AMUSEMENTS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 13 October 1913, Page 7

AMUSEMENTS.

TOWN HALL PICTURES. • The "Quo Vadis'' season was brought to a close at the Ma«terton Town Hall on Saturday night, when thoro was another largo audience to witness the production of this j-emark-ablo film. Tho Picture and Entertainment Company will put on a new and extro*noly interesting programme at tho Town Hall to-night, the feature being a fine adaptation of Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice," entitled "Shylock." The .story unfolded in this lifo drama is a .simple one. Antonio, a shipowner of wealth, but temporarily involve! through befriending Bassanio, in love with Portia, a rich heiress, p] dges his credit by oxecuting a bond to the Jew usurer "Shylock" as security for a loan. In tho event of Antonia's failure to restore tho sum lent, tho Jew, by the terms of the bond, has the right to cutl a pound of flesh from any part of his debtor's body. Antonio's ships are lost, and the Jew demands fulfilment of tho unholy condition of tho bond, and appeals to the Court of Venice. Portia appears as counsel, and expounding tho law as it is written, points out that Shylock is entitled to his pound of flesh, but if in taking it ho spills one drop of tian blood, his wealth and goods are forfeited to the State. Thus is the wily Jew discomfited, and tho life of Antanio saved* Tljis interesting romance ia supported by a very fine collection of scenic, comic and dramatic pictures. A very fine representation of "Pisa," the famous old Tuscan city, with its world-renowned leaning tower, will be given. 4 "Harnessing a Horse" is a comedy which produces a hundred laughs in a hundred secseconds. The Vitagraph drama, "O'Hara's Godchild,'' is a tender, dramatic story, with a natural plot, naturally treated. An interesting film will describe the dances of the ages, reviewing the different styles of dancing from 1200 B.C. until the present day. The remaining features are all well up to the standard, and combine to make a magnificent bill-gf-faw, - ■■.■ Tim" " V —'' | '•THE QUAKER GIRL."

To-morroiw night at the Town Hall, J. O. Williamson's famous Royal Oomio Opera .Company will stage for the first and only time here the delightfully tuneful and fascinating musical comedy success "The Quaker G-irl," unquestionably one of the prettiest, most humorous, and most successful musical plays yet staged in Australasia. Aa at present constituted, the Royal Comic Opera Company may be more than favourably compared with any similar organisation previously sent to New Zealand by the J. C. Williamson, Ltd., management. Its principal .members, which include Grace Palotta, Blanche Browne, Olive Godwin, Jessie Lonnen, Billie Barlow, Jack Cannot, Leslie Holland, C.' R. Bantook and Edmund Sherras, have by their excellent representations of star roles in well-known musical successes, proved their claims over and over again to rank amongst the best comic opera artists who have yet toured Australasia. ''The Quaker Girl" which delighted London playgoers for over two seasons, and which for popularity overshadowed all previous musical plays in Australia, is said to be simply packed with haunting melodies, clever and witty dialogue, funny situations, pretty ballets and gorgeous stage settings. AH the musical numbers are evenly distributed amongst the principals, so they all have opportunities ■„ to distinguish themselves, and a feature of the production is the chorus &rid orchestra, which are "under the baton of Mr Victor Champion. Amongst the most popular of the musical items are the following. "Little Grey Bonnett" (Blanche Browne); "Just as Father used to do" (Jack Cannot); "Thereabouts" (Jessie Lonnen), "Quakers' Meeting" (chorus); "The bad, bad boy and the good, good girl" (Blanche ■ Browne and Leslie Holland); "Come to the Ball" (Edmund Sherras); "A Dancing Lesson" (Blanche Browne and Leslie Holland); "Mr Jeremiah Esquire" (Jessie Lonren and Jack Cannot); "Tony from -America" (Blanche Brown); "The First Dance" (Blanche Browne and Leslie Holland). Positively only one representation of the "Quaker Girl," as on Wednesday the company leave by special train for Napier. The plans are at the Dresden, wlierj seats in ox wl lent positions may be reserved.