ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2688, 7 February 1916, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

GRAND OPERA HOUSE. Tho J. C. Williamson Comic Opera Company conducted a most successful season at the Grand Opera House on Saturday night, wlion the "Dancing Mistress" was played for the third time before a packet! house. The performance was received with great enthusiasm throughout, but the audiences specially clamoured for Miss Minnie Love, who, as Jv&anie JUTavish, made a great hit with the singing of "I'm Having a Richt Quid Time." She ' also scored heavily with Mr. Phil. Smith in the duet, "Not at Present." HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. At His Majesty's Theatre to-night the Bletsecs' Musical Comedy Revuo Company will present their second production, entitled "Bo Beautiful." Everything connected with this revue is entirely new, and as the scene is a beauty parlour with the beautifying in the hands of Roy Rene, as Samuel Samuels, and Albert Bletsoe as Mick Magee, his assistant, the comedy should prove clever. Maud Bletsoe, as Helen, is given an excellent opportunity of exercising her gifts. Besides the revue will be Lawrence Johnston, an American -ventriloquist; Aiandel and Nagel, American musicians; Sliss Alice Pierce, tho English impressionist; Barlce and Sutton; Ibex and Sylvia. The programme will run. nightly during the week, and a matineo will bo held on Saturday. THE KING'S THEATRE. A programme that promises to be of more than usual interest will be presented at the Kisg's Theatre for the first time to-iiight. The star film is entitled "The Crucible," described as a' powerful and emotional play in fivo reels, pro- I dueed by the Famous Players Company, with Marguerite Clark and Harold Lockwood in tne leading roles. In "The Crucible" Miss Clark has a particularly suitable part, that of a tomboy whose, mischievous pranks are misunderstood. She is thrust into a reformatory, from which she escapes and finds herself alone in the big city with nothing but her buoyant spirit ■ and nobility of character, which, however, tide her over many temptations and pitfalls. A strong supporting programme has been arranged, and includes a Mr. and Mrs.' Sidney Brew comedy, "Their Niglit Out," as well as the Pathe Gazette and some clever "John Bull" cartoons. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. Lovers of serial drama will be interested in the managerial announcement that to-day ; the final episodes of "The Million Dollar Mystery" will be screened. The twenty-second' and twenty-third episodes 'have been . formed into one long melodrama, under the title of "The Mystery -Sblved," and in this episode every unfinished 6cene is diawn together, hairbreadth. escapes are introduced, and the plot grows clearer to those who have followed the destinies of tho hero and heroine. Supporting the serial is a rattling good comedy, "Tillie, the Terrible Typist," the Gaumont Graphic, and a beautiful scenic entitled "The Peari of the Baltic Sea." THE EMPRESS. "How We Sank the Emden," a motion icture record of the incidents which mounded the finish of the notorious ierman raider, constitutes tho chief atraction at the Empress Theatre. The lm was obtained by the special permision of the Commonwealth Ministers ■of lefence and the Navy, and with the asistance and co-operation of the Austraian Fleet. The result is a real repreentation of the stirring events that ocurred when the Sydney set out in puruit of the ooni merce raider, ran her own, and battered her to a shapeless lass of scrap-iron upon the reefs of locos Island/ Special camera-men who ,-ere dispatched to the island secured ome remarkable films. There is a powrful and well varied list of pictures in upport. ORGAN. RECITIL. Mr. Bernard Page's organ recital at he Town Hall on Saturday evening was ather better attended than usual. The jrogramme opened with an unusually wight' and pleasing number, the "Con:erto in D Minor, of W. F. Bach (son if the famous Jean Sebastian Bach). The 'Concerto" is one that Mr. Page would jo well advised to repeat* A little gem vas the "Menuet" from a Suite for ;trings by Debussy. The number was encored, and in roturn Mr. Page improvised with fine skill. A number of especial lote on the programme was ail "Elegy" For 'cello and orchestra, written by Mr, Arthur Alexander, of Dunedin," who, it ivill be remembered, gave a pianoforte •ecital 'here, last year, and was acclaimed is one of the, elect. Mr. Alexander, whe is a Matthay' teacher at the Royal Acalemy of Music, London, is a New i?ealander by birth, which makes his appearMice on a local programme as a compos' :r doubly interesting. His "Elegy" is a remarkable creation, a work of towering strength, both clear-cut in design am impressive in its sombre dignity. Till "Elegy", opens with, a succession oi crashing, sustained chords, played witl the full power of the organ in- accom paniment to a thunderous air given on! on the pedal organ, a, fine sonorous pas sage Homeric in its grave grandeur tha at chains the aitention and grip; the mind. This is by way of introduc tion to t'he 'cello solo, which retains tin lofty spirit of lamentation, with an add ed human touch of poignant grief. Thei is bright relief, there is a vivacious, al most flippant, little solo passage for th 'cello, cleverly accompanied, a flicke that is soon lost in a bright blaze o festal music with v;hicli the elegy con eludes, a clamantly joyous passage whici may represent the light everlasting—th hope beyond. Mr. Page is to' bo con gratulated at the really splendid intei pretation ho gave of the "Elegy," bu one may express fh® doubt that any 01 chestra could exert the power he use in the opening passage. On the other hand the 'cello solo was delightfully played, and full value was given to the fully-scored accompaniments. If Mr. Alexander can produce Buch music as I the "Elegy" at will, he must 'one day ' take a position among the foremost coni- | posers of the day. The programme also ! included the enchanting "Wood niusic" from "Seigfried," which Mr. Page delights to play, a brilliant "Sclisrzo" bv Hofmann, the famous "Danse Macabre 1 ' of Saint-Saens (which is always welcome), and a charming "Rhapsodie" byFaulkes.