ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 736, 8 April 1910, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS.

[ "PETER PAN." "Peter Pan" has established . something very like a record for booking, when it is considered that tho one play is running throughout tho season. The charming vagaries.of. the boy who would not grow-up, tho lost boys, the Indians, the pirates, and the Darling family still continiio to captivate largo ■audionces, and--it. is not without a tinge of regret that-Peter Pan's flight to another .part of the.Dominion is,contemplated. Only three more performances can be, given, including to-morrow's" ma'tineej when special-prices' mil bo ehargea for" children, lor ;this occasion only, and in order to meet the demand of many, who cannot afford the "usual price" of admission,- children will be' admitted to tlio family circle and-back- stalls for ou., and the.dress circle and .front stalls or , His. Excellency .tho Governor and fair' Joseph Ward are to.attend the xarewell performance to-morrow evening; -

'/THEATRE ROYAL. Vaudeville this week is experiencing a popular run at ; the Theatre Royal, the pro S r ? ra , 810 being an especially good one, fulUf.interest. To add to the popularity of the Tatar" item, Parker, the mysterious""Escapeologist," "whoso beX"* s MI J - successful- feats with handcuffs and chains and fetterlocks in one or the most surprising of human accomplishments,., engaged last night in a sporting attempt to defeat Mr. T. J-awsons endeavours to securely lock iim up m a.box.which, with ropo'and nails, was provided by the latter. Parker wa S cooped ud inside, tho lid was nailed on, the box roned up, and Witw°ff Pk ? ed ', nsido fho • Hitnm the space of ten minutes-seven to be exact--Parker was out, as free'as wpT 6 ,-?; W - M , la f t ni S Kt - - Tho challenge was witnessed" by a crowded house.

' HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. The successful first night of -the new picture programme at His Majesty's Theatre, Courtenay Place, presented before B packed -how. on Wednesday night, was followed last-night by an equally successful presentation of the af''T?, S -™> h SU - h Strikin 6 f<!atures as lJie tail a picturesque drama of histrionic merit; "The Egyptian-Maid,", a beautiul example of I'athe's finest triumphs in coloured kinematography, combined-with dramatic power of exceptional merit; the picturesque scenes of a lebrat «d sacred well at Lourdes, and the vast assemblage of pilgrims and the thrilling .Western drama, "A Western, Maid," the.programme/should prove ajrtrong draw for the current neek....j,ho usual matinee and eveninc performances waff bo.given to-morrow.

•THE. KING'S THEATRE/ ' .L'at(^ oomers to bo content wjth-standing-room only at the King's lheatre last evening, when the initial presentation of the new picture programme was given before a thoroughly appreciative audience. It may safely be o.ua that; the new series is one of tho most vanod and artistic yet arransed' on the programme- of this, popular p and was instantly succcssra.; btar films,, are numerously'., bc--11^ ..%oughbut,. and. it is really jfcM.to say which of them lids, tho best-claim, to. ho : referred. to''as .' tho piece de resistance,.for, tastes-vary. In Picturesque iattraetiohs,. ..the. tronical study entitlea-'.'ln'Pursuit' iS {Jogs. ..isja'.-inasterpiece '. of:, "coloured kuiematpgraphy... In i. different - sense" and : abundantly. satisfying in' all ;t 3 aspects, the Pathe art drama, ""An Egyptian Maid," is. another masterpiece. Splendidly acted by capable actors, brdhant in its Oriental getting, r,kr^ S in a t r y to tho first place in tho order of merit. Another is a; series iof. scones' rrom ;.tlie - cohiedv '"A Midsummer Night's Dream," the forest scone being particularly "fine. Molo-' dramatic art is erccllently represented by tl» absorbing picture play "On tho tfL Tti° h representation of the pathetic sequence of events which is set. up.by. a matrimonial mistake. .A highly popular and impressive nim, and .of topical interest at-' tho presentr.moment; is :tho. series bf views of the procession of King Edward and queen Alosandra at the'opening of the Kntish Parliament. In lighter vein, two farce comedies'• of tho "screamhig" order are those entitled ' "Accompanied' ™,i% :T rS m -^ n "„' aßd " Th « : Professor and the Tom Cat," One must omit, to of the .Victorian capital-Melboume-which was an_ exceedingly popular item with the audience. Other' good films are: "Troubles of a Pedlar of TuS earpets," ? ''P a , s/ v "Beneath, the Gas » Winter Sports m Norway," "The Skipper's Yarn " and "Poobhead Goes' to A Ball." Altogether, the management is dosemng of high praiseior the enterprise shown in'the'make-up of tho new. programme, which.' will be : shown tor-the next week.' '.'• .''.'•; ." ;.

.WELLINGTON LIEQERTAFEL. , . The •Wellington Liedertafel' gave -the farst- concert- 0 f its serehteentli season at tho Concert Chamber last evening, before an audience which, numerically fell short of the merit of the programme presented and tho performance. Although tho vocal calibre of the Liedertafel is hardly what it was years the members must be credited for The enthusiasm they show for that stylo of choral music aftected by the iiedeftafel. liast evening 3 programme was unusually varied in. that-it gave an. opportunity for, half a dozen soloists to-dis-play their ability.' Among the part songs_ that ■ have done; very faithful duty in the Liedcrtafel's'ropoftoire and were, sung last oveninp;. were Fleming's setting or "Integer Vitae" (beautifully translated by Mr. J. W. Joynt), "Lovely Night" (Clntwal), and "Sleep, Gentle fj.ady (Bishop). The impression was given that half the time the tenors were being kept down so much that they had' to fall back upon a falsetto production,, which here and there thinned out .the tone body: more'than was necessary. The awakening number was .the-triumph song, "Salamis," • by bernsheim, a hue robust chorus, the music of which admirably interprets the spirit- of 'the poem :— "Crown.yo.the vessel with Persia's proud ■ .gold!. r Sails shall'their'glory of purple unfold. Ivy encircle-'tho masthead,'arid soar, and ~ soaT, and soar;-' '. •-. . -.--■• ■:. Victory!: Victory!- tho-.foo 'that-"we"feared • - lSynp niore.' ! •"' ;';•..-.:'• "The ■-Pa'triot"- (Lloyd)'-'.was 'another song m which me'zzb-voce effects predominated.' Thoy wore achieved with only moderate'success.' Oneof the'most acceptable numbers'of the evening'was the part "song-, "Tears' of .'Anguish," in which the air ■ (particularly' well sung by Mr.' Hugh Wright)' is supported by a humming a'ccbmpariimoht, in which tho chorus was particularly happy. Mr. Walter Warren was rather overweighted in Stanford's" sterling song, "Tho Old Snporb," which gives such scope for vocal declamation, but the concludinp; chorus to tho number was sung with proper gusto: Mr.' J. F. Garr's light tenor was' sweetly attuned tc 1110 requirements of Clutsam's sohtimental trifle, "Two Bright Eyes."' Tho samo singer also contributed Tosti's "Mattinata," ah inconsequential ballad." Mr. J. B. ■ Green, a liewcohiqr, who boasts a useful tenor voice, sang "When We're Together," and Mr. R. G. Blofr was heard to fair advantage in Goddard's son, "Angels Guard Thee." The lady soloist was Miss Gladys Watkius, a well-schooled soprano of fair quality very nicely produced.' She ' chose for her first number Schubert's sombre song,' "Tho Young Nun," in which she appeared to he handicapped by nervousness. She sang much more ]

attractively and with good insight in Chaminade's charming song, "L'Ete," which is too seldom heard, and for which Miss Watltins was heartily applauded, liio programme concluded with a nicelybalanced rendering of Bishop's gleo, bleep, Gentle Lady," in which tho quartet was sung-hy Messrs. H. Bannister J. F. Carr, W. Warren, and beo. Parsons. The concert was given under the direction of the veteran* conductor, Mr. Robert Parker, who is, and always has been, tho life and soul of the LiedertafeL .

ST. .PETER'S CLUB. A smoke concert was' hold in St Peter's Club-room last' night, to' com- ; mence the session. The president, the Itev. U. P. Davys, was in the chair, ihero was a largo attendance of members. ' Various games were contested,' and musical items were rendered bv ™ B ',,!f Barnes, G. Bell, G. T. Hall, H. M. kilgour, Q. Little, and D. Little. "FOR THE TERM OF HIS NATURAL LIFE." The great'picture" drama, "For the ierra of His Natural Life," which will bo shown at the Opera House' on Monday next, and on the five following nights, was shown for tho first-time in the Dominion last Monday at Palmerston North. Commenting on the production, a.local-paper .says:—"When Air MacMahon determined to make a picture show-of-tho book he entered upon a large. undertaking.' It was necessary.to get' together a company ot JU actors and actresses, who were assiduously rehearsed in the . scenesselected in a ball before it was posf'b'o to get to work on the pictures, "lien thoy knew .their parts they then rehearsed again in the open.air, amid the scenes to be depicted, and they were taken to Port Arthur,.Tasmania, and Norfolk .Island. Altogether the'performers were at work'if or ten weeks, the 'actual pictures wore taken by Johnston'and Gibson, of Melbourne, who also took the "Kelly Gang" pictures for the'same firm. Some'of them were taken at the notorious old convict settlement of Port Arthur and the gruesome Arthur's' Neck, which' Marcus Clarke rendered famous; others around Sydney Harbour: others again at Norfolk Island. "The Burning, of the Hydaspes" was arranged off Manly, the lucky owner of Prince Foote supplying ono of his tugs to. assist in the proceedings. The result of tho combined effort has • been ■ remarkably good.- Not only is there a good idea of the novel given, but the reproduction of famous scenes is full of interest, and the photographio work is'admirable." The box plan is now open at the Dresden. ■

"MADAME BUTTERFLY." " In his notice of the first performance of Puccini's "Madame Butterfly," by the Williamson Grand Opera' Company m Sydney, Professor Marshall-Hall, of Melbourne, . -said:—There '', :is '■■• some strange, fascinating, sympathetic. element which' circulates through Puccini's themes, as blood circulates in living veins. They throb with it—and our hearts throb in unison. Ho has dared to take us from the cheerful, superficial appearance of things, straight.down to the lowest abyss of human agony. And whether one gentleman is offering to another a'"whisky and soda," or the child-wife, whose, faith nothing, nothing but the last visible proof, is sufficient to shako, is torn'-and convulsed by the most .terrible of human sufferings', this ever-subtlo mebdy of Puccini is equal to the situation; • and at times sends that cold thrill to the heart'which, anly' the highest-manifestations o'f art' can effect. " '.- .• ■■"■■•'■■'. ■ "..v.-.-..::.-;■.■•■■ :.' The introduction' of "Madame Buy torfly to Australia' seems to ' havo been very well timed. There could bono doubt as to the demuid for grand opera 1 in'. Sydney. Extraa-dinary interest was manifested in the opening night. People.from Melbourne went specially to Sydney for the premiero of the ; Japanese lyric'tragedy, anion",'the number being Professor the well-known conductor. ' The firstnight plan was'booked out within Iwj" hours of it being ripened, while the following advertisement in the- "Daily Telegraph,'? two days before the initial performance, further illustrates at what a premium were,the seats.—"Wanted, five seats inorchestra stalls for first representation of 'Madame Butterfly " Prepared to givo £1 per seat. E.B:P., c/o 'Daily Telegraph.' "• ; ■ •