like dust, or °; wearied by the .toil of trampmg.-.over-rugged I sierras, but'with hope 'undaunted, in .tho I search for gold.. .Little communities wore ~ j formed- together.'wherever the prospects.were t encouraging, and. the uncouth, but mostly i ' honest,, miners drew up .aCq.do of morality 3 f br. themselves,', and. frequently'administered ■ s their locally-manufactured laws without.,ro-. •• sbrt'tt duly constituted tribunals.-.lt.is to f one'of . these. camp&; that ■ the- audience, are, . 1 introduced.'.There, with the exception; .of an s ; -Indian squaw,, a young, girl is. th' 6; only fe.- ■ " maloinhabitant. To her admirers, and.tliey-, •' embrace the, whole community, she is known. ; '' "The- Girl." . Mis.s : Tittell ■.Brune.as '■ "The-Girl'' .has'abundant opportunities for ■'! displaying her .wonderful gifts as-an. ex- -. ) ponentoF.the-emotions.' Three_other Pjoduc-' ; >- tions,.- "Diana of, I'Siinday.,.. and ;]' and. Juliet,", will also be-presented 1 'during tho season.. . "• '~ ):'■'■■■ ':': : '" ■••".' '—— . s THE CHERNIAVSKIS. • a; : . ; :The; members of. the.-Cherhiavski.concert' ' ' party arrived in Wellington last night from a successful ■ series of concerts . m tho. Nelson . 5 district. They' will'give a-farewell,matinee. -•' performance.'at: the Town Hall' to-morrow ■'■- afternoon, at 3. o'clock, for which occasion . ; ' aprograriime of very great interest has been '■ prepared: It includes Grieg's suite, _ Peer " Gynf -for violin, 'cello, arid piano,, Liszt s ; 2 "Rigoletto," transcription, for piano,. Schu-, - bert's "Ave Maria," and Bazzini's "Witches ■ ; Dance,'.'- for violin, Sulzor's '.'Summer Night" :. ' and Van-Goen's "Scherzo", for violoncello. G In'addition, Madame Mario Hooton and Mr. Percival Driver will contribute vocal numbers. -~ This : is the last appearanco of these remark- ; able, instrumentalists in Wellington, 9. .. •.-•-,' •;: -■.-■.—:— •,- " - 2 ':/-''^. ; -, - " -~ '.-' ■ -.'..■.■'.' 5 ;■"•.'•■;' SUNDAY CONCERT. . / -. '■ The 'second'of'a' series-of Sunday '.night ■'' sacred'concerts, to be given by the Welling--1 ton Professional Orchestra, will take place in : - 1 the Town . Hall "on. Sunday next. On' this 5 occasion' the "orchestra will have the assist- *■ ance of Mr. D. A. Kenny, organist,-whoso - performances .at the-recent recitals ;of rle ' King's Trumpeter have marked-him as an acceptable instrumentalist. Mr. Kenny will contribute two sacred items. The orchestra- " will play items specially imported for Sunday concerts, and'-will accompany the. vocalists 1 .- I , ; BURNS-JOHNSON PICTURES.. V :. i.'The'biograph' pictures of, tho coutest.be- ■:. tween "Tommy" Burns and "Jack" Johnson : e for' the ; heavy-weight championship ', of . the ii world,' are said to be among the finest ex-. amples-of the artiqf kinematography yet - '" seen'irithe Dominion:- They will be shown in £ ;v , the.Theatre Royal .for a.short season, .comi mencing on Monday next, .by' : Messrs.. John; - Fuller and- Sons, who secured the right;'to display them through New Zealand from Mr. 1 Hugh'D. M'lntosh, the promoter of the. fight; t f and-who retains the largest interest in the " pictures. The- pictures take nearly two hours 1 to reel .off,; and' consist-'oFthe preliminary.' I training, and Interesting incidents before the n" contest,-which, take up the first part', of i, tho 'entertainment, arid:' the whole' of the j •. contest'from. ."Seconds' 'out of the Ring" to b the finale: The -plan: ds" at, :the f Dresden.' •, 1- .; ; ; ;, '.._ . — '—: ,', ."■ / "The. Squatter's •'-Daughter-" Company/ . who liave just'completed a successful tour of -\ ", .the West Coast; passed through Wellington .{ a yesterday 'en-''route, .to. Dunedin..'.... s