ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 5, 1 October 1917, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

f MISS ADA REEVE TO-NIGHT.-At tile Grand Opera House this evening, in the presenco of His Excellency the Gov-ernor-Qenornl and tho Countess of Liverpool, the Prime Minister and Mrs. Mosscy, Sir Joseph and Lady Ward, Mr. Hugh I>. M'lntosli will present Miss Ada Reeve, who is said to bo the world's greatest comedienne. Miss Reeve's arrival on Saturday was the signal for an outburst of enthusiasm. Tho booking, it is said, is not quite so heavy for this evening's performance as it is for Miss Reeve's five subsequent performances, so those rtquir iug seals in central positions, in either tho dress circle or reserved stalls, may reserve them at tlic Bristol until 5 o clock, and afterwards the plans will be on view at . the Grand Opera Houso confectionery shop, where tickets for the stalls and gallery may be purchased from 9 o'clock this morning. Interest in the debut here of Miss Reeve-Is very strdng, due mainly to her reputation as an artist, but tho fact that she has done a great deal for our soldiers has touched New Zealanders in a vital spot. Tho secret of lliss lireve's success, it is said, is that she gets into the very soul of every song she presents, so much so that she is said to have her audience one minuto on tho verpp of tears, the. next shrieking with laughter. Her gallery of triumphs includes "Knickerbockers," "Rxperienee," "They Do," "Nobody Know?, Nohocty CarRS." "Wbnl, a Lady," "The Oriental Girl," "Ain't, Ue. Jim," "Order, I'lcase," "The Sailor and the Cockatoo," ."Tennessee," "The Long Long Trail," and "The Picture Girl's Eyes." These range from nathos to very eccentric humour. Miss Tteeve is slipported by a powerful combination of vaudeville artist.?, .including Louis Nikola, magician, whose shadowgraphs of unable men of the hour are said to have astounded playgoers or Auckland. ' Mips Lucie Linda is said to be a dancer or extraordinary ability. Mr. Prank M.irkley, it, Is said, tairly makes the banjo talk, and Mr. Kennedy Allen creates roars or laughter during the fifteen' minutes he is on the stage. Mr. Harry Jacobs, the singing conductor, gives a rather unique entertainment, and the new English Comedy Company appear in a. screamingly humorous farce, "A Matter of Business." Miss Reere ean only make six appearances in Wellington. ,

NMF BUjII AT HIS MAJESTY'S. The Fuller Brothers seem to be able tc give patrons ta constant change of pro gramme, despite the difficulties of trans portation and numerous other war-tjmf exigencies. Tho new act at, His Majesty's Theatre this evening will he ft South African importation—James and Selma—Mr Lew James and Miss Reina Selma hav( just concludcd a starring engagement, with the South African* Vaudeyille Trust. Their act, It iB stated, constitutes onji of. the most amusing and novel routines of com edy dance and son* ever introduced ir mcdern variety. Mr. Jumes is stated tc "bo tho original Potash of the American verflion of that famous play "Potash and PerlmutteiV' and it has also been claimed on his behalf that, he vanks as one of Ihe premier Hebraic. comedians of the English-sQpaking seventh world. His partner, Miss Selma, has had considerable experience on the vaudeville, and more especially the musical comedy -stage, and she is claimed to be the original "Quaker Girl" in the comic opera of that name. The popular xylophonfe player, Murfayne, is scheduled for a welcome reappearance this evening, and the basso profundo, Mr. Malcolm M'Eachran, who won such great popularity last week, will be heard in further selections from am extensive repertoire. The Prologue from "Pagliacei" will be bis principal Hong. The Boyle Trio in an entirely new act, and the Singing Cyclists. Rose and Dell, will complete the first half of what appears to be aij excellent. bill. Stanhopes new revue, entitled "Topsy-Turvey." will occupy the second portion of the iirograVnme, and tho popular comedian and his company will no doubt be afforded plentr of scone for their individual talents. The customary matinee will be given on Saturday after* noon next. THE KING'S THEATRE. There arc gome novel feature's about the photoplay, "God's Man and the Woman," which is tho chief- attraction of tho new programme at tho King's Theatre. The leading idea of tho producer appears to have been to paint a moral by depicting somo of the evils that are common lo most of the big cities of tho world, and in particular many evils that are evidently peculiar to .New York—which city lias been described (as 'one of the subtitles says).; as being "rude by day and lewd by night." Most of the characters in the picture are representative' of sumo af the most undesirable classes in America. The men comprise corrupt Congressmen, 3harp lawyers,, police, and detectives, subject to graft, opium fiends, gamblers, and parasites . generally. The -women are - mainly thoso who have 110 soul above furs, ' diamonds, and champagne. Through all ■ this maize of sordidness runs the Btory of • three young men—or, rather, that of one, "God's Man"—who are Introduced just expelled from college for a ' f £ r i me '' which morally is not a crime. Two of 1 the parents are "shocked" at tho incident; tho third appreciates his son's position • and gives him kindly advice and guidance. » The three young men then go to New York to make a career for themselves, and 1 the experiences and' temptations that they meet with in the great city form the main theme. Although two succumb (> to tho fatal and . easy "broad path," God's Man" (played by H. B. "Warner) eventually succeeds in overcoming the allurements of a life in 'whioh easy money and easy morals are prominent. The producer has relied too muoh on a mere succession of scenes depicting the moro unsavoury phases of the dissipations indulged in by the ahove-mentioned New Yorkers, and has in the prooess frequently lost sight of the fact that he set out to tell a Btory. A "Gaumont Graphic" and a comedy are also ou the programme. -EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. There were big houses at Everybody's Theatre on Saturday, when a new bill was screened. The 6t«r picture is "Bawbs ox Blue Ridge," featuring BesEie Barriscale. The drama may bo described thus:—"Down in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia there are natives -who have yet to rest their eyes on an automobile, a steam train, or any other modern invention, the existence of which are taken as a matter of course by most people. Bawbs o' Blue Ridge' is a story of these people, or rather one of them, who is of the rest. Barbara Colby (Bawbs) is that oh-aTacter, and Bessie Barriscale presents Bawbs of the Blue Ridge. For tiie greater part of the picture Bavrbs's only idea of the outside world is based on the information given her by an author who oomes into the mountains for local colour for his next novel. But Bawbs knows the mountains, and she "will tak© you on '• trip, every foot of which you will enjoy. ITer spinster aunt dieß. and she is left alone with a small fortune. Her author friend is in need of some money to- place Ilis recently completed novel on the market Bawbs learns of this in a novel way. and sends him the money. He returns the money, and Bawbs realises that he lores her From her home in the mountains she is taken lo the'wonders of the big city. Many things happen before she note to tho city, and these happenings are brought out in manner "which only the pleasing personality of Bessie BaJrisoale c-an render enjoyable.' The • programme also shows Anita Stewart and Earle "Williams in "The Awakening. This is a pretty story of the slums of London. A doctor doing good work in the slums is assisted by a young sir! of poor position, but his haughty fiancee refuses to go to tho low miartera with him. The result is a union by the doctor and t.ho girl who helped him. and helned the sick. A Keystone comedy, "Finnhcd m tho Finish!" features Ford Sterling. EMPRESS THEATRE. A. new programme was begun at the 'Empress Theatre on Saturday. The chief film is '"An Amateur Orphan.- The story concerns a rich man's child, who enters an orphanage.. The girl's father is about to send her to a hoarding .school, but finding it is conducted on scientific lines the girl changes places with a girl is destined for ah orphanage. There sjic enjoys child life, free from the straightlaced governess she had been accustomed to She meets with an accident, and is insisted by a college hoy, who wishes his Tiarents to odont her, but the girl refuses. She takes a situation in a fanner s «oufchold, and in her tho black sheep -of tho familv finds o. friend. Returning from a |,our abroed, her parents search for her, nnd advertise a reward" for word of her •whereabouts. She Pchtmes her mend the black sheen shall get the reward: - Ho set's the girl also. The rn'ogramnc ..Uo includes » further instalment of Hie Troll Claw." 'Phis episode is called The Haunted Oanvas.'" Typical Budget is added to the bill- < ' PROFESSIONAL OHOHESTKA. Tho Wellington Professional Orchestra lasi. evening rendered a delightful programme of music, under the conducto'ship of Mr. Herbert. Bloy. 11. was. specially intorcsliiix from Hie fad- that the gicat "1812" overture nf Tschnikowskt. ui which Napoleon's ill-starred march on Moscow is vivldlv 'depicted, was given in all its strength, with fhe assistance ol llic New Zealand Natives' Association Band. Tho powerful finale, with bells and all sortß of accessories, was magnificently worked up. and the audience was roused to enthusiasm. A very pleasing feature was the appearance of Mr. Clarence Crawford, who performed, with the. orchestra, one or Brahms' Hungarian dances as a xylophone solo. He achieved an excellent effect, and the novelty was much enjoyed. The overturn to the programme was "Endiire to Conquer," by Sydney Bainos, performed for the first flmo, and a fantasia on "■*»■»»" (Bellini) and "Shepherd's T, 'y" (Percy Grainger) were the other ilonis.