ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1022, 11 January 1911, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

- — ♦ "A KNIGHT FOR A DAY." The pleasant.mixture of comed)*, ballet, burlesque, vaudeville, and pantomime, entitled *'A Knight for a Day/' was staged for the second time by Mr. J. G. Williamson's. New Comic Opera Company last night. The Opera House was well filled, and patrons thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Miss Lottie Sargent and Mr. Bert •Gilbert—th© cne as the comic maidservant, and the other as Jeremy Joy, the soidisant. waiter —were the most prominent and diverting contributors to the general amusement. Miss Olive Godwin, Messrs. W. S. Percy, Victor Prince, C. Albert, and others ably helped the piece along its bright, if somewhat erratic, way. "A. Knight -for a Day" will be repeated this evening. , "THE MERRY WIDOW."

For the last three nights of the New Comic Opera Company's season "The Merry Widow" will form the bill of. fare. This revival has a great amount of special interest.inasmuch as there are to be several changes in .the cast. Mr. Bert Gilbert is cast for the intensely amusing character of VPopoff, and this should afford this clever and versatile ' artist an excellent chance, as, in character work, Mr. Gilbert is seen at his best. The Princo.will give Mr.-Frank, •Greene his first great chance in the Dominion, and the character should £t him splendidly, for Mr. Greene has at all times given a very careful study of everything he has done. Mr. W. S. Percy will also have a new part in Nisch, and •this popular comedan is tolerably certain to. give a good account of himself.' Miss Lottie SaTgent is afforded further opportunities in the character of'.Fifi; iwhilst Miss' Olive Godwin will appear tor the.first time as Natalie, and this part has some excellent music, which Miss Godwin will, no doubt, do full justice to. Mr. Reinald Roberts will onco'more be seen as Jolidan. Miss Florrie Young's artistic* rendition of Sonia (the Merry /Widow) must be seen to be appreciated, so well does it fit her, both vocally and histrionically. The cast all round is r.. good one. Theatre royal. The bright bill which is being presented at the Theatre Royal this week ought to fuarantee good houses. In Jules and [arzon, the Fuller management has secured a pair of remarkable athletes, the "turn" having novelty to recommend it. Mr. Alf.-Holt's mimicry is as entertain-' ing as ever, and the house cannot, parently, hear too much of liim. Denos scoro heavily with their sketch, "From Ireland to Scotland in Ten Seconds," and Miss Cecili Stephano, Bob Harper, the Gibson Girls, and the other members of the company were'all successful with their various osntributions. ' HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. '. "A Life for a Life" is the principal attraction of the picture programme being'ishowii at His Majesty's Theatre this week. The story portrayed by this film is full of' patho?, and is calculated to move any audience. This picture is not the only star item. In fact, the whole programme is a brilliant series, and this accounted for the crowded' house again •last night. Among the other pictures majr be mentioned the "Taking of Saragossa,' a powerful. military story, "Tontolini's Bassoon," "Benares," "Jim, the Ranchman," and "Carving in' the Tyrol." The programme will be repeated to-nijjht, and will be followed by a complete change to-morrow. . KING'S THEATRE. At the King's Theatre last evening, the new programme, which was presented for the second time,- was responsible for a, crowded "house." The collection of films is' an' excellent one, ?.nd included-in it are' some splendid dramatic studies, chief among them being "Their Child." The comic element represented by many and varied pictures, and the ono entitled ."Whiffle's Twin" was particularly appreciated. Tue "Australian Gazette ■ and "Tha Pathe Gazette" •, arc also worthy-of mention this week. The same 'programme r will>bb repeated to-night and: following evenings. . . STAR. PICTURES;' ■ There- was another good attendance at St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown, last night to witness this week's programme of the Star Pictures Proprietary. There 'is no iack of variety in, the bill of fare provided. It includes historic, .dramatic, scenic, and comic items, and is sure to draw big, houses , for the remainder of the week.

■ "THE 'HON AND THE MOUSE." ; Lovers of and theatregoers generally, have probably heard oi the- enthusiasm .created among m Christehurcli. on the. occasion .of the tirst production in New Zealand by Miss Katlierino Grey'and J. G. Williamson's .dramatic company of "Tli? Lion and the Mouse/' The' success achieved ■on thatoccasion, and Miss' Grev's subsequent ■triumph in Duiicdiri, will account for the interest wliicli probably centres oa fhi; appearance here ou Wednesday night nest of the famous American actress. ■ 'JTlie initial production'in WellingViiV of '"J he- , Lion and the Mouse" will .also signalise the debut here of the romantic-actor, Mr. William Desmond, who was specially engaged'by Mr. Williamson to fill_the : place formerly occupied by Mr. Julius Knight in his company. In "The Lion and the Mouse" Mr. Chas. Klein, the author, presents his knowledge of the multi-million-, aire's grasping nature. He exposes him, absorbed in the occupation of milking money at all hazards, sacrifbirig tnend and' foe in the struggle for financial supremacy. Not that hp requires it, and he will probably leave it for humanity, whence he obtained it, but.he wants it to be recorded that he has more millions than any other plutocrat in the world. He believes (so rims the spirit of the piece) with all the faith of his nature that everything is within his clutch. Whatever does not, should'by right belong to liitn, even the horizon, the earth, and the atmosphere that surrounds it. Death is the only thing that dare stand— and he firmly believes without the right between him- and his money. This is the., lion presented .by the author of the play, but, after all, the lion cannot' quite fill "out his hide, as, after four strong acts, he.is eventually tamed by the mouse, a young girl, daughter of an uprightjudge, which his Juggernaut has passed over. Only five representations can be given of "The Lion and the Mouse." as on Tuesday, January 24, "The -Third Degree," described as an intensely fascinating play, will be presented. Oil Monday and Tuesday, January 30 and 31, "raid in Fill" will lie staged, and the last two nights of the season will be devoted to a production of "The -Truth,"- in which Miss Margaret Auglin scored her greatest success in Australia. The box plans .for "The Lion and the Mouse" will be opened at the Dresden on Friday morning next.

WONDERLAND. " Wonderland will be opon this afternoon and ; evening. There Will be 110 charge for admission to the sideshows. During the' evening the' Garrison Band will play <1 programme of music: A convenient tramway time-table for 'c?.i> to this popular resort is announced' elsewhere. ' v BAND PERFORMANCES. ' The-.Pipe Band will give .1 band petformanco at Island Bay this evening, at 8 o'clock. 1 ' At- Wonderland this evening the Garrison . Band will give a band performance, I commencing at 8.15 o'clock. The annual meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board will be hold . at the office of the board on Mondav, January •16. The Waipa Railway and , Collieries, Ltd., insert an advertisement in this issue giving particulars of tenders which are.invited for the Ngaruawahia-Te Akalea railway contract. First Workman: "Do you understand this question of capital and labour?" Second- Workman: "Well, it's this .way. If-'-yon lent me ten bob that would be capital, and labour would be the trouble you would havo in getting it all back again." For Chronic Chest Complaints, Woods' Great I'eppermijt Cure, Is. Gd is- Id.—Adrt '