ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2800, 19 June 1916, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS

"MOTHER GOOSE" PANTOMIME. The ourtain will rise (at 7.-15 p.m.) at tho Grand Opera House, on Wednesday evening next on the much anticipated "Mother Goose" pantomime (J. C. Williamson)—an entirely new rendition of the famous fairy legond not hitherto seen in Wellington. One of tho features of the production is tho elaborate staging and the mechanical perfection of tho appointments. "The Dream Girl" and. "The Swing Song" are effective and realistic features. "Tho Swing Song" is a. beautifully picturesque effect, with its swing, ■ing beauties poised between eleotric-lit ropes, and the acme is reached when Miss Maud Fane, singing sweetly, swings out into the auditorium. Weird and artistically picturosquo is "Tho Dream Girl," with its living embodiment floating into space.. Numerous mechanical effects are also present in the pantomime, .especially the irresistibly funny evolutions of the cabin of a ship in a storm at sea. The season is for nine nights, with a. matinee, on Saturday next and Wednesday Week. The box plans for the season aro now. open at The Bristol. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Most of the ingredients of good entertainment have been woven into tho fabrio of tho new programnio that will be presented by the Fuller' Company at His Majesty's Theatre to-night. The second effort of the already popular Prince Revue Company will bo "Full Stoam Ahead." The La Franco Bros, are a duo of American head-balancers, whose'performance is stated to be a most exciting one. Miss Rosina Palmerston, who is. to make her vaudeville debut, comes from Australia with a . considerable reputation as. an. entertainer at the piano.. Noveltry will be lent to tho bill 'by tho first appearance of Burt's Canino Comody. Co., a troupe of trained dogs, wlio are said to disxilay a liigli senso of ;humonr. , Miss •• Dorothy Gardner, tho w'oll known "Dandy" artist, has been specially engaged to present a musical sketch, entitled "The Merry Ones,"' in which she- will .liavetlio assistance of those popular artists, Miss Kato Checkett, soprano, and Mr. Cufhbert Rose, comedian. Another premiere will bo that to bo made by Athol Ties and Mi6S Peggy Ross, English vocalists and dancers. : The new bill, which should prove most attractive, has been scheduled to run for six nights and the usual Saturday matinee. THE KING'S THEATRE. The Ince-Triangle; Company will bo once more represented at the King's Theatre to-night and all this week by a social story play, entitled "The Edge of the Abyss." Tho theme of . the play is that of a butterfly type of girl, who is engoged to a son qf gilded youth. She hears an eloquent speech by an. eminent lawyer. Sho. admires him, and forsakes the youth and marries the lawyer. After a time they quairel, and ultimately separate. ' The youth endeavours to make 'her elopo; with him. In the denouement a. burglar plays a part, and the climax is highly dramatic. Other, subjects on tho programme are: The Pathe Gazette, "Rambles Round Surrey" (scenic), Tilatt and Jeff" (comical cartoon), and a Sydney Drew comedy "Too Clever by Half." ' EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. . "The Fighting Parson," a picture of which much is claimed, will be screened on- tho new: programme at Everybody's 1 •Theatre, commencing to-day ait noon. It is the latest Triangle Kay-Bee production under Thomas H. Ince, and is described as novel'in plot and treatment, a powerfill, artistic, and virile story of Western life. William S. Hart,"the. eminent, actor, in the character of. the frontier missionary, who believes in muscular Christianit)', and preaches his sermons .with a revolver in hand, is said to give a remarkable performance, reaching emotional heights seldom attained on the screen. "The Fighting Parson".is regarded as the best of the Triangles yet seen. A clever oomecly, "Levy's Seven Daughters," and the "Gaumont Graphic" will also be shown.. . EMPRESS THEATRE. : ./'.The Devil's Toy,", -ft. .five-act, society drama, ,in which, is featured. Miss Adele Blood, .tho charming. Shakespearean actress, .will be produced, at tho Empress Theatre this'morning at 11. The story concerns mostly two artists and ti. young woman, who t eventually rises to operatic fame.. One-of the artists is endowed with a great genius, the other cannot rise above mediocrity, but he is hungry for tho world's applause. The yoUng woman goes to Europe. Tho genius is taken sick, the other painter, who .has become rich through the death of u». uncle, steals tho pictures of tho invalid, ami exhibits theni as his own, thus attaining fame : as an artist. The girl returns frunii the Continent, recognises the pictures as belonging to tho other, man,; seeks him out, ministers'- to his wants, and starts out to punislt the thief. THE DANDIES. _ The popularity of the ' Dandies continues unabatea, and many would-be patrons Were toned away on Saturday night. Tho programme was an excellent one, aiid each item was encored. I'he Dandies' opening chorus, the concerted item, "Mado in England," caught on with the audience, and "Oddities," the tumorous'trio by Messrs. Lawrence Campbell and Agnew, was highly diverting. Miss Lily I'Utzgerald. and Mr. l?ord Waltham were heard to advantage in the charming lyric, "In tho Spring-' tame,"- and Miss Ida Newton- scored with the comedy song, "Men, Men." The laughable sketch, "Her Choice," by members of the company,", was a -rollicking larco, and tickled the audience immensely. . Mr. Marshall Lawrence's fine baritone did full justice to "A Dervish Virgil," aud Mr. Joseph Brennan amused me audience uitli "A l'ieco of Banana Peel." Miss Rita Fitzgerald won .en. cores for "Love's Own Kiss," and "Top o' the, MorninV -and-with' somo of the bandies diverted the audieii.ee in a humorous finale, "The Widow Tho Scots character song, "It's Nice When You Love a Wee Lassie," by Mr. John Campbell, was well received, and called Forth an encore. Mr. .Ford Waltham scored a success with;the basso song, "A Chip of tho Old Block." Tho ragtimo duet, "They Didn't . Believe Me," by Miss Fitzgerald and Mr. Campbell, was loudly applauded,. and the humorous'.interlude by Mr! Joseph Brennan, ."Stewed Prunes and Prisms," called fortli;rpars of laughter. The . finale consisted of selections from Gounod's "i?aust," and wound up a. really good full of variety and vim. r ;

ORGAN ;RECITAL.. .' On Saturday evening.Mr. Bernard Page, the City Organist, gave another of' his delightful recitals before an. appreciative audience. The programme included an interesting Sonata (No. 1) by. Borowski, and that attractive bracket of Debussy's the Prelude from "La Demoiselle Elue," "Le Petit Berger," and the prelude to "L'Enfant Prodigue," music, tho evasivo charm of which . gains on one at .each hearing; a "Fantasia" by Silas (a Dutch pianist and composer, who came to England in 1850 and settled there, becoming <i figure in tho musical life of London) s Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor"; a Saint Saens's "Rhapsodie," and an "Epilogue" by Willans, . .'"FAUST." The following is the full cast et Gounod's opera, "Faust," to bo sung in concert form on July 4 by the Wellington Choral Union, under the baton of Mr. Robert Parker:—Marguerite, Miss Elsie Treweek (Melbourne); Siebel, Miss Eileen Driscoll; Martha; Miss Goyden; Faust, Mr. Frank Graham; Mephistopheles, Mr. Hamilton Hodges; Valentine, Mr. Frank Charlton; Wagner, Mr. Charles Moore, •