ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 4, 29 September 1917, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

fr"LA UASCOTTE." ' Tho amateurs, mellowed by experience and familiarity with the footlights, gave another enjoyable performance of Audran s delightfully melodious comic opera, "La Mascotto," at the Grand Opera House last evening. The performance was witnessed by a very large audience, which showed its appreciation of the good singing and acting in a marked manner by applauding almost every number. The booking is very heavy for the last performance this evening, and those who wish to witness tho performance will requiro to be very early on the scene in order to secure seats. A special matinee performance will be given this afternoon (commencing at 2 o'clock sharp), in Rid ol the "Our Day" Bed Cross Funds. For this occasion tho prices have been reduced, ana thero should ue a bumper house. ■

KISS ADA ItBEVE. Miss Ada Eeeve, the celebratedv London comedienne, and the members of Hugh D. U'lntosh's supporting company, will arrive in Wellington at Lambton Station (per motor-car) about midday to-day, and on Monday night they will begin, their six nights' season at the Grand Operai House. Seats in the dress circle or reserved Etalls for the opening night and for subsequent performances may bo selected at the Bristol until midday, and afterwards the plans will bo on view,at the Grand Onera House Confectionery, where tickets for the ordinary stalls and gallery may also be purchased. Arrangements made by the returned soldiers aud the Trenthani and the Trumpet Bands for Miss Heeve's reception at the railway station are announced in our local columns. So many of the returned soldiers have met Miss Eeeve in Egypt and in England, and know the manner in -which she has worked to, provide them with entertainments and home comforts, that were she not the great artist that si.o is she would still bij stwe of a hearty welcome. Miss Heeve's versatility is, it is-said, • wonderful. Wlether her numbers are sad or glad, sentimental or. dramatic, whether suggesting resoluteness or tenderness, she makes each song stand out as a cameo study. From the storehouse of her inexhaustible repertoire she takes songs of every variety, and it is claimed that she draws laughter or tears at will. Miss Eeeve brings with ber a complete and compact vaudeville company. Each act is said to be distinctive .and different.. In the foremost, rank is Louis Nikola, who creates lively inter«t with his shadowgraph impressions of the . most notable men of the present day, and his illusions are said to be cleverly handled, Sndtaolaoe a number of the latest tricks acouired from the East. Mr. Hf"? Jacobs' the singing conductor, controls a capital Orchestra, and uses his tuneful yoke with pleasing effect. Lucie Linda is «id to he a beautiful dancer. wTTo gives national dances in appropriate costume. in "Bits from Songland, dip int thew *»T? W « English. Comedy Company.

' ' HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. .i SN not surprising fnerefoie (W Tin is so Ereat a favourite. Tho Hoyie the, bill, and boisterous, healthy fun it is.

' . H . B. WARNER AT THE KING'S. ■■God's Man and Vom».MJ»n*J; .man.super feature: is to be «™ onc f js tho King's Theatre t^ o ' w^d^ower ful a Picturisat on of G. B. now v m> After a, succession of evil happeii n ß s The ntercst of the plot is tensely gripping,.and tho love story is full of deep emotional scenes.

' EMPEESS THEATRE. "Ail ; Amateur Orphan," a Pathc; Gold Booster play. ..> to;. bo Empress Theatre to-day, Gladys Leslie is the heroine, and she is saia to rcndei gobd work in highly-emotional scenes. She is a,-""poor little', sick girl," who, by, rawcising ingenuity, manages to, escape from the tedious life which has bored her and become the inmate of an , » r P^ na S«Herb she finds adventures in plenty but nothing to those that arrive when she is put out to work for a farmer, and encounters the black sheep of the family. Her Tory innocence put« her danger, but love wins in the end, and the story is nicely rounded off. of The Iron Olffiw." entitled' "Haunted Canvas., will also be shown. ,

BESSIF, BAEEISCALE AT EVERYBODY'S.

A dainty maiden who has been brought up in total innocence of all that love means is the central flffiire of "Bawbs o Blue Ridge," the Triangle drama, to bo screened at Everybody's Theatre to-day. The role is taken by Bessie Barnscalo, who is discovered by a p-'gnmage-mak-insr city' novelist, and the plot begin to thicken. The little heroine soon forgets all the lessons that her mother taught her, and finds thai, she is a woman with a woman's feelings. .. One quaint. sceno is where she p.ppeals to the mountain oracle—tno owl—as to whether, she-is to marry the handsome strar.cer or the old v'-'v who has discovered that she is entitled to- a fortune. The whole story is said to be most appealing.

"TUBN TO TTTE BIGHT." The announcement that J. and M. Tait h?ve definitely engaged the Grand Opera House, for a short season, commencing on Monday ■ week, when their new comedy company is to present' the latest success, "Turn to the Bight," will be received with much interest. ' The story of the play is that Joe Bascom leaves his home to seek a living in New York, leaving behind him a widowed mother and a younger sister. Joe falls on evil days, but does not allow his mother to know) he has got into trouble. He is forced by circumstances to spend a- considerable time in Sing Sing Prison for a crime that he never committed. In this institution he mot two crooks, known and Gilly, with whom he became fast friends. Tlowover, when they arc all released, Joe determines to give up the old life, return to his mother, who is on the verge of selling the peach farm to the village Shylock (Deacon Tillinger), who has a mortgage on the place. Joe's arrival is opportune, and the unexpected appearance of his two former pals frustrates the Deacon's schemes. One of the crooks takes tbo required money from the Deacon's own safe, and Joe pays the Deacon with his own money. Ituggs, who was a- former pickpocket, during a tussle with the Deacon, manages to . secure the 125 dollars back again. Various complications of a inost .amusing nature cusue, and there is a great deal of comedy over the peach orchard, which is realistically scenically produced. "Sum' Martin sells the crop and relieves the finaucial strain upon the Bascom family, and even-thing turns out nil right. Muggs marries Betty Bascom, Gilly marries her friend, and Joe, of course, marries *he Deacon's daughter. Quite a number of new artists will be making their first apnearance here in this nei;- production. The box plans will open at the Bristol on Thursday. "A TALE OF OLD JAPAN."' Through tho death a few years ago of Coleridge Taylor at tho age of 37, England lost ono of her most promising musical composers. Mr. Coleridge Taylor was of mixed racial origin, His father was a West African negro, who practised as a doctor at Croydon and who married an Englishwoman. The son entered the Eoyal College f Music in 1891, where he studied composition under Professor Villiers Stanford. ' "Haiwatha's Wedding Feast," the first part of his best-known work, was composed when he was only 23 years of ago and a student. It was so favourably received when produced at the college that £no composer followed it with "Tho Death ortfiunojiaha," which was first heard at the Staffordshire fostival in the autumn of 1899. The third part of the triology, "Harwatha's Departure," was produced oy tho Royal Choral Society at the Albert Hall in March, 19C0. Mr. Taylor's last work, which he described as his masterpiece, is to be produced on Tuesday next by the Royal Ohoral'Union at the' Town Hall, under the baton of Mr. Bobert Parkor.' "Tho Tale" will bo preceded by choral work, glees, and orchestral items, undor the direction of Mr. H. Temple, while an exceptionally strong cast of soloists will appear. Miss Helen Gard'ner, of Dunedin, will be the soprano, Mrs. Maurice Jones, of Auckland, tho contralto, Mr. CI. W. Eiby, the tenor, and Mr. Frank Charlton, the baritone. The box plan can be inspected at the Bristol. A limited supply of Is. tickets will be on sale at the box office on Monday. The final rehearsal will take place at St. John's on Monday at 7.30. SUNDAY CONCERT. The concert to be given to-morrow evening at His Majesty's Theatre by the Professional Orchestra, promises to be ono of tho best given this season by this popular organisation. Foremost among the items on the programme is Tchaikovski's famous overture, "1812," in which the orchestra will be assisted by the N.Z. Natives' Association Band. It is Borne years since this gigantic tono picture .was last given

in Wellington, and it has been included in tho programme after many requests. Another attraction will"be Brahm's Hunga-rian-Dance," and Percy Grainger s bhepherd's Iley," in which items Mr. Clarence Crawford, the talented Ohrietoliurcli musician, will play the solo xylophone parts. Other items will be a fantasia on Bellini 3 "Norma," and a first local performance of Sidney Baynes's overture, "Endure to Conquer." A silver coin collection will be made.. DRAMATIC EEOITAL. At the King George Theatre, Lower Hutt, on Tuesday next, Mr. Culford Bell and his pupils will give a dramatic entertainment on behalf of the "Our Bay" Bed CrojS Fund. The proceeds of the concert ?o to the Hutt Bed Cross effort for ' Our uay.