AMUSEMENTS.

Wairarapa Age, 1 March 1927, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS.

MISS PHYLLIS LETT. Next Tuesday night Miss Phyllis Lett, the famous English contralto, will make her first appearance in Masterton at the Opera House, under the direction of Mr. E> J. Gravestock. England has produced many fine singers, and Miss Lett must be awarded a foremost position amongst them. “She possesses one of England’s richest voices,” says an English critic, and the great teacher of singing, Jean de Rcske, wept when ho first heard her sing. “What a beautiful voice,” he said, in true contralto.” And there and then he offered to coach her for a year free—a generous offer considering the enormous fees the great maestro received. Miss Lett is a great favourite with English audiences and her departure for Australia and New Zealand was marked with a wonderful farewell concert at the Queen’s Hall, the platform being crowded with beautiful floral tributes and presents. One of her last appearances in England was at the Crystal Palace for the Handel festival, when 30,000 people were as- ’ sembled. Mr. Gravestock has engaged a very fine supporting company for i Miss Lett, including Miss Margot Mac- J gibbon, a clever young violinist, who J won last year the Associated Board’s i scholarship; Mr. Norman Bennett, ' Australia’s most promising tenor, who has scored m’any triumphs there; and . Mr. Maurice Besly, the distinguished ' English composer-pianist. The programmes are of a varied and popular nature, and should provide a treat for musical enthusiasts. The box plans will open on Friday at the Arts and Crafts. Concessions will bo .granted to students, and members of musical societies. COSY THEATRE. To-night there will be a last opportunity of seeing “The Waning Sex,” shown on Saturday and Monday, with great success. The picture features Norma Shearer and Conrad Nagel. The story is that of a young girl (heroine) a criminal lawyer, whom a young district attorney (hero) loves. But she is foo much engrossed in her work to waste time on love. He presses her so hard tliftt she eventually agrees to marry him. if ho should beat her in two wagers out of three. The first is a swimming contest; he wins. The nccond is a criminal case, with the suitor as the prosecuting attorney and »he girl as the attorney for the defence. She wins. The third wager is never carried out; it consisted in her aceepting the nomination for the office of the district attorney, tendered to her by a women’s league, to run ogainst the hero, who had already been nominated. Book at Henderson’s or the theatre. There- is a splendid supporting bill. OPERA HOUSE. “Over the Hill,” the reissued William Fox feature phntoplay that swept New York off its feet for a run of a solid year on Broadway, was shown last night at the Opera House. The loeal showing, which had •been’ awaited with keen interest, proved beyond the shadow of doubt that “Over the Hill” is all that our 'Neva York friends declared it to be, and judging from many comments on its first screening here, it is still one of the biggest hits that we have ever enjoyed. A large audience was'on hand to greet the picture and give it A hearty and richly deserved welcome. story, which was taken from one of Will Carleton’s poems, recounts >lfe joys and. sorrows of a typical mother, who raises a large family of children, only to have them, in her old age allow' her, to drift from them to live on charity. The “black sheep” son, however, -when he discovers this condition, comes to his aged mother’s rescue, and all ends happily—with the little mother, just like every true mother that ever lived, forgiving and forgetting. Patrons are asked to be seated by 7.45, as “Over the Hill” commences at that time. Reserves at Henderson’s.