ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1078, 17 March 1911, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

♦ "SWEET LAVENDER." The "Wellington Amateur Dramatic Society appeared in l'iuero's pretty play "Sweet 1 Lavender" at the Opera House last evening. The performance went quite smoothly from beginning to end, and several of the leading performers showed marked .improvement on their first night's form. Sir. Noiman Aitken, as that dear old, weak, warm-hearted, whisky-loving barrister, Dick Phenyl, was notably mere in touch with the. seriocomic sentiment of the. character, and tnned his performance up considerably. As on the first performance, Miss Irene Mason, as Sirs. Gilfillian. easily carried off the acting honours. This young lady must be accounted a valuable "find" for amateur theatricals in Wellington. The performance is given under tho stage direction of Sir. I/.eo de Chateau, whose experienced hand is doubtless, largely responsible for the manner in which the comedy flows. The orchestra, is under the direction of Sir. I'ercival Clarke. "Sweet Lavender," which deserves well of the public, is to be played again this evening, THEATRE ROYAL. A visit to the Theatre Royal this week will repay lovers of vaudeville, for the long and varied programme submitted by the management is without doubt one of tho best that has been produced in Wellington for a long time past. A striking feature this week is the very pretty first, part, entitled "Tho Ticrrotts' Troiiienadc." It is a welcome change, and the stage setting is also out of the ordinary, it being finite new in every detail. Last night Jtiss Slabel Fowler again delighted tho audience with her singing, ami had to respond to a double encore. The coloured end-man, George Sparks, has established himself a firm favourite, and the same can be said of Misses Slaudo Panning, Ettie Williams, May Dahlberg. and the Elliott Sisters, assisted by Little Huia. Arthur Elliott is as funny as ever. A change is announced for Monday. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Every seat and a good bit of the standing room in His Majesty's Theatre was occupied last evening, when a complete change of programme was presented. Pictures calculated to please all tastes were included, but none gave more genuine pleasure than the powerful dramatic sketch "Rachel," a story of Russian oppression, which may be said to break newground. Rachel is the beautiful daughter of an aged Russian shepherd, a vassal of tho wealthy and powerful Prince Petrovna. The old man has a request to make tho Prince, but is driven from the door by the knouts of the Prince's officers,- at the potentate's command. Smarting with pain, the old man vows vengeance on the proud lord of the soil. In the meantime the Prince's son, a handsome young fellow, meets Rachel when out riding, and falls in love with her, but one day he arrives at tho tryst-ing-place, and she is not there. Her father has been ordered to leave the district, and with him has flown tho girl. They make their way to the city, and there league themselves with a branch of the Extremist party, which decrees that Rachel shall kill the Prince. Supplied with funds, she contrives to be invited as a guest to tho palace, and is about to take advantage of a favourable oppor-tunity-to shoot Petrovna when his son (her bid lover) grasps her wrist, and prevents the tragedy. The young man has a brief struggle with himself as to whether he. can again take the girl to his heart, but in the end he orders her to leave the place, though it breaks his heart to do so. This vivid little drama is most powerfully acted throughout. "The Vicar of Wakefield" may be seen in picture form this week, and the sound acting of those engaged in its performance conjures up pleasant memories of the old storv. The dancing of Sahry Djeli, which created a sensation in London, is extremely fascinating in its daring originalitv, and sinuous skill. The woman i« vci'v beautiful in face and figure, and every'movement of her body is plainly visible as she dances ever so slowly and gracefully, and bends with the facility of a contortionist. The scenic films include quaint, street scenes in Swatow and JNankcw. and snapshots of Chinese industrially employed, including a. view- of a bi» cotton mill, crowded with up-to-date machinery, and some new views of Lucerne and the journey by the cogged railway to Sit. Pilatus. Another very interesting picture illustrates in detail the Karlsbad porcelain and crystal manufactures. Of topical interest is the series of moving pictures showing the launch ot the Miper-Drradnought -Thunderer on the Thames. A feature of this picture is the snapping of the mooring-chains when takin" the strain of the great bulk as it leaves the wavs and bounds across the river to the "accompaniment of cheers from an immense concourse of people. Othsr good pictures are "The Son of tho I " "Recreation of an Heiress, Ino I Exploits- of Nat Pinkerton " "Animated Putty " and the "Cattle Show at Buenos Ayres.'" There will be a matinee performance to-morrow afternoon. KING'S THEATRE. •V snecial programme, of moving pictures was screened at the King's-Theatre last evening, in commemoration ol the .anniversary of the house. Every, seat in he building anneaved to be filled when the overture commenced, and the crowd had reason to be nlcased with the evening s ■entertainment, which included, educa- ' tional, topical, dramatic, and comic items. Tho strong feature was the comic, side of tho bill, which kept the house in roars of laughter. "Recreation of an Heiress is the story of a young lady, \ who, in addition to having plenty of money, is endowed with a keen senso of humour. Her mother sends her to stay with a married connle, who are bent on marrying their onlv son to a lady of fortune. The heiress arrives with her maid, and before she has been long in the house the son bcins to seek her hand in forma pauperis. Immediately tho heiress is s-Mzed with a happy idea, and, after conferring with her maid, she writes to her hostess a letter nurnorting to be from a "friend," and stating that the heiress has changed nlaees with her maid, and advising thatT if tho son is "after the monev," he had better devote his attentions" to the maid. This suggestion is seized with avidity by the hostess and her son, and, when they have been duped, the heiress informs them of the practical ioko which sho has played, and takes her departure, leaving them to ruminate over their folly. Two other very laughable films were "A Sweet-Tcmpered Wife" and "Football at Home." A beautifullycoloured film is "Khamara," a Russian love storv. "Cheyenne Brave is a drama, the scene of which is laid in Dakota among the.Red Indians-. An exciting portion of the picture story is a chase in canoes. "The Dytic and its Lava" is a very- fine educational film. Topical items ore shown in the Australian G-azotto and the Gaumont Graphic. Excellent music is provided by the King's Lyric Orchestra, and the programme will be. repeated during the remainder of the week. ANTONIA DOLORES. Since her arrival in the Dominion Sldlle. Dolores has met with unvarying, success. At her fourth and last recital in Duiiediu, the audience was most enthusiastic, and in addition to the twelve items on the programme, Sldlle. Dolores had to give several encores, the audienco insisting on a double recall before they would finally allow; her to leavo the stage at the close of the concert. However, the beautiful voice of this highly-trained singer was as dear, as full and Tound, as pleasing and appealing in the last item as in the first. Mr. Selwyn Shrinipliu played the accompaniments in sympathetic style, and also contributed a nocturne .ami a waltz by Chopin, and an impromptu by Rheinhold, in all of which he obtained due recognition of his efforts from the audience, being encored on each occasion. The box plan is now open at the Dresden, and to-morrow, Saturday, a limited number of. 4s. tickets will be' on sale at the same place. The season opens on Starch 20. WONDERLAND. To-day people have the chance of spending a capital holiday by paying a visit to" Wellington's Wonderland, which will be open from 2.30 p.m. until 10 p.m. Miramar trams, which can be caught at Courtenay Place, convey patrons right | 0 Wonderland. All the side shows are tiro, and the prices of admission arc; Adults' Is.,' and children 6d,

HENEFIT TO SIR. ERNEST PARKES. Sir. Ernest I'arkes, who is one of the finest.baritone vocalists in New Zealand, is about to leave Wellington for Auckland, in order that he may continue his lessons under Sir. Spencer Lorraine. Sir. I'arkes has been the readiest contributor at all times during the past five or six years to all kinds of concerts and entertainments, and no one deserves more to have those services recognised. The friends of Sfr. I'arkes intend to tender him a complimentary concert towards the end of the month. A meeting to arrange details is to be held in the Slayor's room on Slonday evening. SUNDAY CONCERTTschaikowsky's Overture Solennclle "1812" will be repeated, in response to a large,number ol requests, by the SVellinglon Professional Orchestra, in the Town Hall, on Sunday evening next. The remaining items of the programme, which will be entirely new, will be announced later. A popular lecture will be given in the Missions 'to Seamen's Hall to-night by Sir. Mnore, the missioner, the subject being "Beggars and Their Dodges." Besides the lecture, a bright musical programme has been arranged.