ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 736, 8 February 1910, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

OPERA HOUSE,

"The King of Cadonia" was .staged again last night'at the' Opera House, be-fore-a large-gathering who""thoroughly onjoyed the production. : It will be presented for the last time here to-night;-

: "Havana,"'a new musical comedy, by. Georgo Grossmith, jun„' with music' by Adrian Ross and Leslie Stuart, of "Floradora" fame,..will be presented, for the first time here; to-morrow evening. The plot, as. the name of the play suggests, is laid in the island of Cuba. a locale which" should' lend'- itself ' prodigally to combinations of • colour, light/ and hand-: some appointments..- The stoiy centres round the -loves of Jackson-. Viiliers' (Mr. Herbert Clayton) and Cdnsuelo, the belle of Ha.vana (Miss Olivo'Godwin). There are also .a; band of high-handed Cuban conspirators—known ..as. the . "Red Liberados' —who, . having emeshed ' Nix,'—the boatswain of Villiers's private'..yacht,' Wasp,. into ' the ' heart of their , struggle for. liberty, they proceed to deal with him m. a way that, according to -Australian critics, ;is splendidly conducive -to . Mr. Gilbert's unique style and manner ; of producing tho essenoe of high-grade' comedy from the; most hilarious, though. to. actor, .t.supremely .Borious, situations. Albeit ,the cup of Nix's, bitterness is. full,, soeing. that whilst ashore,*:and under the influence of the insidious vintage of Cuba, ho. has' married, certainly in haste. -His leisure he passes' subsequently in trying to discover.who 'the -b'riae is. ;The Liberados, amongst other; issues, -are plotting; to remove the reigning Queen, with.the object of placing Isabelita, a,sorry., termagant, and"Gorgon;in the. position;':. It is this lady that. Mr. Nix is led to .be-. lieve he;has- espoused.. ' His' doings ' provide manifold avenues for • humour of' the kind of. which- Mr. Gilberts so lavishly .possessed. . Again we are: to. have-.an .oldfavourite,'- Mr.' W.. S. 'Percy,- v in.'a' fine comedy part, Reginald Brown—the round lind. jolly yachfs boy, who is the'precise i antithesis.; of Nix. The' pessimist and. the'; optimist,' with all the ''license granted by. comic opsra,'::Nix has; in. reality - ; been' fortunate'.enough to : marry : Anita,:. a dainty chio and delightfully pert Cuban' cigarmaker, in the person ofithat :ch'arm-' ing,' artist, Miss ;, Lottie Sargent! • The amours of ;, Mr. Prank Greene;'as the Don Adolfe,' and Mr.. Herbert Clayton, as the dashing,; young, Englishman; :■ also. provide much ;fuel to, the ,'fire.: .."Havana", 'is spoken of as: being, one. of the most, hemdsoinely. plays in;the'Ji C. Williamson repertoire. Miss. Olive 'Godwin; as Consuelo.i'the. Cuban-'heiress,';and Jliss Lottie Sargent, ;as, Anitai,' the cigarmaker, have fine vocal and tcrpsichoreaji oppor-, tunitics... . . ' ■ ,

PULLER'S VAUDEVILLE CO. ; A' new.:programme was -:submitted, last night by, the', clever and popular vaude- ; yirie,;:Company, ..which ,now' occupies., '.the 'stage."nightly.: at the. Theatre; Royal. . Changes, continue to bo made ,in the' personnel of ~: tho." company, and last night $aw ;the first 'appearance* of the ' Martin Sisters, who, "with their songs'and dances,./quickly' /became favourites , with;, the! ■ house..'',; They jha.ve.a very pleasing; and-a "complete ; mastery, .over'; tempo.' ;Miss Leslie, is "also a danseuse .'of merit;, and .h'er. movements happily: pointed' her song,' "You - Ain't'. the ' Coon'.".':;'Miss J'Bobbie 'Burns"'..,'"was :<again I .' successful with; h9r. Scottish, items and cloe-dancing. : Charlie,vSmith,.. in.>.his tumbling :-.'and dancing'.items, . retained; his ' popularity., The.'fNarrer Fellow," Mr. Will 'Robey, disported .'■ his; wonderful. legs with ■ excellent {effect.:-. Miss Bella Perman'. again, showed : herself ; .to'. be . one of:the '.most spirited ' dancers :Seeh at Fuller's'' for- a, lopg'.time.; -Miss'.-May-Narellp, reappeared acceptably with' a 'inew." $6ng.-£; Professor Godfrey,';>ho.,', will'/shortly be .;/leaying WeUington;.for, an iengdge'ment '.elsewhere, . 'put- 'his wonderfully trained,,'!birds':';ahd, ■animals; through' a series";of, pretty arid . comical';feats.' The . Scott' 'Brothers; the .Gastelles,*; : 'Wallie' Ricardo,.'Alberto,'-and ,Jack':'RusseU'''oßo'.'foappfeared~eilcctiyely. The':progfamme' : will;'be repeated -to-night.,

, HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. . • The '' programme of Royal Pictures jrhichhas beeri'runmhg for the last week successfully was-repeatecTlast evening before' another large -audience, which made not secret of its appreciation. % The same ■news will be'.' shown' to-night, and : td-m'or-. row .will\WUbe .usual ■weekly, .change. p./.;;,///, : v/./'

.-; ./" • STAR .PICTURES.' '■ v The Star Pictures app'eai: -to have, thorpughly established their''popularity with the- public of South--'Wellington;: St.. I.Thomas's .Hall was. well, filled last-pight. when -a hew programme,.was submitted. Some capital films' were shown,: including pictures of a. .very-.instructive, character, from; which much information concerning ,industrial processes•.was., to.: be | gleaned: >-Human'-:naturb;, in its serious and its humorous aspects, was the theme of most of-'-the';films,' the comic' ones especially ; winning; unmistakable .. signs 'of. approval; ' Travel .was also represented, and .the scenery of distant lands: were displayed/by .means' of v realistic films. Tho programme mll be-re-. peated to-night. .//'" ./"/ /.. ■/';•/,

HACKENSCHMIDT : There were not many spare , seats in the Town; Hall last 1 night; when- HackenjSchmidt, .the' champion wrestler/and:.his talented/company, gave, their second en-' tertainment.here. /Besides displaying-on •a. revolving/pedestalhis-unusual. niuscu-: lar: development, ( and'performing , his favourite , exercises,../Hackenschmidt, again showed his powers at wrestling. His . first, opponent ; was c Harry Sandow, of Wellington, who had-.: accepted r : Hackerischmidt's ; challenge to . give: anyone .->215 whom he could not throw in 15-minutes,; and £100 to the' man who. could throw -him' .within: the. same time.'.' Within 10 'seconds.'.'Haokenschmidt . put - Sandow- on the mat, and secured a "leg-holt; but Sandow? got free. - ■ When the pair next faced each other Sandow -worked, on the ,defensive, .but-' Hacke'nschmidt.'. soon got; hiiu round the. waist, ■ and.. tlirew him on the mat,'where! he gained a fall .by means' of a. half-nelson; ■ ■ The . first bout occupied lmin. 7sec. Gunner -Moir, whoinext his - skill; against .' Hackenschinidt, did ; very ;well-at time,: but'was. beaten in. 3mm; ':7sec. -v • Hackenschmidt found Bain,' the" Scottish a" much'. : tougher, proposition.. For 7min. ",12sec; ,Bain 'kept Hackehsclimidt- busily .employed, - but .-'the. champion' defeated! Bain; ..by.! getting;.. a' neck -holt,'' throwing him-.-over his -head and going over after;, him,- -, doing/ the' bridge. lladame. Ca'relli's'.'singing- -was enjoyed, especially'her rendition Of ,''Kil-' larri'ey;"- which /evoked a. - double encore; One of - the most - interesting' items;, was' ■undoubtedly. : the . by- Mr. Clifford Eskell;-the magician, ::who;.is well -worth" 'seeing. •. As on the opening \ night; ; only those in--the -front; of .-'the hall Vwere'.able' toje'njoy "to, the. full ' Mr., Mark Osborne's, monologue'/performance.' " . Great 1 interest was displayed' in-', the vbiograph F pictures ,'of the wxesfliiig' match: between' Hackenschmidt. and Bodgers,-.arid the boxing con-test-between-.Burns, and 'Moir. ; The;final: performance will ; be given- this evening.

THE COItNISH PIXIE. A singular' sample of .adult manhood, known ;as -the Cornish Pixie,: will make -his ■first appearance-in Wellington to-morrow afternoon,' at :3.30,...in his Ycceptioir room at-the corner of'.WUlis'Street'and Chew s .Lane. : The -Pixie's; parentage,-. like; his age,' is unknown, aiid the miniature man s past history is .mysterious,'; but; according to Profes9ori Daixon, who . lectured upon him'in Britain,' the Pixie is a, survivor 1 of a' race of pigmies, who formerly.; inhabited the northern part' of Europe,; but: other enually' eminent authorities assert that, he" is' a descendant- of an extinct race once' inhabiting the Montezuma/ .region, Central Mexico.- During the Pixie's recent tour through -India, and Egypt; ' he' caused .unusual •interest