ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1857, 17 September 1913, Page 10

ENTERTAINMENTS.

KING'S COLLEGE BOYS' COMPANY

To-night nt tlio Opera Houso tho famour King's College Boys (London) and company of society entertainers open a tour of New Zealand. Preliminary reports from Soutli Africa and Australia are highly eulogistic as to tlio all-round attractiveness and varied nature of the amusement provided by this combination of singers, musicians,_ and comedians. Headed by tho King's College Boys, a quartet of singers who wore educated in tlio great Westminster Abbey Choir, and who specialise in harmonised rendering of popular English, .Scotch, and Irish airs, tlio boys aro said to be exports in this class of singing, and provide a varied programme, consisting of humorous sketches, ragtime harmony, harmonised medleys, ducts, solo and refined comedy. Tho supporting company includes the Vienna Trio, described as musicians of raro brilliance, who feature one of their menibers as a solo harpist of repute. Miss Jlarcelene Boulais, a dramatic soprav.o, is expected to make a big hit with local theatregoers; a new and original comedian, Jack Shields, has a big stock of the latest laughing successes; 'Miss lona'Auguste is an entertainer on Margaret Cooper lines; Mr. Phillip Lewis, bari-t-ono: and Miss Ruby M'Donald, musical directress, assist in new and popular items. The ' Company anticipate having a successful season here.

HIS MAJESTY'S'THEATRE. The introduction of vaudeville at His Majesty's Theatre has been well received with acclamation and has proved an instant - success, and last 'night tho theatre was again filled. The acrobatic performance of the Royal Banzai Family from Japan is a very sensational one. Tho t-roupo of four adults and tho round-limbed, chubby-cheeked littlo boy, perforin feat after feat, each apparently more difficult than the last, and on many occasions tho houso sits with bated breath. But "practice makes perfect" and had the equilibrium been lost but onco in all their career the troupo would not have astonished a Wellington spectatoratc. Tho mounting of three ladders, each fastened at various angles to tho top of tho lower one, tho lowest being supported oil tho feet of a lady member of tho troupe, is a daring feat which few would carc to attempt, and which none else could acccinplish. Tho contortionist amazes tho onlookers, building up two columns of' wooden bricks. whilst balanced on his hands; whilst, later on, standing erect on ono slender column of bricks ho bonds his body back, and further back, until his lianas t-ako the place of his feet and he is on the column with his legs in tho air, after which ho regains his original position, all without moving tlio blocks a fraction of an inch, or disaster would have followed. The other items m the programme, though over-shadowed by .tjio Japanese would ordinarily be considered excellent turns. , ,

KING'S THEATRE. Their Excellencies tho Governor and Lady Liverpool wero amongst tho largo houso who assembled last night at tho King's Theatre, which' has been freshly decorated and upholstered. • The principal attraction is the American millionaire's (I'aul J. Rainey's) marvellous African hunt in British East Africa, Mr. J. C. Hummant being the kineinatographist. The film included pictures of jaguars, hyenas, _ cheetahs, giraffes, elephants, rhinocori, zebras, and monkeys, a hippopotamus being shot when within a few inches of tho camera at which it is charging. The pictures are explained by Mr. Barrie Marschel in capital style.

THE EMPRESS THEATRE. Thero will be a complete.change of programme td-morrow nt tho Empress Theatre continuous pictures. The chief "draw" at present is the lengthy "star" drama, "Tlie Gamekeepers AVife," a powerful story with a tragic ending. Tho A.B. Company's drama, "The Coming of Angolo," is also .a popular item, which apart from tho interest of tho plot and the merit of the acting possesses ail attraction by virtuo of the fine backgrounds, showing stormy breakers sending the sprays fly--inicr before tlie winds. A mountaineering; party are followed with the. camera in "A. Visit to Mount Tacoma." Few old English cities aro studded with so many architectural relics of other days -than as aro seen in "The City of York. The oomic studios are very amusing.

SHORTTS' THEATRE. Sensational incidents and scenic effects are blended in "Tlie Last of tho Old Mill" which is tho chief attraction at this theatre, and other films include: "A Victim of Heredity," "Tweedledum Loves a Florist," "Going to Meet Papa," "Venice," and "The Warwick Chronicle."

NORDICA. The coming visit of Mme. Lillian Nordica, tlio groat dramatic soprano, is creating a stir in musical circles. The wondrous beauty of Nordica's voice, her great and raro art, and her magnetic personality are all too well known to need more than a mention, but tlio wonderful versatility that makes her r.t once mistress of a great dramatic song, a florid Italian aria, and a simple English ballad, enables her to / provido a programme of wonderful variety and rare artistic delight, and for this reason Nordica is said to shine as brilliantly on the concert platform as on tho operatic stage. Mmo. Nordica is aii example of constant achievement. She has never stood still nor remained content with the triumph she has won. Last season sho scored one of tho greatest successes of her career by singing "Isolde" in German at tho Berlin Royal Opera, while the season before she added a fresh triumph to her list by singing the samo role in French at the Paris Grand Opera. ' It will be pleasurable news to all music-lovers to learn that Paul Dufault, the French-Canadian tenor, who created such a fmo impression during the Do Cisneros tour, is one of Mme. Nordica's concert party: the other members aro Franklin Holding, violinist, and Bomavne Simmons,-pianist. Tlio first Wellington concert will be given at the Town Hall on Thursday evening, September 20.

THE COMPETITIONS. The third annual festival of the New Zealand Competitions Society promise to eclipse both previous festivals. Interest is beiii2 aroused over tho two choral sections, and over tho grand, piano "solo championship- Heavy entries are exnocted in botli the elocutionary and vocal sections, whilst the children's dancing promises to be popular. Intending competitors are notified that- entries close on September 30.