ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1001, 16 December 1910, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS.

OJPEKA HOUSE. Valdares' and Garrison's Entertainers received liberal patronage at the Opera House last evening. The comedy turns of Mr. Jules Garrison and his two Roman' Maids were responsible for much diversion, and Mr. .Garrison is also a capital elocutionist. The Valdares, a team of trick cyclists, performed some marvellous feats oi' balancing and trick riding. Reggiardo is a clever juggler, and is assisted in his turn by ail exceptionally clever Maltese dog. The season closes on Saturday evening next. THEATRE ROYAL. Vaudeville business at the Theatre Royal is experiencing a boom this week. Fullers' Entertainers include among their talented conipauy some "star" performers. In addition to the usual excellent bill, which has been attracting -good houses during the current week, the popular attraction, "Amateur Trials," will be placed on the programme for this evening's entertainment. To-morrow evening tho. Rosebuds, whose previous appearance at the rheatre stamped them as dancers of commendable grace and agility, will make their reappearance. On -Monday night Martinctti and Corossi, comedy sketch artists, will appear on the boards. They are reported to be star performers. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. A change of programme—the second this week—was responsible for an exceptionally large "house" at His Majesty's Theatre last evening. Long before the appointed time of commencement every seat in. the theatre was occupied, and "standing room only" were tue words that greeted the late-comers. The first picture was one depicting- delightful scenes in and round Monaco. Next camc one of the best pantomime pictures that have been produced at His Majesty's. It. was entitled . "The Wizard of Oz." This superb picture is also to 1)0 shown at the inatinee which is.to be held tomorrow afternoon. Coming to the scenic films,/ it is difficult to discriminate as to which is the better—"Philae, or' the Dead City," or "In the Pyrenees." The former takes one through the ancient .and now partly-submerged ruins on the Nile, this being owing to tho construction of the barrage' near Assouan.. Tho traveller is apparently conveyed by means of boats through the ruins, and a striking view of the Temple of Isis is thus obtained. .The other scenic -film takes the beholder through the rugged recesses of the mountains which divide France and Spain, and many scenes of that grandeur which is peculiar to the Navarese and Basque provinces on the Spanish side, of the mountains pass before the eye. Of the dramatic studies, special mention should bo made, of a film which shows how. the Rev. J. Wright, of Missouri, brings law and order into a backwoods camp. The opens with a scene in a log-cabin bar-room, where the men are disclosed drinking and smoking, in the approved custom "Out West." One man, more intoxicated than the rest, is being entreated by his young daughter to go home, and she almost succeeds, when "Big Bill," the bully of the camp, stops her. Having attracted tho girl's attention, he next tries to make lovo to her, for which he receives a severe blow on the face from her, just as the minister steps through the doorway: . The newcomer intervenes, and, after' a tini's, persuades the drunkard and his daughter to, leave tho room. This action annoys "Bill," and as the minister is about to light a cigar, be snatches it from him, and other insults follow. These the minister endures, until "Bill" pulls off his hat and riddles it with bullets. Then apparently the time comes for tho clergyman to take action, and this'leads to a .stirring part of the scene indeed. Smarting under the thrashing which, he receives, "Bill" ; conceives a plot to waylay the ministpr, and, after a'short tithe elapses, in which the drunkard is persuaded: to sign the pledge/ he manage:; to effect his purpose by mean's of a 1 forged letter, an imprint of which is left on the blotting paper, and this is obtained by the. girl. "Bill's", trap is , successful so far, but, at the moment the minister is apparently about to be hanged by "Bill" ai]d his comrades, Ih&jdrl/fith tl\<) .sheriff' ctmies uri,' and "spoils''things I .'* 1 : "Bill" is hustled oft .by his former friends, and given his deserts, while the other part of the story ends satisfactorily .as far as the rev. gentleman is concerned. ; Of the comics, all art, good, but an especial favourite with last night's : "house" was "By Doctor's Orders," a sketch by Max Tinder', in which a : bath and cold water plav a prominent part. Other pictures worthy of mention are "The Seven Capital Sins," "Love and the Law" (one of Edison Company's famous dramatic studies), and "Woman of the AVcst," showing how a handful of ; women held a tribe of American Indians at bay until help was' brought. The. same programme will- be submitted to-night and to-morrow, and on .-Monday next the usual change .will take placed ICING'S THEATKE. The successful inauguration of the new picture programme at the King's Theatre on Wednesday evening, has "apparently ensured for the series a generous share of public patronage during.-its currency. The programme is full., of variety, and includes several films- of high artistic merit. Tho usual matinee -and evening exhibitions are announced for to-morrow. STAR PICTURES. The excellent.programme at present being presented at St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown, by the Star Picture Proprietary is drawing, good, houses Sightly." "The Un-changing-,Sea," and "Washed Ashore," aro two dramatic studies of an unusual merit. Other pictures worthy of mention are: "Italian Artillery," "The Dykes :o'f Holland," "The Countess's Revenge," and "How Championships are Won and Lost." WELLINGTON CHORAL' SOCIETY. - With Mr. Maughan Barnctt at tho Town Hall organ to-night, it is expected that the performance will be one of tho finest interpretations of. "The Messiah" ever given in Wellington. The doors will be open at 7.15, and the performance 'will be over shortly after 10 o'clock. The box plan is still open at the Dresden, where both 3s. and 2s. seats can be ■ reserved.. One shilling tickets can also bo obtained at the Dresden.

WELLINGTON LIEDERTAFEL.' It is at their smoke concerts that the Wellington Liedertafel more closely approaches the original German idea of tho entertainments that so genially suggest the medieval "song round, the table." At last evening's conccrt in the Masonic Ilall, the chorus actually gathered round the table,' and at ono stage smoked the pipe that soothes, but the coldsteins of beer were missing, which -left lacking , a detail in -the original scheme. Still the Liedertafel, whose members find a welldefined charm in vocal association under their much-esteemed conductor, "Mr. Robert Parker, managed without such artificial aid to give a capital concert. The programme included several attractive part songs, such as Elgar's "After Many a Dusty Mile," "It's Oh to be a Wild Wind," and the impressive "Feasting I Watch," Bealc's merry "Come Let Us join 'the Roundelay," "Dr. St. Paul" (Zetter), "In Praise of Tobacco"' (C. Lee Williams), "A Turkish Drinking Song" (Mendelssohn), and Dudley Buck's comical "Vocal Combat," in which the tenors carol "When Other Lips" whilst the basses sing "Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep." Mr. K. S. Farmer, a'light tenor, sang del Riego's "Slave Song"; Mr. R. S. Black contributed Hedgcock's unconventional song "When Bright Eyes Glance" (which recalls memories of Mr. Wallace Brownlow in "Mam'selle Nitouche"); and Mr. Hugh Wright produced a couple of Stanford's manly songs, entitled "Outward Bound" and "Devon, 0 Devon." In tho sccond half Mr. C. Clarkson gave in vigorous style German's rollicking lilt, "Rolling Down the Rio Grande." Mr. Douglas Jackson sang (with chorus) "Here's a Health" and "Down Among the Dead Meli," and Mr. F. V. Waters, the doyen of the Liedertafel, sang with commendable glibness the patter song, "My Name's John Wellington Well?,*' from "The Sorcoror" (Sullivan), Mr. 11. Tombs contributed a couple of 'violin solos, Bohm's "Legende" '. and the Chopiu-Sarasate "Nocturne in H Flat.". A tasty supper was ' provided during the interval. , .