By Pendennis

ABBOTT'S OPERA HOUSE. December 19th to goth— Auckland Dramatic Society (" The Guvnor"). December 26th to January 21st— WilloughbyGeach Company. Febrnary 9th to March 4th— Miss Fitzmaurice Gill's Co. March 2nd -Madame Melba. March 16th to April 4th— Hawtrey Comedy Co. April llth to May 2nd— Holloway Dramatic Co. June Bth to 26th— George Musgrove ("Sweet Nell") Co. June 27th to July 10th— Harry Rickards. December 26th to January 24th, 1904— Pollard Opera Company. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. December 26, 1902, to January 21, 1903— J. C Williamson's Comic Opera Co January 27 to Fehruary 14, 1903— Frank Thornton Comedy Company. February 16 to March 7— J C Williamson's '• Sherlock Holmes" Co. March 16 to April 3— Hawtrey Comedy Co. April 13 to May 12— Charles Holloway. OTHER SHOWS. Dix'a Gaiety Co.— City Hall (permanent).

THE City HaU has been the only place of regular entertainment open during the week. Mr Dix lias presented attractive programmes, and been rewarded with good audiences. The special feature of the present concerts is the singing of Mr Ernest Hill, basso, who made his first appearance with the company on Monday night. Mr Hill is at the beginning of what, if he gives proper attention to the cultivation of undoubtedly rich vocal powers, should be a brilliant career. His voice is fresh in quality, of excellent range, and he uses it with a good deal of judgment. "Davy Jones's Locker," with which he introduced himself on Monday, showed his low notes to advantage, but he sang more artistically in " Out on the ,Deep," when responding to the inevitable encore. • • •

The remainder of the artists are those who provided last week's programme. Miss Rose Devella sings serio-comic items and gives clever coon impersonations and character sketches ; Little Millie Bertoto's precocious vocal powers never fail to fetch the audience; and Misses Ethel Clifford and Alice Layton keep up an excellent average in their ballad singing ; the Sisters Smith are as lightfooted song and dance artists as have appeared at the Hall for some time ; and Alberto gives plenty of room for speculation by the dexterity he displays in juggling with coins and cards. Pope and Sayles spread themselves with characteristic abandon. Their good humour is in itself infectious, but their original sketches incline to monotony of structure, and might well be relieved with some of the numerous farces that are available of other people's writing. But, speaking generally, the Company gives welcome relief to pleasure-seekei s in the present dearth of amusements.

• • • The pupils of Mr W. H. Webbe and Miss Spooner, the assistant teacher, gave the 105 th open evening for visitors on Thursday last, at the School bf Music, Grafton Road. The programme was of a high standard, but has been excelled on a few former occasions. The soloists (piano) were Miss D. Niccol, Miss E. Spooner, and Mr F. Morton, all of whom played well. A duo for two pianos was contributed by Misses L. Barker and E. Rosser, and a trio for organ and two pianos by Miss L. Cutts, Mrs Ferguson, and Mr Webbe. The performers in the three piano quartets were Misses M. Anderson, E. and G. Spooner, J. Foubister, A. Dawson, A. and M. Webbe, A. Drake, E. and M. Fuller, A. Smith and Mr F. Morton. The ensemble, phrasing and expression in these quartets was particularly good. The other items included a violin solo by Miss D. Nicol,

and songs by Miss Hettie Evans and Mr Mi- Hamilton HodgeiC whioh were heartily appreciated. Mr Webbe's contributions were a number of clever extemporisations on piano and.organ. It may be added that, with one exception only, the whole of the students from this school who entered for examination this, year in connection with the. Associated Board and Trinity College, London, were successful— a fact that sufficiently attests the thoroughness of the work done at this, the oldest School.of Music in Auckland.

Friday night's heavy rain weat some distance to defeat Mr P. Quinlan's laudable effort to help along the funds of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind. Nevertheless, his concert at St. Benedict's Hall was carried out according to programme, and reflected credit upon its promoter and those associated with him.

St. Patrick's Fancy Fair has ended, and has realised a substantial sum towards the Presbytery debt fund. One of the special features of the closing nights was the s-inging of Mr Max Eugen, who was here with Musgrove's Grand Opera Company last year, and Mr Frank Graham, late of the Carl Rosa Opera Company.

The combined schools of Auckland will give a matinee at the Opera House on Saturday afternoon in aid of the funds of their Athletic Association. • • •

Wellington amateurs have decided to revive "Ruddigore" for their next operatic performance. They played it eight years ago with marked success — only performances of it yet given in the colony.

• • • Montgomery's Entertainers will open for a short season in the Federal Hall, Auckland, on Boxing Night. * • •

The usually ultra-critical Christchurch and Wellington papers are unanimous in their praise of the Willoughby and Geach performances of "The Wrong Mr Wright," which has completely captivated the southern audiences, crowds being turned from the doors nightly.

• • • Mrs McDonald, of the firm of Mesdames McDonald and Smith, theatrical advertising agents, is seriously ill at Dunedin.

Norah McKay, the highly talented young violiniste of the Amy Castles Company, has left Sydney for London, to resume study with her old teacher, Ovide Musin.

• • • •Mr Charles Blake will be leading man in Miss Fitzmaurice Gill's new dramatic company, which opens its New Zealand tour at Nelson on 15th inst.

— That a certain detective is likely to get himself into hot water by the' too free use of an abusive tongue. —That the fish liar is having a great innings just now. New Zealand's trout seem to lick creation, if you can believe their captors. — That when they get the new X-ray apparatus the Hospital staff will be able to see- through all the designs of a certain clique on the Board. — That the most tired-looking man in Auckland to-day is Mr Justice Cooper. Evidently, there is no eighthour day for the Arbitration Court. — That it is time we began to see some practical results from the pleasure trips the colony has been giving to trade experts and the like. — That the name of Rev. Mr Kitcat» lately appointed to a vicarage in this island, doesn't exactly suggest the notion of ideal harmony in his parish. — That a well-known doctor thought the floral fete was a failure because there was only one motor car there. But, in his eyes, that ought to have been its most enjoyable point. — That an applicant for employment in an Auckland household flounced out in high disdain last week on finding that the kitchen table wasn't big enough to play ping-pong on. — That it is all very well for the Herald to advise its lady readers how to keep a bank account. But the difficulty most of them experience is that of getting one to begin with. — That now that we have our direct line of steamers to South Africa, the puzzle is where to find cargo for them, and we may yet be grateful to anyone who will take the thing off our hands. — That some Auckland girls are lamenting fickle sweethearts that have settled in the Transvaal and found brides among the Boer maidens, forgetting the girls they left behind them. — That King Dick boasts that in his absence from his constituency his friends work harder for him than if he were there. Bnt just think of the solid reasons — vide the Estimates — for keeping him where he is. — That weshallnever get enough passenger carriages for our Auckland lines till Sir Joseph and his colleagues get a proper taste of the sulphur that travellers in their cattle trucks have to inhale in Parnell tunnel. — Tliat it is remarkable how free from serious accident the electric tram service has been so far. Also, that those who croaked so dismally before it began to run are wondering what has become of the dangers they foresaw. —That Paul Hansen will have more influence than the dressmakers on the feminine fashions in Auckland in tlie future. As long as he has the present . narrow passages in the cars, there will be no show for other than the clinging style of skirt. — That Tauranga people must be amongst the most patient of people in the colony, or their newspaper would not wait till the sth December to begin to- report the enquiry into their big fire, which was started exactly eleven days previously. — That those lady promoters of the floral fete who were offered the use of the parson's umbrella in order that they might walk a mile in the drenching rain in search of a telephone, while he stayed cosily in a carriage paid for out of the funds, have very sultry opinions on the subject.

: — -rr — r- . / .-.*..-..•.■. —That the poetic Herald r6f*sfcser has really had a partial clip. *\>v.-*---—That a doctor well-knoUßfot' his originality in " diversions " JH^hes along Queen-street nightly AW&fa- °^' car close upon the hour or — That now Mr Napier has dripped out of Parliament, he ought to.<§iave time to devote to that long-promised Freeman's Bay Park. — That the shipping staff at Onehunga have only just emerged from the seclusion in which they have^been since election day — wild - eyed' ftnd weary. '■•-« —That the Opposition have atfted " i he Farmer's Boy " to frame a policy for them. Sam is hard at work on \t, and rehearses it on the ferry steamer every morning. ...^ — That William Richardson is quite enjoying his new form of exercise ;at Mount Eden. The fact that he is doing it for conscience sake remove's all feeling of hardship. „-,- ;J ,.. — That the encouragement to train New Zealand boys as experts is great. They want a manager for a thriving industry in Taranaki, wages £2 a week. " University man preferred." — That Auckland charities would have fairly boomed if all the money that was spent on the floral fete had been handed over to them But thefce wouldn't have been any fun in that. , - :- —That Baden- Powell's brother ano* wife are going to visit New Zealand; Let us hope tliat the people will resifet the temptation to embarrass B.P.V brother with too many swords oi honour. —That if you didn't vote at the Parliamentary election it is "up to you " to make sure of getting on the roll for the Licensing Committee fights, and lose no time, lest you be "left." That at one polling booth in a Wellington suburb the other day, a hornyhanded elector occupied the box for an hour. Striking out the two bottom lines had evidently tried him. He was fast asleep. —That Paddy Gleeson has not yet got over that little election shock which he suffered when canvassing one of the successful candidates' wives — and she working so hard for ; her better half, too. — That it is evidently untrue that there are no millionaires in New Zealand. A gentleman advertises for three = " navies " for harbour excavations? It is to be hoped that they will bo well built and locally made. —That one of the funny sights mi town just now is the crowds of-poli-tical organisers waiting for Parliamentary ex-candidates at their usual business haunts. But the cheque - book dodges them wonderfully. ' — That a joker up-country, who has now the privilege of being father to his third set of twins, has written to the district registrar to send him "a batch of registration papers." He intends to keep a few in stock for., emergencies. — That it is curious to note that climate has much to do with the people's attitude towards beer. The further South one gets the greater the antipathy to the "cuiSed drink." Only one Prohibition district in the North Island. —That some city livery stable people thought they were trifled with, the other day when someone telephoned them to send up what sounded like "a nurse." It wasn't till the man came along himself that they found he. wanted "an 'earse." —That a New Zealand "soldier" has earned a £10 prize in a Home paper competition, " My Most Thrilling Adventure in -South Africa." The "soldier" is a hed-ridden journalist down South, who has not been out of the towu for twenty years. — That a Southern politician, who reiterated fourteen times in a short meeting that he was a "self-made" man, and the "architect of his own fortune," was reminded by a caustic elector thai; he had "borrowed the building material from the tax. payers."