ENTEETAINMENTA.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2120, 11 April 1914, Page 8

ENTEETAINMENTA.

GRAND OPERA HOUSE OPENING/ ■■■ ;{"aday.;attheraces.' s - Thero is no stetnming the tfithusiasni which has, set i|i for tfio opening of. iho Grand Opofa M-ouse,'-.and : Uio first appcafance of William Anderson's famous Aiiiqricatt Musical 'Burlesque' Company in "A Day atthe'lUvecs." Tfco-Djrosdeu bo-x office has' upe'ii eagerly'beai6gos during tlio'wock, and all records havo been exceeded in ilio-'matter of booking. Thia morning' extra: rows of-seats'- will .be opened at tte '• Dresden. Everything poiiits to a most brilliant audience this evening) and tho opportunity of enjoying two'or three hours.of'genuine laiighter, wlrilo at' the same time appreciating tfe sansuous eharins of deliglitftil music, ancl dainty daijeing should not be missed in these'matipr" of fa.cfc days.' "A Bay. at , tk} Races" is: said to fe-catircly built up on these- attractive lines. It is claimed to be eo full of good things that to 'enumerate would occupy a, good deal of space, and suffice to say that everywhere tta*. company has been received with enthusiasm.' • To qus>te tho words of 'a. favourite Australian poot, "Laugh and tho world laughs with you." is specially trus as applied to burlcsquo production,- and a -case in point is furnished by "A Bay at the Races" as .played by' Mr. AYilHain Anderson's ■ specially-imported Anierican Musical Burlesque Company. Seldom, it is said, has a.piece been .seen on.the Australian stage; sn which.-the fuii vases so furious., siitd'is .maintained, so. con- . sisteutly throughout. Each' member of the company is a star iti-his or her owii' particular orbit. It is claimed to he brimful of catchy musical. items. Amongst the best- numbers, are: "Gee, but H'3 Great to Meet a Fricad," "I [Looked. Just -Once," "Rainy Afterneon," "Wateiiag ■'Wedding," "Keep oh Making Love," "Bring Back My Bonnie to Mp," et«._ Tho four comedkms— Messrs. : .i)avo Nowlin, S'atil Stanhope, Bert'lβ BlftM, artd Harry Burgess— havo good parts. Misses Kiainoßavcnshorfc ■ Teddy Martin, Fritzie .Dβ Giiy, Anna Clarke, and • Imogen© Mansfield, art> also- well catered for. in song anct dance.. Tho "Sydney Meriting Herald" describes the pieoa as..."one--prolonged riot'of niirfch.an.st car-haunting melodies from curtain to curtain." A matinee of "A Day at the Races'-' is.aiuMmneed for-Easter Monday, and.the ran.of the production is limited to six nights only. On Saturday next tho ■ Burlpsquo Coin* pajjy present'another of their' merry musical travesties "Tlio Grafters," the plans for which will opdri en "Tuesday. The fifsit "tango tea" matinee'of the company., is advertised .for the afternoon of Saturday, April 18. ■ '.'-' HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. By permission of-the City Council a speciaiiy-selcoted ptogramine' of appropriate songs and instrumental. selections was given at His Majesty's Theatre last night. A big'ltoU'day , 'attendance ' vfas present, and- the many items vreie WgWj appreciated. . One of tho 'most popular turns was that S&jcs, .the phenomenal ban joist, t?1io. fully denjohstrated that tho banjo can 'bo made ■ a very effective musical instnißient. T/c give 'an' representation-on , single instrument-is-so-tucthiiig of an acliroveiiwnti, ■ bat the tsfeited ■ ■' artist' sneccett's iji'doing-ihjs.and niany'.otljer .good 'turns. . T/hp; .Ltlx-ork- contributed materially to the prdgra-niijje- with. their. musical.turnj' alrf. ths siiigiug.bf .'MiSs Winifred Steward was at "a high 'slahdatcL Many others added to the raluoof the eatertainitient.; There will '. bes a raatmee .this 'afternooii) -jv))6ij Marioneifcs wilt-Je'- an isifoestmg' feature.of tho progi*(!li)mo. '" • ..■.. THE That very a&lriilfe'AEiHj-osW'fi.im'rei pr&duction, "The "Bast",i)ays /jf joinpeii" has drawji excellent' anU most rtpprpciative -nvdieitces to the King's The ajfb'-throyghetit. :.the week. , From bo- ■ ginning to end ifche morit'of tho picture is o6sisi)icuo«s-)' ''and the. itho eruption of Vesuvius' rises to ' a point of greatness."-After beiug shown : at a matiheo this afternoon at z.SO,- th(» ; big film-will' be ■ screened, for tJio last time to-night. Oii Monday afternoon a Matineoof 6pficia! suJbjcets will' be given. ;••_-..-.- ' .. /'NAPOLKPN;' 1 '. ... /For Monday. 6veniiig,at..t]ie .King's' Theatre fho Bianagßßjeni. an-noonce- as the chief .feature of. a apecial Widaj programme Pafche's fine historical draiaa ' 'JiApoleoii," which. traverses tlio. wqiiderful. career of that- remarkable waii' from the date of his coronation as iSmpcror of Franco to the last.days at St.The .subject.is claijned.to liavo been treated by the isrodrieers' with : exceptional skill,- tho details of the film being described as exceptional.- . Tho picture.is-said , .to diselese feprodisotsm>s of all the Mstoryrmakiiig' e|uso<ieS'With wlueh '.tho great'soWier was-associated. Most peoplo a'Ks ■■'fawiliw iiritii tfeso t'hrougu the Snedmfa.'6f written-records, but' the , filmed ; j>ieti}'re's 'atD' said vcy a Bittch more' : vivid, aiid lasting' impression. Austerliiz and tho heroic aefciieo -of ps shown,. a§ aiso is tie long aad '.disastrous Russian caiapaiga and. the terrible: retreat, from Moscow, an event which marked the be* .ginning of tho-Empfrror's'toVrtfaH. Tho ' Mamelakes .'figure prominently ia one Beries, while the coronatioH sqoijo where : in NapolqSn snatches,tie crowij'fMm the Papal. legate and.' pUtes '!it lijb own •hqad is said to. he ' particularly well done. Then, are screened in succession, the Cadoudal episode, the abdicatioft of Fpntainbleaa; farewell fe the Old Guard, Elba, re-entry into Paris, Waterloo,'tho deportation to., St. H.elent» s cieath of Napoleon, -and the tomb in St. Invnlides,' Paris. An -interesting- point is that- ail sections wetts fi.lm«d on.'tho spots so- ffltflous ill history. Mr. Alfred Booth'inaii will lecttiwtheltm,'aiid fto King's orchestra will eoiitributo appmpriata music. Tile .supporting i>ictures liav* been spsciafiy selected. 3?or to-day and Monday the box , plans' Will lie at'tho'theatre, THE EMPRESS THEATRE. Tho new programme submitted' at tlvo Empress Theatre continuous pictures on Tlrarsday was beaded by tho K.B. Oom-pan-y'e ■ sensational "feature" dKtma. "Tho. Haiders," a story of. life .in .the wilds of the Kentucky Mountains, where a- gang of '(moonlighters'? are engaged in working an illicit whisky still. 'I'ho play,, which occupies ever halt' an hour in the enactment, is brimful with-excjt-ing incidents. Mary Evans, tte •daugbt«t of the head of tSo gaug, is to marry Jack Keane, oiteof tho "moonlightiSrs,'' The latter has a dsingptoiia. rival ia Bill Gate, who is wratlihil when Mat*, weds Kna-ne. In order' to b& rovoagfid itpon Keane the villainous Gale tarns in>former and 'receives £50 revwird from tho authorities. HA fcads tho revenue officers to the vicinity of tho -still, nut tho "moonlighters" have kept a vigilant watch for outsiders, with tho result that they put up a. niost determined fight with' rifles against the icjsreserita' ■tis-es of the law! (tale, during tJie thick of tho battle, runs awny, Trot. j s socu and wounded by oho of tho Gale talces refugo in Mafy's house. Determined that the treacherous Gal© shall pay tho full price for his villainy, Mary wails till t-he revenue- ofliew-s ' are approaching tho house in th<i awonlight, when sho tells'.Gale the giing is.coming towards this place. Sho lets Gale ran awav, and then tells the rci'entirt offioofs that tho fugitive is one. of the' "moonlisWovs".. escaping. Tfje efleVs'isUr-sue lrmi' and shot tho-traitor down in bis tra-oks. Olio of the . most laugiiablo comedy 'subjects ever turacd' out by the Kcysfene Company is "Mabel's iStrango Predicament," in which a. tviost ludicrous soricf of episodes occur at a fashionable Jiotel.' "tardertllo" depicts a mimher of views of strange'tlicvtuiil inanifestatiens iii Italy. Oihir attjactivcj iterus are :-«"Fatal Claeb" (Elaleiß detective

dnuua),' the "Eclair '. Journal," and "Scones in Tunis" (travel).• ,Au appropriate programme was presented yesitejPday afternoon and evening, when there • wcne crowded attendances. Thursday's :. new programme will -.he repeated ■ thrmighrtufc to-day and to-night. A new series ■ will • to• shown on Moitfey.■ I .NATIVES' ASSOCIATION'S.CAR--j. ." NIVAL. ;. In tho Basin Reserve, on -Saturday, tke Now Zealand Natives , Association; in order to raise funds with which to place tfeo newly-formed body oa a sound financial-basis) are to bold. st big carnival. It will begin with a comic procession -through tlio streets of tho city, to leave tho Government Buißings at 2. p.m., and will resolve itself into 'unadulterated fu» at the Reserve. Tho chief attraction will he a burlesque football match between ft troupe of real Now Zealand-' Natives from Olaki ana t-boreabouts, and a team of pakoliai natives, and each will try to outdo the 'other in providing titnutemotit for the public. Anotte feature w-ii'l be ,a troupe of Maori maidens. from Obaki, who will, during tho course of the -after--ncou, perform jsoi and other Native dances. The Battalion Band will Its in attendance. The Hon. A. L. Herciman is th* president of tho .Mew association, and in all probability he and other members of the Ministry who are : in town will attend tho gal*. . ... ORGAN R-ECITAt;. There was no lack of appreciation apparent at tho Town Hall'last evening when 'Mr. Bernard EY Pago (City Kani-sfc) gave a. recital before an atidi* dice of about. 2009 people. Mr. Page's progfaiiiross aro always arranged with the finest, artistic discretion, and that submitted last evening was iti- admirable keeping with tho. solemn anniversary which marked tho day. Th<S opraing number, was Chopin's "Matohe Fuuebre," which synchronises most impressively tho gloom 'and sorrow of deaths lightened -hi the. by a sweetly poignant air that premisfes nape in the hereafter. In. Ms treat-, meat of- the oft-repeated death cadence, Mr. Page showed a cominendabfe regis- ! irative-'resource) whilst investing the-; music with the. proper spirit- of grave: pomp and - sanctity. _ There .were- .two j excerpts froin ■""Parsifsli"\. tho :: Wag' ! • nerian-opera, which lias just been produced in Uβ proper form ; in London for j tlio"first time. The first wag .the. beautiful prelude to 'the.ftTSt.aet, where the master's thematie geuilis is tellingly ■ illustrated by- tho clinging,. sweot-ness of ■the love theme, the noble tlvenw of the Hoiy O-rail, given out -by ..tho trumpets, ■ and the .Saviour's' Isuiesi, -Master hands are needed at the iiaauuals to correctly and" expressively, convey the extrSorcUiViir.y beauty <iftc6mpassod iii .tlio weaving til"these motifs, and Mr, Page's intuitive- artistry and; fine technique wore never at fault. ' Tiwm there was ' the.-fragrant' and pastoral- "Good F.rK ' day" musie, , :from' "Parsifal" (Act ill). With, its'wealth .of symbolism,.' its ethereal- dejicncy aftdoharm, the "TJeod Fridav" musie must always pake nn. , apeal to levers of poetical music- None the less Welcome was.-... the. .finale .of Tseliaifoovsky's "Svephoiiio Pathetiqiio" and Handel's "Large in'G." • •Mr. Page β-iiiiounces-. a, Wagner • tecrtal for next, a-iid a Tschaikovsky evening .for-April 25.