ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3046, 5 April 1917, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

STAGE HYPNOTISM. Mr. Norwood, tbe American hypnotist, was again successful in amusing the audience which gathered at the Grand Opera House last evening. Ho found no difficulty .. in ■ assembling a class of subjects, and the antics they -went through when presumebly under the- spell.of the niindmanipiilator, ivere extremely diverting. An exhibition of thought transference was given by llv. Norwood, with tho assistance of Hiss Ruth Hamilton. Tho entertainment will be presented foy the last timo this evening. , HIS' MAJESTY'S THEITEE. Tho excellent programme submitted at His Majesty's Theatre this week is probably the reason for tho large audiences which have so far been attending. A wonderful item is that of tho Lo Grohs, two men and a woman, who submit one of the most sensational acrobatical and contortionistio performances ever 6een at this theatre. A capital musical item is supplied-by Madame Alverna and M. Laerte, and they gain favour at every appearance. Others on the bill include comedians, singers and dancers. The prosrramnie will be repeated to-night, but there will be no vaudeville programme submitted to-morrow (Good Friday). The usual two entertainments will be supplied on Saturday. EEMAKOV AT HIS MAJESTY'S. "The men who were Eussia's rulers were loyalists, not .patriots,", said M. 'Zakaree Ermakov, the ex-member of the Russian. Secret Service, who commences a series of sensational leoturettes at His Majesty's Theatre next Saturday afternoon. "No doubt," M. Ermakoy contends, "the Germans have been aided by many men in power. The Tsar's wife is a pure-German, and there were bound to be a lot of high-placed men ready to sell their country to win her good graces. Nothing but good will come from the revolution. Russia's field strength mar be doubled by the, liberating of tho tlxour sands of young political prisoners in Siberia, and the millions of soldiers that nave been kept for the suppression of. revolt. The greatest handicap to Russia is the fact that only two direct railway lines led to the German frontier. Hitherto the mo6t brilliant generals, unle63 they were of tho Conservative or Loyalist type, were kept in the. background. Alexif and Russky, however, are radicalminded, and will now secure tho power that was denied them at the beginning of the war."THE. KING'S. "Prudence the Pirate," now screening at the King's, is a particularly attractive- Pathe Gold Rooster play. In this, feature pretty Gladys Hulette is tho.star,, and as the girl who went pirating and captured her aunfs houseboat she is both entertaining and cleverly humorous. Flora Pinch is the aunt, and she is as good as in the best of her John Bunny productions of former days. There is a strong supporting programme. THE EMPRESS. "Tho Dark Silence" was personally seected by Clara Kimball Young for her appearance under Capellani, and in writ-' ing the scenario,. Paul West, its clever author, had her in mind in the arrangement and construction of the plot. Rather a reniarkable fact about the picture. is its entire freedom from morality aspects, usually a feature of the greater picture plays. .. EVERYBODY'S. A marriage by telephone seems an impossibility, but this is tho final effort of Douglas Fairbanks after he has been baffled in a iundred ways in "The Matrimaniac, a clever Triangle play now proving a crowd-drawer at Everybody's .Theatre. Pretty Constance Talmadge bids.fair to make a name-as popular as her famous sister. Her work in this picture is excellent. Billie Burke's many admirers see. much to pleaso them in "Hidden Fires," the present'instalment of "Gloria's Romance." QUEEN'S THEATRE. Tho management of the Queen's Theatre, Cuba Street, announco that they have secured a special: attraction for screening on Good Friday in "The Sign of the Cross." The first performance' will bo given at 2 p.m., and tho usual prices 'will, bo charged. GOOD' FRIDAY ORGAN RECITAL. On Good Friday evening at the Town Hall the City Organist will give an organ recital, the programme of which,will be composed of numbers appropriate 'for the season. Chopin's "MaTcho Funebro," from the Pianoforte- Soiata, Op. 35; WagneVs Good Friday music from., tho third act of "Parsifal"; Handel's Largo in G, and "A Tear" and "Meditation" (Moussorgsky)i will be played, together with: the great Tchaikovsky's "Finale" Symphony, No. G, in B minor, which is exceedingly popular ' with Wellington audiences. The prices remain tho sanio as usual. . ■ ■ ORCHESTRAL CONCERT. -.' The Good Friday night concert at His Majesty's ' Theatre, by the Professional Orchestra; is expected'to receive excellent patronage, in view, of the popular nature of the programme selected. The orchestra, will be assisted by the wellknown baritone,' Mr. Hamilton Hodges,

and will accompany him in the recitative and air from "The Messiah" (Handel), "Thus Saith the Lord," and the air "Why Do The Nations?" Among the items by the orchestra will bo tho "Slavonic March" of Tohaikovski, tho "Raymond" Overture by Thomas, Mascagni's 'Dream," and Massenet's "Aneelus," while charming variety will bo given in lauberts pretty "Love Song" for oboe and strings. Mr. Herbert Bloy will conduct. J- C. WILLIAMSON'S COMEDY • ■ SEASON. ■big booking is reported to have laken placo since the openjng of tho box plans ipr J. L. Williamson's comedy attraction, Seven Keys to Baldpate," which is to be presented at tho Grand Opera House on Saturday night. In this mystery tarce it would bo unfair to give away the author's secret, but something may be said in explanation of the "plot. 5 ' lJie scene is laid in the office of Baldpate Inn, at the top of Baldpate Mountain. Ihe place is really a summer resort, but the aotion takes place at the height of a rigorous winter. William Hallowell Juagee, a novelist, who writes popular melodramas, has for a wager undertaken to turn out in twenty-four'hours a story of ten thousand words, nnd for this purpose takes up Ms abode in the Baldpate Inn, because it possesses only one key, and. is in qU the circumstances about the .most lonesome spot in the world. He figures on not being disturbed. The single key is therefore duly handed to him by the caretaker,. and ho locks himself in and. prepares for his task. Then comes his first disillusionment. There is a second key, which is used by John Bland, the right hand man of a railroad president, who enters the office and carefully locks up two .hundred thousand dollars in tie safe. Nor is this all. The author, to" his cost, quickly discovers that there are no fewer than sevtri keys to Baldpate, and lie has soon gathered around nim not only a. lady journalist and a charming widow, but aleo a "ghost" and a perfectly delightful bandof "crooks." Against his will, and against his wager, he finds himself involved in a conspiracy engineered by the railroad magnate against the interests of Reuton. The situation thereafter develops in a most extraordinary manner, and works aj> towards an extremely novel climax. Tho present company, headed by Mr. Robert Greig and Miss Beatrice HoUoway, tear credentials as artists of exceptional ability. The box plans for tne six nights and the special matineo on Easter Monday-are now on view at the Bristol. To-morrow (Good' Friday) the plans will be on view in the theatre vestibulo from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.