AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 155, 1 July 1914, Page 7

AMUSEMENTS.

THE FORTY THIEVES. The successful plundering of "The Forty Thieves" by Ali l.aba. a down-at-the-heels house furnisher of London, to the accompaniment of riotous rag-time music and with the ceremony of many gorgeous ballets, and more or less soothiux song, was again successfully accomplished in pantomime extravaganza by the .1. C t Williamson Company last night to tl..' dellghl of the audience that tilled His Majesty's Theatre, and was hugely enter tamed when Ali Baba by this unexpected rise was enabled tn get quite euj.iyably it.ehriated an.l live as happy ever after as his spouse would permit. The theft, from the thieves is accompanied by magnificent spectacular effects, dance and' song spe.-i allties and music hall humour, which had the house In tl enntiiiuous titlilation. "The Forty Thieves" was given as a matinee aliis 'afternoon, and will be staged again to-night and .succeeding nights till further notice, with a matinee again on Saturday. The box plans for the remainder of the season will opeu at Wildman and Arey's to-morrow.

OPERA HOUSE. '"' The vaudeville programme ihat is beiug presented at the Opera House this week was repealled last night bef.ore a large audience. The Hushes musical trio and the vivacious Ray Lawrence tx'th present popilar turns. •ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA." Nexl Monday nlcht's presentation at Hie Lyric Theatre' will mark the first production south of tbe equator of Clues' wonderful reproduction Iv motion pictures or Shakespeare's immortal tragedy "Antony and Cleopatra." Tlie management states that authentic advices go to show that the enthusiasm with which the great cinema was greeted in Italy, where it was tirst shown, and to which country the siory has a particular amplication,, was of an altogether unprecedented character and quite overshadowed the reception accorded to '•Quo VudisV" It is filmed' in over T.COOft of klnematography. and is therefore a complete entertainment. The dressings, mounting, furnishings and stage properties are described! as being on a complete an.l comprehensive scale. Appropriate music of a high grade has been arranged, and to bundle this effectively the combination of the orchestra has been more than doubled. Box plans for the full season are now open, and seals may be reserved for any evening. PICTURE ENTKItTAINMENTS. '•The Mystery of St. Martin's Bridge" will be shown, to-night at the King George Theatre for the last lime. To-morrow a drama called "Uis Neignuour's Wife" will he presented. -A Man in tbe World of Men." the star picture at the Queen's Theatre, will be replaced: after to-night by a uew attraction In "Don Juan's Compact," •Tieauty Unadorned," at the Princes? Theatre, is one of the most popular comedies that has been shown ou the screen in Auckland for a long time, it will be repeated for the last time with the current programme to-night. "The Day Of Days" is tbe principal picture at the King's Theatre. It has been shown with great success to crowded houses on two occasions, and will be repeated till the end of ihe week. At the Lyric Theatre this week a programme judiciously chosen to provide a bright an.l varied entertainment contains "Black Roderick, the Poacher," as its principal story picture. The series dealing with Rangoon and the views of Morocco are admirable. "The Son of Adam," with the other interesting pictures in the current programme at the Alhamlrra Theatre, will be shown to-night for the last time. A complete change will be presented to-morrow evening. "An American King" w.u be repeated 1 this evening at tbe Globe Theatre, with the other attractions of what has proved to be a popular programme. The midweek change will be made to-morrow. .\t the Arcadia Theatre to-night the last presentation will be given of the Interesting programme containing "From - „_er to Sou" and "On line Mountain." The current programme at the West End Theatre will be repeated to-night aud each evening for ..he rest of the week. At the Newton Plctnre Theatre to-night will I.c given the last presentation of the programme containing "A Sou. of his Father" and "Home Spun Tragedy." ORGAN RECITAL. A special request programme will be played at the organ recital in the Town Hall on Saturday evening u„t. Miss Dora Read will be the vocalist, and. will sing composition by Robin and Goring Thomas GRAFTON SHAKESPEARE CLUB. An enjoyable evening was provided :. large number of people aat the lecture hall of the Grafton Library last night, when the (Jrafton Shakespeare Club gave a successful reading of Sheridan's ••The Rivals." the play iv which that caustic humorist introduced tbe famous Mis. Mnlnprop. whose name has been imperishable embalmed in Ihe English language. Mr. T. Harris' characterisation of Sir A.itlionv Absolute was ibe outstanding piece of work from tbe platform, where all tbe roles we:.capably sustained. The other chief characters, Lydia Languish and Mrs. Mnlnprop, were taken respectively, with credit, by Miss Manning and Mrs Tuif. while Messrs. W. 11. Graham (Jack Absolute!. H. I'aletborpe (Acres). F. .1. Thompson (Sir Lucius). S. P. Latta (Faulkner). It. 11. Bayly (Fag). W. McOombe (Davidi. B. Leßov (Thomas), and Misses Collard (Julia) and E. Holland (Lu.-yi. tilled Iheir roles well. The next reading will be "The Taming of the Shrew." on July 2S.