ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1977, 6 February 1914, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

PAUL dufaui.t; Tho forthcoming concerts of Paul Dufault, who has been described as "the poot of tho concert'platform," arc being eagerly anticipated by tho ijiusiclovors of Wellington. Mr. Dufault will givo four concerts' here en Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, oik! Saturday evenings of next week. While tho great tenor's repertoire is enormous and will include numerous numbers now to ns r it is promised that his programmes will also comprise some of those items with which ho charn.red his hearers during his season with Mine. Nordica. The first concert of the Dufault season will be given at the Town Hall on February 11, and the remaining three at the Opera House on February 12, 18, and 14. Tho bos plans will open at the Dresden on Monday mormfig. •

THE KING'S THEATRE, Everybody baa heard or read of Dickens's "Christmas Carol," and' its filmic adaptation at tho King's Theatre this _ week is arousing considerable at-, tention, manifested in the large attfendl- - present at the theatre nightly. The picture is interesting both on account of the* fact that Mr. Seymour Hicks, the well-known English actor, takes tho role of Scrooge, and • the fake photographic. effects introduced. There is a strong supporting selection of films, while the King's orchestra under Sigftor Truda contributes a most attractive programme of music. A matinee performance is announced for to-morrow, commencing at 2.59 p.m. ,

HIS MUESTY'S THEATRE. Tlio amitejr competitions at His .Majesty's Theatre last-evening Were'responsible for attracting to the theatre ono of the largest audiences that has ever, been in tfo. building. »Twelvo would-be vaudevillo artists in. various stages of nervousness faced the. huge .audience. The career of the footlights, j was a very, brief and trying, one for | three- or four of the competitors, and hardly had they opened up the display of their talent than tlio impatient and critical hundreds in tho "gods" rained down upon them' (and- incidentally sin unfortunate orchestra) such a variety of vegetables and other missiles that would have --vied with tho broadside of our modem battleships. Quito naturally, of course, the blushing amateurs retired with more ,of loss speed in tho face of such' a reception, 'fliere were oflo of two, however, who bravely essayed to face tho storm, but not for long—there was a faltering and then an undignified exit, with a stage left in.tteir wake strewn with greengrocery.' The competitors were, to say'the least .of it, disappointing, and all endeavoured to apo' with little success tao stereotyped 'comedian. Not one adopted 1 an original 6tyle. Mr. E. J. Houston was selected as the winner for his modest attempt at one of Harry Lauder's songs. 110 deservedthe award if it'iycre. only for .the fact that' ho succeeded in making. tho audience laugh at his song-»-not at himself. The first amateur, to appear was a youth who made a desperate attempt: at ragtime in a little qflavcripg voi.ee which after the first few notes was completely swallowed up in tho counting out and roars that greeted it.. Ho was undeterred by wordy and jt was evident that life was still singing by tho movement .of _ his arms (a failing with ragtime artists). Ho gave in eventually, however. The auciiense aloft chose more forcible means to show the next sipger that he was not wanted, and rained down a storm of missiles on him and t.ho orchestra/' -so that bot'i left their posts hurriedly. Tlie orchestra resented sharing tho tributes meant for tile singer • they were accompanying. Mr. -Leonard Nelson, who wascontrolling tlie contest, came forward and announced that if the folks up above' did not confine tlieif disapproba* tioii to words ■ alone, thero could be iio | contest that evening. Quietness was; restored, an indignant orchestra oilco i more' took iip 'its instruments., and tho j next competitor tsarao forward. ' This was the winner. : The nest commenced singing Hi a deop voice, "I Have Como"; ho did not say he was going, howavtir, for after tlieso three .words he left the stage .hurriedly amidst a fresh storm from above. "Tlio Littlo Shirt My Jfother Mado for Mo" was announced as the next competitor's item, but beyond this tlio audibuce heard nothing." The performer who followed danced, juggled, and difl acrobatic "business" in such a hurried manner that betokened: that ho was in fear of a fate that had fallen to his predecessor. A further performer sang a doggerel ditty "Put a Bit of Powder On It Father," and- was allowed-to finish' the song unintefrnpfed. Similarly, the. next man completed his song abm.it a mouth which) from the words of -the song, was evidently abnormaUy large. Phil Hyde and Jack Williams gave fairly interesting performance's. Tlie last two-. competitors, welro | treated to such a. rain of missiles as necessitated the orchestra again seeking shelter. The last performer faced the storm of vegetables gallantly and with a stick in his hand'endcdvoiifed to defend' himself. At last lis became enraged, and seizing a- handful of tho spent missiles lying round liifli, heaved them back with all his force to the projectors of them up above. So' then rotired. That concluded tho amateur performance and Mr- .Nelson announced that tho remainder of tlwm would appear to-night. The remainder •of the programing was contributed to by tlio artists appearing regularly throughout the week.

THE BRITANNIA THEATRE. Sensations are-crowded-very .thickly into tno srory o.l : "I'lis -.Black 13," told in tho leading picture showing in tlio new programme at the Britannia l'lieatre yesterday. It is the t-ate Of a chase of a. band of criminals, by one detective, with pluck and.re-source. The gang are expert, engravers of .cemiterleit notes, and their capture had hitherto baffled everybody.. Presently this do*tective. gets on vlio- truck ft one of tho leaders, just fails to catch him after a thrilling ciia-se, but returns Jionjs in time to catch, another leader of tho gang in his own house. l f rom him he learns by a clever rtiso tho headquarters of tne ''13," and goes io find tlwro —a woman. Sho is tho leader and brains of tho notorious band. There are more sensations, including the blowing up of the premises,. hut the . detective escapes; and the only man to be hurt is criminal number one, who was returning to tho lair. Of course, the detcctiro catches iliein _ all, alive or dead, but there are thrills enough in tho film for three-volume novel. Another good story fells of the. days in Quebec before. U'clt'e came, tlie days when women wore strange noWclered coiffures, and beat their maids. A girl from the country up-river is kidnapped by supposedly friendly Indians and sold tn a t'rench family ill Quo bee, to bo a drudge and to bo whipped. Sho contrives, However, to leave a ciuo, and her lover follows it up, and-, after many exciting adventures, carries oil tho girl. John Bunny appears in a comedy, "Those Troublesome Tresses," Supporting films on tho programme include "Patlio Gazette." and "Picturesque Corsica," '

TlIjE EMPRESS'THEATRE. \ "Gilt-Eclgo Stodk/' a Kaleyi. "feature" drama, is tho chief attraction of tho change of programme presented at tho Empress Theatre continuous pictures' yesterday. A bogus stock seller sells, his worthless stock to various dupes, ranging from old people "to a prctt.v girl who keeps a cigar store. Two detectives are instructed' to .secure incriniiußting evidence against tho rogue. They manage to insta' a special telephone receiver in the . bogus broker's tjffice thtough a subterfuge, and aro ab.le to. kear all *£3$ fAires

place bfitweou him and his victums, The cigar store girl returns to demand a retwiid of .her mmsoy .from tho rogue, He seizes hojd'of tho giil, who snatches his rcvojvttr, which explodes-. and mortally wounds her assailant. Tho girl's fiance sees her come out of ilso broker's office, and fearing that smoothing serious has, occurred, ho outers -the office and finds tho man gasping on the 1 - floor. ■Llie- detectives rush ift aiid arrest tho •>.fiance; but the dying man declares that tho girl shot lum in self-dofoneo, arid the innocent - man is released. In tho Vitagrapli Company's "masterpiece" drama, "Broken-hearted Shop," a-little girl becomes fond of a neighbour's coliio dog, who Seeiprocatos her affection. A liro breaks out- in the little girl's home, and' she is in danger of being blunt to death, when tho oollio goes ami gives tbo'aiariii. The eollio shows the firemen where the little girl is, and,' ho is accidentally left iii tho burning room, white tho child is rescued. Tho dog leaps from the'window and is lulled. Everything is done very realistically, and the dag displays wonJeiftil intelligence. The rest of t the. series includes "Prisoners of War" . (Kalem Civil War drama), -"His Sister's Kids" (Keystone "feature" comedy), "Tho River Do'.ibs" (scenic), "fingadine" (travel), and "The Suicide Fact" (A.B. faree-comedy), j.

BAND CONCERT TO-NIGHT. A remarkably fine pr6gfanime will be given in th<J Town Hall this evening to mark the opening of the short-season of the Royal Artillery 'Band. ■ Comprising niusie as widely separated n.-s a piccolo solo and Wagner's "Entry of tho Gads into Valhalla," it is well designed to show the versatility of the band, and it contains nothing of an ultra classical type such as tempers tho enjoyment of tho Unskilled music-lover. Another programma will ho given in tlio Town Hall to-morrow evening, and 'to-morrow afternoon the band will, play at the Athletic Park. Concerts will probably bo given also on* Sunday afternoon,' and eveiling at the Athletic Park, and: in tlio Town Hall, and no more performances can be given in Wellington. On Monday- evening the band will -'leave for Cliiisichu.reh. •. '■■... -The boji plans for this evening's and to-morrow evening's concerts arc open at the Dresden. «Tlio' Inst time tlie band played in Wellington tlie audiences .were remarkably large; at- the first concert- many hundreds 'were turned away, notwithstanding tho hufec seating capacity of tlio lmll. The early booking 'of seats,_ or tlio purchase ■ of tickets by day is in this instance adris* able, so that-if the hall is filled, there will be a'miniumin of- inconvenience at tho doors. Popular prices -have' beenfixed for both indoor and outdoor concerts. 'Tlie object of the Exhibition anthorittes is to bring the band into touch with as many of the public, as possible, and over as wide an area as possible.