ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 890, 9 August 1910, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

OPERA HOUSE. , ■ The Girl from Rector's" was as successful as ever last evening in attracting an : overflowing audience to the Opera House, iiie average amusement seeker will- find in tho comedy a bright and rippling pro- i auction, a laughter-raiser from start to mush. It. is now in the last nights of a highly successful run. To-morrow evening the much-discussed but highly popular Girl will make lier final iippo.fr- ?} lcc ; „ Oi} Thursday "The Fencing Master. will be staged. "THE FENCING MASTER," The story of "The Fencing Master," ta bo produced next .Thursday night by Mr. Hugh Ward, centres round the lives of Angelo Rossi (Mr. Ward) and his son Carlo. Rossi, belongs •to . the Italian nobility, and as a comparatively young man finds 'that his wife has been betrayed by , a distinguished diplomat. The latter ac- t cepts his challenge to a duel, but in • order that the betrayer should not be at : a disadvantage with RossPs faultless swordsmanship they agree to fight in the dark, The diplomat' is run. through, complications with the Embassy as to tho conditions ';under which, the duel - ' - fought ensue,' and Rossi in order to escape an impending charge of mirrder takes ; flight to America with, his little'son. The ( second' act opens 1 many years later. The. fencing master, is old, and his little am ' has grown, into a handsome'youth, and Rossi devotes himself .to the care . ana education of his. son. Eventually the. efforts of .his enemips foil,, and the wither and son. are duly avenged for the injustice, done by. their enemies. Mr. Ward has a splendid, .opportunity, as the fencing master, and,, needless to eay, his fine character acting is a strong feature of the-'-production. Miss Grace PSiotta and tho other members of the company are all . happily cast. "Tho Fencing Master" oa» only be produoed for three Tiighis. THEATRE ROYAL. Unpleasant weather did. not prevent a. ■ largo audience assembling to view the change of programme staged- at" the . Theatre Royal last evening.; , In its variety and humour the programme was. a capital one. A welcome first appear- • ance was that of the Royal Sisters, litth serios and dancers, who charmed their auditors with, their graceful dexterity and the gay melody of their song, "Let us . Sing about the. Boys." They were insistently recalled. Charles Reeves, a tenoi ■ known in the Sydney halls, was/another new face, and he scored a decided success. His songs were, "Let me Hear:the Band Play," an illustrated ballad, "You'll . Always be Sweet Sixteen to Me," and "Wait ; till, the Sun Shines, Nellie." In eacu . he exerted a fine voice to excellent advantage. Miss Gertie Johns was vociferously recalled' for her spirited: rendering of "I Have to Sing an Irish Song," and . responded with "Molly Molly," an equally happy effort. The Two Rosebuds handsomely '" sustained th'Q reputation which they have earned, by their rendering of "Pony Boy" and "Taffy." The . comicalities of Ward Lear proved as irre- ■ sistiblc as ever, and Will Robey, with his ' comic numbers, "A Pushing Young Man" and "I Jumped on a Bus," was equal-' ly successful. . Rupert Christie, tho boy soprano, was enthusiastically encored for his tuneful effort, "Johnny's Coming . Home." The clever trick 'cycling of Yaldaro and Varno was deservedly applauded. Keilderson, the quick-change impersonator, made his last appearance. This evening Ardell and Halle, equilibrists and ' jugglers, xill appear. Patrons of the Theatre Royal may view the fare provided this week with every confidence. KING'S THEATRE. A large "hoose" assembled to witness the splendid exhibition of moving pictures presented ' by tho management at the King's Theatre last evening. The programme was a long one, the pictiA-ea-screened being of a sufficiently varied type to satisfy all tastes. - To-night tha West's and Koyal Picture Syndicate aro putting, on a oomplete change of programme, the wholo proceeds of which will be devoted to the Children's Hospital Fund. The management has spared no effort to make their-share in the money-raising campaign a successfuLone, and have already 1 disposed of some hundreds •of tickets. There should .be it crowded house this.evening. . HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Notwithstanding the- adverse weather conditions His Majesty's Theatre was well filled Inst evening. The programme, sntv- ' mitted was one of exceptional merit, the accompaniments played .by the orchestra, proving to lie a most acceptable part of the entertainment. To-morrow night an entirely new. programme will be piesent-. Ed, wiich, the management maintain, is, fully in keeping with their desire tokeep up the high standard of kinemate= graphy produced at, His Majesty'* Theatre., 1 . . • STAR. PICTURES.' ' St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown, was well ■ • filled last ■ evening, .when a change of pictures was presented.. One of the prin- ; cipal pictures this week is a film en- . titled "His Lato Majesty King Edward Opening- a Museum at London.". "A ■ Jump to. Death" is .the title, to a thrilling dramatic picture. , A coloured film, entitled "Land of Eternal Summer" was much appreciated by the audience. A very pretty scenic film -is "Picturesque ' Switzerland." "Vote for Women" is a very good comic picture. Other good ]jic- ". tures are-.—"Adventures of Golden \ air. ley" (coloured dramatic), "Gambling with ' Fate," "Baby, the Boy, and Teddyßear" (comic),' "Hubby Cures His Wile of Flirting," "Five. Minutes to Twelve O'clock" (comic), • and "The Courtship." Tho programme will be re- * peated to-night. . . , . ' SKATING RINK. .' • The rionularity of skating as a recrea«; tion on these cold winter evenings shows no sign of waning, and last evening tho. . floor'was fully occupied by lovers of tho, . rollers. Good music added an additional . charm to. tlic .lively sceno. .the. spacious : rink in Ingestre Street presented. V; RECORD BOOKING. "One would not think there is any scarcity of money in Auckland," said Mr. J. C. Williamson's manager the other day,- when he drav the attention of an Auckland press representative to the booking for the pantomime "Aladdin" at' Messrs. Wildman and Arey's. Tho booking h:is, indeed, been phenomenal. People intent upon securing the best scats. assembled as early as 5 o'clock in the; ' morning, and at 8 a.m. there was an. ( immense crowd of people, stretched out in , a long queue, four deep, extending from the ljooking office through. tho Arcade' .-into Fort Street.. Booking: kept up I steadily all day, <and at closing- time practically the whole of the ordinary ■ circle -ami'' orchestra stalls seats for tho first si xnights had been sold,'whilo tho two matinee performances were almost as heavily booked up, and several extra rou-a of seats were added from the ordinary stalls. By .two o'clock in tho afternoon &H5 had "beeu taken in booking fees, and before closing the total had increased tc between JEGSO and .£7OO. Booking continued steadily the following' day, and . niore extra rows of stalls were added to . meet .the demand. iMr. Williamson has had tnanv record bookings here, .but the • booking for. "Aladdin" is easily the best; "Aladdin" was performed for the" first time in Auckland last evening. LECTURE ON INDIA. ' Before a fair audience a lantern lecturi •' in aid of the Young''Women's Christian Association, was given by Air. D. 0. M'Clay, in St. John's Schoolroom hisl evening, tho subject being "Our Indian Empire: Mow it was Acquired and .for what Purpose." Some of the slides used ijpiuted Indian batik- wwnes ol n thrilling character. During*'tho course of tli< entertainment Mr. (J. I'cek recited "The Recessional" in an efficient manner. Tho Mission Band will giro a band per- - formance in the Town Hall.this evening.'