ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 666, 17 November 1909, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS.

ANDERSON DRAMATIC COMPA33Y. Tho second performance of Walter Howard's melodrama, "A Life'B Eovengo/', was given at the Opera Houso last evening by .the..Anderson Draraatio Co, Villainy runs riot in the early stages of the play, but Borely oppressed virtue issues trisimph&nt in the end,- after some intensely dramatic scenes.-Mr.. Vivian Edwards, as the artist, Paul Staraovitoh, is an- attractive personage, aud the various villainies of . Prince Strogoroff were done- full, jiistice to by Mr."Herbert Linden. Mr; John, do Lacey, as Orloff, ;a serf,; was seen at his best in the anti-climax. Miss May Granville, aa the "Red Angel," March- Vittorm, >nd Mifcs. Ivate Gair, as the Princess, Vanda Ivvala, carried off-tlieir parts well, and the duel betwociv the two brought forth applause for skjlfnt handling of the parts. \ > On Friday and Saturday night the ownpaw ' will. produce the melodrama, "Man to , Man,' • THEATBE BOYAL. - The' strong bill' jarovided at the Theatrt, Royal is apparently just to tiw IBring of rons of the popular Thorndon house of am'UßO* ment. The pictures are excellently shown, the best of them being; "A Boyal "Marriage in India," ' "The Death of Mozart,' and "Coachita, the" Spanish Girl." The" programme will he repeated tisis evening. >

ROTAL PICTDEES.- ■ The final production, of the present pro gramme at His Majesty's Theatre drew another crowded house last evening. To-night another fino change of programme is announced, t®' consist of the dranmtio studies, "Tha Tiro. Friends,'.' "A Lesson in. CSiaadty," "A .Child of the Forest," "A Dash bo Death, "Th» Seventh Day," "Huntine ■ the Panther," r "rii» TTnir Industry," and K How a Piaao is Made* (scenic and iiuLu.str.ial studies), and the ccme> dies, "A Baoe for. a Handkerchief," and "jL Daughter's Choice."

STAB FICTCBES. ! St Thomas's Hall. Kowtows, was *ety e» tenavdy patronised last night, Then' tho Star Pictures Syndicate presented a complete changt of programme. The variety of the films was snch as to give at least a pardon of tho aeriessome particular interest to all rtf-escnt, viiilrHie appeal made to tie general interest waa also strong. "Th« Quarryjnan" was-' the title of a very dramatic sketch. A qnorrymaa losoi his eyesight through an explosion. His wife plans to ran away, bat, after a pioco of splen. aid acting, changes her ndsd at the last iDoment, . and 'thcin®» end in good - ' dramatia fashion, "The Happiest Days of Her Life", iv also a very dramatic story. It deals with.» yoang girl who, lying on what seemed,to be nor doathbod, is cored by a miracle. Her bed is : transferred to the altar, where she receives the sacrament, and the enre. ensues.-i 1 very humorous picture followed, entitled "Women Chauffeurs," in which a motor-car knocks oyer sundry ' pedestrians, go-carts, i hoardings, cabs, etc. This was succeeded by films showing some excellent views of scenery in quaint old Brittany, and depicting th® equally quaint. customs of the, inhabitants, Some pretty : scenes in Japan are , also, pro. sented, these gmng a clear idea of life in the '"Land of _ the Chrysanthemum." Th* Scrilian's Dream" is the title of eta extreoely laughable. film, and , depicts & kitchen extravaganza. "The Tiadio-Cmo Eemoyal Agency" proves a very amnsiag, if no! a • practical: method of removing' fnrwtnra. Th® programme concluded, with im attractive colour sketch entitled "The Wonderful Mirrors." Th* same pictures will bo shown again this evening. -/' ' ".-.7

WOITOEBLAm Wonderland wiH be open .this afternoon, an 4 wiH-be , electrically * flhtminated this evening.

THE J-CXItJS KNIGHT SEASON. To-morrow morning the box plans for th« 1 Entire 16 nights' season' will be opened at tho Dresden. Judging bv the undoubted interest , that is being evinced by the public esoellent advance booking is anticipated. In the'pert ■of Kerosby the Sat in "Tho Breed of ' tho % Treshams, the new play that will commenco the'J; l (VWflliomson season on Monday Mr. Julius Knight is said to.bs.va found what he has been searching forever since ho' beoamo a stai- actor. Prom all account* the:character, will be the o>ne that he is likely to r be best remembered by.-,: It-is pkstuM6qne,'imd, at th© same time oafls .for mneh powerful-,.acting. More/than any .in hi« varied .and ,well-known gallery of portraits; this said to, obtain.-Th* period ,is vthe exiatiig : time of the great Civil Warj between , the Eoyalists . and th® -Soundheads in England, and The Sat is in the •thick of the trouble, There ® one speeoh in ■ the second act .'that, it is 6aid, is. enough, of .itself to make the, fortune of. any.rplay, in which Beresby tells his, half-brother tno story of his love. The play is characterised by real, .ism and a high pitch of intensity, and may be expected to be. mounted and appointed in •Mr. J. C.- Williamson's very .best manner. Th« scenic display, it is affirmed,' is Tory beautiful, and archeeologically correct. -:' i

MR. EOEACE; HUNT'S RECITAL. .' The pianoforio recital givan hy Mr. Horac* Hunt;at,, the Concert Chamber, last evening stamps him as: something mare than, merely, a . good player, elastic as the term may be. Hij> technique. is beyond cavil, the expressions , aro carefully marked without loss of abandon, his digital speed is quite admirable, and his power is impressiiro. , Such attributes should carry him far along the . narrow road to artistic eminence. ■ There is, however, ono other thing..that, h» must .cultivate—atmosphere, temperament, soul, call it, what you will, but it most be attained by experience or. study in a oongesial circle. The programmo he submitted- last evening demanded a- more than ordinarily able pianist; .Be 'Opened with Beethoven's ."Sonata m ;A- Flat" (Op. 2C) —tho four 1 movements, • and .in.a.- fine technical exposition exhibited a nice sense in ailour.' ' The famous funeial 'marshy (maestoso andante} was interpreted with dignified rerorenoo,. that & race tooling , of. solemnity,, and when, without a break,- he dashed into tho rippling allegro,, the effect- was almost oleotrical. The difficult "Lietestraam" (Droson of ■ Love) of Liszt.might have been rnoie,delicately treated, but. in the, broad crashes .< or Eaohminoffjs ."Prelude, in. C, Sharp Minor;" with its series of masterful chords, Mr. Hunt was exhilarating to a degree. ..In the second lialf of ■ tho programme Mr. Hunt played the always welcome ."Adagio" movement ("The. Wanderer"), from Schubert** 'Tantasie, in C," with, good taste, and was encored. Finally, ho gave a dehciously vivacious interpretation of Raff's' ','Eigandon" (from tho : suite in B flat). In. response to an inporativo encere, the pianist played; Miiughan Barnett'a • "Humoresque" wfth fine abandon.Mr.' Hunt played the whole programme from memory. • Mr. Hunt' was assisted by Mr. John Carter, a tenor of fair quality,; who sang • Godard!| "Who Gave You Your Sweet Eyes? and "Tha Song of Green Fieds," "Jeg Elsker Ddg"(Gteig), , sung in the original Noreo (as a variant .to the • German more -of ten heard), and ' VTho' ■ My Carriage be but Careless' 1 Haines), Mr. Stuart McLean, a 'cellist with a full resonant tone, found. favour with tho audience. Had ho greater composure, and if he played with a shade moM deliberation with his bow, Mr. M'Loan's num< Bero would have been even more acceptablo. His best number,.; perhaps, was the "Andant® Religioso," of. Francis Thome.' His hasty bowing was the cause of a fault or two in Gotterman's "Andante" from Concerto (Op. 14), with which was bracketed a "Serenade" •by A'ictor Herbert,-a composition, of little merit • Mrs. D. C. Bates recited "Woman and th« Weed" (Lang), "Together" (Oxenham). Mr. Hunt played Mr. Carter's accompaniments, and Miss Gertrude Hunt those of Mr. M'Lean, : Among those in the well-filled hall were Lady Plunket (attended hy Captain Gaihorne-Hardy, A.D.C.), his Worship the Mayor (Dr. A. K. Nownwm). and Miss Kloen Ward. ■ TENUIS ,COKCKET. , On Wednesday even&jj''next, uritior tho au»> pices of Uie Wellington Provincial Lawn Tennis Association, a praiKl concert is to be'give# in the .Town Hall, in aid of the .Grounds. Fund; •" To judge, from the names of those who have kindly consented to assist, the concert should' be of more.than average merit, and;thoroughly ; represoutativo in the character of tie items.