ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2446, 27 April 1915, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS

"THE BABES IN THE WOOD."

The Willoughby management's pantomime "Tho Babes in tho Wood," keeps the flag of merrient flying gaily at the Grand Opera House, where laughter and music • combine harmoniously to pass a lively hour or two away. Tho final performance of tho pantomime will be given this evening. "WHO'S THE LADY?" Tho box plans opened yesterday auspiciously for "Who s the Lady?" which will be played in New Zealand for the first time at the Opera House by Beaumont Smith and Leslie Hoskins's "Glad Eye" Company. Kcon interest is being manifested in this successful play, for the accounts of "Who's the Lady's" success in many lands have been widely read. While the centre pivot of "Who's the Lady?" is Ethel Dane, as Gobette, the fascinating French actress, all the other members of the company are said to have excellent opportunities afforded them by the authors,- M.M. Henniquin and] Verber. For instance, Miss Linda St. Clair lias a wonderful sketch to play as an ex-cook, married to a president of a local court; Mr. Henry J. Ford, a* Cyprian Gaudet, the Minister of Justice, and Tom Serelford, as secretary to tho Minister, a.nd excellent in bis taste by following his superior's example and falling a victim to Gobette. The plot is familiar to most reading playgoers; it is mainly concerned with the venturesome doings of a certain Mademoiselle Gobette, who in the first act finds herself refuging in the house of an intensely respectable French magistrate, Monsieur Tricomte. Ihe magistrate's wife, is absent, and the venturesome one pleads for hospitality. The situation is embarrassing, and the host is unwilling. Ho is persuaded much against his will to give the visitor the shelter of his roof. Then the plot beginß to develop, for the Minister for Justice visits the magistrate on a tourof inspection. Gobette is there. Having no other way to account for her, the magistrate introduces her as his wife! From then on till the final fall of the curtain one complication after anotier follows with lightning rapidity. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. No group of performers oould be more welcome to Wellington theatregoers tliflii the Raiidell-Jacksoii _ P3rt.\ which reappeared at His Majesty s Theatre last evening and were accorded a warm reception commensurate with their talents. This party, which represents a degree of vocal excellence superior to any similar combination that has yet appeared under the Fuller managements, invests its very entertaining programme with a refinement and finish that cannot but make its impression on audiences. Mr. RandcllJackson himself is a baritone of rare sympathy and intelligence, and his numbers which included "When My Ships Come Sailing Home (with chorus), "Shipmates o' Mine," "The Litt/e Grey Home in the West," and "A Bunch of 'Heather," sings with irresistible charm. Miss Florence West, a delightful soprano and one of that rare class which is always in tune, revived Sullivan's sweet old ballad "My Dearest Heart" and had to oblige with an encore number. Mr. Herbert Winter, a cheerful and versatile comedian, recited with coinio,fervour "The Lost Sole," and repeated his humorous "Italian Salad," which so pleased the public palate a few weeks ago. Mr. Geo. Nash Shakespeare in potted form —four lines it a tragedy—and revived the humorous ditty "Far Far Away." Miss May Windsor deserted the piano to give an amusing child impersonation, and was associated with Mr. Winter in the absurdity, "Our 'ands 'ave met but not our 'earts." The party concluded, their entertainment with a ; -a very laughable sketch "The Breach of Promise Case," with Mr. "Winter as the pertinacious counsel and Miss Windsor as the plaintiff. Though this incursion into broad farce was' well enough done, greater pleasure would have been given.by an extension of the vocal programme. In the second half of the programme Miss Florence Esdaile sang _ operatio excerpts without distinction, Mr. Fred. Swift, "The Musical Nut," returned to repeat his popular musical act: and Vaude and Verne pattered smartly on every subject under the sun; and Sterling and Love, who contributed a musical sketch, found the audience appreciative. Lovers of lively vaudeville are promised a special treat in the advent of Stanhope's Revue Company, which has been amusing Auckland audiences since Easter. This company will appear at His Majesty's on May 10. KING'S THEATRE. Heredity as an influence an character, is the theme on which the French photo-play, "His Son's Accuser," produced at the King's Theatre last evening, is based, and few present did not fail to realise that it is a potential factor in this particular instance. Hubert St. Pol, a French soldier, is in love with Angelique Thiebant, but the course of love is so thwarted by a string of unfortunate creditors that he goes to the front. Like his father, Hubert's son turns out to be a gambler, and becomes infatuated with an actress whose extravagances induce him to commit murder to obtain money. Hubert, now known as Vidcoig the Detective, is engaged to track the murderer down, and at length does so only to find that the guilty man is his own son, and the woman he has murdered is the one he formerly loved. The drama is very French in form and character, but the dramatic story and vivid acting make it uniformly interesting. "Helen Intervenes" is a pretty story in which an adorable little girl brings happiness to a poor but talented shop girl. Of the liveliest topical interest is the picture "Australia's Sons," which is really the picture of a review of the Australian and New Zealand troops on the sands of Egypt outside Cairo by General Birdwood and Major-General Godle.y. The new army corps makes a very gallant show and apparently deserves all the fine things that have been said of it The figure of General Godley is very much in evidence at the saluting base, and in another section the Hon. T. Mackenzie, High Commissioner for New Zealand, may be seen taking stock of Younger Britain under war conditions. The comical tag to the programme is "Hogan's Annual Spree," a Christmas farce of the most extravagant description. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. The sensational detective drama will always be popular with tho general public, and the exciting drama of this description which features on the new programme shown at Everybody's Theatre yesterday should, therefore, be sure of a successful run. It is entitled "The Mystery of tho Diamond Belt," and concerns the great detective Sexton Blake. "Tho Diamond Belt" is a necklace of jewels worth £10,000, and is stolen by a criminal gang from the establishment of a great diamond merchant. Sexton Blake is employed to recover tho stolen "bauble, and tho mesh of incident surrounding his ellorts form the theme of the story. Sexton Blake recovers the necklace, the thieves aro captured, and someone else captures a bride. Supporting the big picture is a genuinely-amusing Keystone picture, "The Plumber." Plumbers' visits are often associated with domestic inconveniences, but such a plumber as that in tho Keystone comedy was surely the limit of inconvenience. He Lran&fers the basement of the hfmso ho visits into a temporary reservoir, seta lirft to the upper story, and incidentally drinks a dozen or so of ale stored in the house- Other picJuroa on .the grosramaia are; "Tha,

Gaumont Graphic," "Jack Spratt as a Wounded Prussian," and the latest war nows in film form.

THE EMPRESS THEATRE. "Ho Never Know," tho Vitagraph Company's latest feature drama, heads the now programme, which appeared at tho Empress Theatro continuous pictures yesterday. Tho plot is a pathotic one, in which a young widow is compelled to place her infant son in an orphanage while she struggles to earn a living for herself. A friend obtains a position for her with a theatrical company, and the widow gradually climbing the ladder of success until she becomes a world-famed star. Twenty years after she has lias parted with her child tho widow meets a handsome man, Earlo Castro, the adopted son.of a wealthy widow.- The actress and Earlo fall in love with each other, much to the distress of Mrs. Castro, who wishes Earle to wed a young lady she has selected for him. She also points out to Earle that the actress i 6 much too old for him, but ho is infatuated with her, and refuses to give her up. llrs. Castro makes a tearful appeal to the actress, who finally consents to break off her acquaintance with Earlo. The actress now desires to see her own son, and by permission of the orphanage authorities is permitted to go to a New York mansion, where she is to seo her son without her being seen. To her surprise the actress perceives that her son is none other than Earle. The actress collapses, but before she expires she obtains Mrs. Castro a promise that Earle shall never know the truth of lier. identity. There are other meritorious items, including "Dolly as Detsctive" (Edison drama), "Tho Topic il Budget'' (including scenes associated with the war), "'the Coloured Girl's Love" (kelatone comedy), "What be Forgot" (Lubin comedy). PEOPLE'S PICTURE PALACE. "Masks and Faces," a dramatic story of liigli society and the stag©, hojids the new programme shown at tho People's Picture Palace yesterday, lhe story is adopted from Charles Reade s novel "Peg Woffineton." The biograph players .dramatically interpret the rornantic story unfolded in the play* while the settings are very fine indeed. The picture features a charming film artiste ill Gretchen Hartmaii. There is another excellent drama on the programme which is entitled "The Bond Sinister." The picture is a sensational one and sustains the interest at a high pitch during its unravelling. It relates a story concerning a great jewel robbery and how the thieves are outwitted after many exciting happenings. There is a great Keystone comedy included in the programme Which features the original Keystone comedian, Ford Sterling. _ Altogether the programme is a particularly fine one, ana includes in addition to the subjects mentioned some interesting views of the great European war. Another big feature of the People's is its orchestra. The incidental musical items rendered by it are well worth hearing TO-NIGHT'S PIANOFORTE RECITAL. A treat is promised those who attend Mr. Buckley's recital to-night. His trifts as a musician enable him to feel instinctively the real mood and meaning of a musical composition, and to reveal for music-lovers the hidden beauties contained in the works of the grand masters. Tho feature of to-night's programme is the dissimilarity in character of each piece, which cover many phases of the human emotions. A number of the pieces will be new to the audience; others are seldom heard on account of their difficulties. A set of descriptive pieces from. Schumann's works are more than usually beautiful; Chopin is represented by the fourth Ballade, a work of intense dramatio content; Beethoven by a-Fantasia; Alkali's "Wind"' is a novelty which caused a furore when played by Harold Bauer in Australia recently. SaintSaens, Scarlatti, Paderewski, Liszt, unrf nrttiem English and Russian composers are all represented. The hookups at the Bristol are excellent.

THE CHERNIAVSKY RECITAL. With each succeeding recital whioh has been given in Wellington by. the Cherniavsky brothers the audiences have been larger and more enthusiastic and that of last evening for the final concert of the season reached its highest point both in numbers and in enthusiasm. The large Town Hall was very nearly filled for the occasion, and again the gifted young artists presented a delightfully well chosen programme. The opening number was the beautiful "Trio in D Minor" (Arensky). Following it came a trio of 'violoncello solos, played by jVlischel Cherniav6ky— "Le Cygne" (Saint Saens), "Mtisetto" (Offenbach), and "Papillon" (Popper). Jan Chorniavsky's contribution to the programme was a series of pianoforte solos, a "Nocturne" and "Studie" (Chopin), and the "Military March" (Schubert-Tausig). Mr. Leo Cherniavsky (violinist) played the "Faust Fantasie" (Wieiiiawski). Another delightful trio number on the programme was "Anitra's Danco" and tlie "Dance of the Imps" from tho "Peer Gynt Suite" (Grieg). It is hardly necessary to state that insistent encores, in most cases double encores, were the rule with an audience which was completely gripped by the temperament and artistry of these very gifted brothers. The playing of the three National Anthems ended the recital, the trio leaving for the south directly afterwards. THE VIOLETS. At the Town Hall Concert Chamber on Wednesday, May 5, an entirely newEnglish Costume Comedy Copany, called The Violets, will make its first appearance under the direction of Edward Branscombe Proprietary, Ltd. This company consists of four ladies and six gentlemen, dressed in the dainty French Pierrot costume. The last prominent company of this style was the English Folliers, who achieved very considerable success in London. The entertainment is moulded on similar lines to the Folliers. The style of entertainment is somewhat akin to that presented by the popular Dandies, but there is a subtle difference noticeable which has found much favour, and which in consequence the management deem it wise to preserve. The voices of the iolets have crcated the most favourable comments, for though the work of the company is mainly humorous, the vocal standard is stated to have been carefully kept on a very high level. So that in the humorous concerted work it is not only the lighter vein which is touched, but the musical taste is appealed to as well. Then, again, dancing scenas are an important factor in this company, notably tho "Champagne Scene," "Pierrot and Pierrotte " "Old Tilings are Best, and "BThe Rendezvous." It is confidently asserted bv the management that botli on and off'the stago The Violets will be found the most popular, coterie that Mr. Branscombe has yet introduced to local followers. Tho bos plan opens next Saturday morning at the Bristol Piano Company.

AMUSEMENTS. I QRAND OPElli HOUSE. LAST NIGHT (TO-NIGHT) LAST NIGHT LAbT NIGHT (TO-NIGHT) LAST NIGHT GRAND FARKWELL PERFORMANCE Of GEORGE WILLOUGHBY'S, LTD., Record-breaking Pantomime. "THE BABES IN THE WOOD." "THE BABES IN THE WOOD." "THE BABES IN THE WOOD.*: LAST NIGHT OF DAISY JEROME, DAN THOMAS. BERT LE BLANC. JOSEPHINE GASSMANN And Her Piccaninnies. THE NEW YORK COMEDY FOUR. And HANLON, DEAN, and HANLON. 200 People in the Production. 200 POPULAR PANTOMIME PRICES, is., 35., 25., and Is. Early Doors, Gd. extra. Reserved Seats ss. BOX PLAN AT "THE BRISTOL." PIANO CO. Day sales at Miss Lennox's.