ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1494, 17 July 1912, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS.

.'-<_• : "•;■ "BEN HUR.'V .; ' To-night at 7.15 the curtain will rise on. th« first."Wellington production by J. C. Williamson's .Dramatic . Company of General Lew Wallace's successful religions drama, "B.eii'Hur." ..A'final rehearsal took places yesterday, under 1 tho direction, of the producer, Mr. J. W. Hazlltt, so that everything is prepared.for this evening. It is stated that the booking is not »3 heavy for to-night's production as for subsequent representations, and central scats can be selected at the Dresden and tickets for. the early door stalls and gallery, can be purchased at Christeson's. There are,-it is,stated, just .on 300 people .concerned ..-in -the,. -production of "Ben .Hur.-" The chorus, comprises-60 voices, the ballet 25 dancers, tho orchestra 20 picked musicians, the cast numbers 25 artists, and'(supers,' dressers, mechanists, Jiropertymeri, electricians, a.\id stage hands ielf> to make it one of the largest, organisations which.have ever toured New Ze-a-land. There are no fewer than H distinct scenes, including the thrilling chariot race,'tho sensational wreck scene, and tho magnificent .Mount Olivet spectacle; tho (effects for these came to hand some days a#o in charge of the -'advance staff of mechanics. Tho part of Ben Hur, will.bo pourtrayed by. Mr. Ei;ic Maxon, .the young 'London actor.. It is-said that he presents every mood of the'young, Jewish herewith remarkable fidelity,, his great love for his mother, .his fiery refusal to "forget that he. was a Jew," his passionate arpwol of love for the Egyptian, his remorseful mood at the reconciliation with • Esther, and his. cry of, .triumph when ho defeats ■his enemy,.'Messala, in'the chariot race, ore,- it is said, displayed with.that genius which niako the. true artist. Mr. Leonard .Willey's Messala is highly spoken of.-Mr. Eardley Turner received- splendid opportunities as fiinoniides, anil other wellknowm artists iii-tho cast are':—Messrs. Leslie Victor, Winter Hall, J. B. Athol,woOd, .Albert Styail, F. Compton, Fred Cambiurne, Carletou Stuart' George Chalmers, and Walter Gibbs.: Miss Dorothy Dix, who in the early .part of. the year took the leading.role, in "The Speckled Band," will in "Ben Hur" appear ks Esther, a part which, it is stated, presents her at her best. Miss.Gweu.Burroughs, who last appeared here with Miss Ethel Irving, will appear as Iras. Miss Susie Vaiigfinn will bo welcomed as the mother of Hur; Miss Georgio O'Meara ■will appear as Tizrah; and Miss Alma Vftughan.a's Anirah. The orchestra a,nd chorus is under tho baton of Heir Slapoff ski, Mr.-J. W. HasdiU is- the producer, Mr; A.l-Xi. Pearce the stage manager, and flilr. Richard" Stewart is business manager.

MISS MARGARET COOPER. ' Considering the state of the weather last evening, there was; a good audience at Miss Margaret Cooper's good-bye coitcert at the Opera House last evening. Tho brilliant London artist was'in capital form, and repeated most of the clever songs sho has: popularised during her successful Wellington season. Mr. Horace .Witty, Mr.-H. Scott Leslie, Signor Manzoni, and Mr. Charles Lawrence contributed acceptably to-a niost-injoyable entertainment. ■■ Miss Cooper and themembers of the company leave for .Christchurch this evening.

FULLERS''PICTURES. . The attendance-'- at the Skating ;Rink last evening 'was. gCbd,'and the new pictures were w J ell received. "The-Old Silver Watch'-' .is cno of the' foremost of the new itemvbeing' a dramatic.study- on a pathetic theme. "The English Derby of 1912" is also a feature of the' current programme, and "1000 Miles Through the 'Rockies"'is a very interesting scenic subject;, Qther..pictures' of the prograniuio ere "Indiiwi'Mail Robbery," "Captain' King's : Rescue," "Forgotten Dancing Shoes,""an'l-' "Adventures ■ of .'American Joe." The -programme will.be repeated this evening,.' and a change will take jplace to-morrow.''" " ; ".

TWKiNG'S; ; THEATRE. ;; . "The /Traiiress" :isl.,the ; ,pi,ece, dev-res'.ist-Bnce on-the _ present programme'.of pictures 'which.'.is now ; being screened at the. King's Theatre. .-/Hw.snjot.Mfl'strong.cJru-. mntic one, 1 concerning'-b-ion War. Tho hero is a young German;] lieutenant. -V The- picture- is, .remarkably, clear, and the acting is.superb.^and-those features-alone are:.very pleasing,. "Won, by a Fish".'is an amusing-comic..-, An ex-' ceptionally fine picture is .one. depicting. "The English 1912 Derby;-' A; number of other films- are included in ■ the . latest selection,-and will be repeated tornight.

: "-THE;NEW. THEATRE; '■"■■'■■ 'TJedemptfoh" continues to be- the fetar 'attraction at the -New Theatre, and,' Ulthough'a fresh series of supporting items were introduced yesterday. and' last evening, they'do' hot outshine, their leader.Allowing the actual story of'"Redenip-■ Hon", to'"stand aside,; tho-picture would' •easily -win-''favour with ; the spectators from a mere spectacular point of view. The phases of-life depicted are numerous and very the more so, -per-, hapvsiive most A'ew Zealanders havebut a hazy..knowledge of'the Bohemian life led by'a. large Section of the Parisian pleasure-loving public. It is certainly one of the most st-nking-pictnres that Messrs;-' MacMahon and Donnelly have screened. Next to "Redemption," the most. appealing item is the Vitagraph'film VTho Black Wall." ■ In- this- the life •Of the average coal-miner is vividly depicted. The.work<ers beneath the earth have of lato been much discussed- in connection with strikes, and, 'after .seeing what ; sort'of life. they, lead, it-is.hard to refrain from sympathy.. The picturo reveals the terrible effect of an explosion, in-a. mine, and -shows how minors are cut off from the, outer wftrid by a fall of earth.-', ; For this work of salvation, they don special helmets,and cut their .way through the, debris to their comrades. "Demon Envy" is the name of another dramatic filni involving a story; of feud-between two ydung men. The two new comics— ■"Daddy's Struggle with the. Crockery"' and VOver the Garden Wall," are entertaining. ■"Redemption" and the other, new items '■will be screeued till further.notice.. . ' • ■ ~ :sHORTT's theatre; . /,;.'•■ The new.programme at Shortt's Continuous Picture Theatre • was'- well patronised yesterday and last .evening. The chief attraction: in the - Vitagraph Company's picturisation of; Thackeray's renowned •novel, "Vanity -Fair." As a rule, lovers of' standard-authors, are greatly . disappointed* with-;"moving-, pictures- that. set; out to tell a famous-story-without the aid of words, but in this case the -setting of the'story is. done so- splendidly and with such minute-regard to the fashions of the time that it is unlikely .that even the ardent.admirers of the great novelist will be disappointed.' The book has been too thorougnly read : and the - names of Becky Sharps, the Osbornes, Sedleys, and others have become so familiar.that they need nothing to recommend the part. The play is. one of tho mostrhuman of. stories ever written, and,--consequently, ever: pic-, turiscd.- The supporting item.; include afine dramatic -Western drama. The plot.concsrning a horse thief, or "rustler" as 'bey term it in the West, is not particu.ariy novel. The charm of the picture lies in tho realistic setting, which is eertainlymuch above the commonplace. The comic section of the'programme, especially "The-Sentiy," is highly amusing.

THE ADELPHI. The very excellent programme which was submitted at the Adelphi mi Monday night for the. first time ha* since Veen..supplemented by the addition ot several new films. Amongst, tho newcomers are a Lubin comedy, entitled "Leah finds a Husband," which is a most laughable picture. "Coster Bill," aaother comedy depicting life in the Ea.it End of ■London; "Bobby Stamps the Postcards," in which "Tlv. 1 Gaumont Kid" :ns ''Bobby" is fo widely-known in America), is seen- up to his, old. tricks, and two vfiy delightful scenies, entitled "The. I,'air at Irbi'th'V (Kussia). and "From li.iu.--e to Dinan," a charming glimpse of \iirth?ui. Franc?. A ni&tinee is announced for fhi.i aftonkon.. The Adelphi- masked male quartet appear next Wednosliy.

SOCIETY OF' PBOFESStOX.VL ■..' --MUSICIANS. ' ■:_ The musical public, should not-fail to h&ar the Toy Symphony-to be performed bf the Wellington- Society of Profe.sMon-nl Musicians in. the.Town Hall Concert Chamber to-night'.". -This symphony has. bean, sp&iall.composed- for this concert by Messrs! Maughan Barnett, Lawrence Watkins, and Horace .Hunt, and has been in active 'rehearsal for spmo .weeks. Included in.'the programme nro'vocal items by Miss/Phoebe Parsons, Mr.' C.H. Stephens, and Mr. Hamilton 'Hodges,., and. instrumental soles'by Misses B." Richmond, and May Donaldson, Messrs. Horace Hunt and F. E. Johnstona-'