ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 124, 18 February 1908, Page 10

ENTERTAINMENTS.

OPERA . HOUSE. . CARTER, THE MAGICIAN. Mysteries, new and old, were entertainingly at the Opera House by Carter, the Magician, to a .large and- puzzled' audionce, who loft the theatre looking very wiso but without an idea as to how it was all dono. The conjurer, smiling in countenance, fluent in . "patter," and .deft and clean in-his business, is strongly American in accent, andthough serious enough with his hands is the light comedian with liis tongue, and - his unctuous humour plays quite a part in lightening the rather exhaustive preliminaries-to his tricks. Ho opened his entertainment with a few pass tricks,, in which water bottles and a red' silk handkerchief were the ingredients; transferred a cono and an orange to separate cylinders; shuffled cards cleverly; changed I glasses of torn paper into liquids, and did -the ancient ring and' bottle feat more nmus- , ingly than most other exponents. But of the j first bunch of tricks none iras so completely mystifying as the Astral Hand. It is a wood-' en model of a lady's hand; which placed upon a sheet of glass resting on the backs of a couple of chairs, and apparently clear mechanical contrivance, taps "yes and no to any questions that arc asked —truthfully, of course, in each instance. , One question asked was—"Will we have rain this week? to which the animated' hand tapped yes to the gratification of an applauding audience. Carter may expect a riot on Saturday evening if the trick hand proves to 1 be deliberately deceiving a thirsty city. _ • The first .part ' concluded' "with an illusion entitled "The Magical Divorce," in which Mrs Carter takes.her seat on a chair, which is pulley-hauled by a winch into mid-air against a black- background. While so suspended Carter shoots at her, and she <f lsa P; pears—or' is supposed to. At the first attempt last evening tne only portion -of the ,lady s anatomy that "vanished. into empty air was her legs from the knees downwards. Later on the illusion, which is a .capital one, was performed quite successfully, llio ne,xt part of the entertainment, and perhaps ' the _ most interesting section, introduced Miss Abigail Price; who digs .deep into the occult in. a bewildering , thought transmission seance. Carter' moves about among the audience, touches an article, and immediately the lauy, seated blindfolded on the stage, details the object with exhaustive accuracy down to tlie number of a watch,:'the -settings of rings, and initials on articles of jewellery..'-Then, covered completely with a white cloth, she answered questions that several of the-audience, had .written- and retained, and in each case tho questioner admitted that; Miss Price, .was correct in her nimble deductions: One young lady had asked tho whereabouts' of a lost ring. Miss Price told her that she had taken it oft- to wash her hands, and had placed it in her purse. Blushing rosy red, the young lady.searched her purse—and found the ring.. How is it done? •; • ■ tw > ', Carter reintroduced the Davenport Bios, well known but inexplicable cabinet trick, in which he is tied . hand : and foot, to a chair ill a cabinet by, a committee called from .the audience, and as soon as,the doors aro closedbells are rung ...and . bands appear; through apertures, yet on. opening the doors the con- ■ jurer was still knotted to the chair. Under similar conditions lie. his coat tor one'of tho, committeemen's, .had a lark- with one who ventured into the cabinet with hint while all the time apparently, hopelessly tied ' to the chair. Finally he Ifrees 1 ■' his. cords in a. flash ~of, time the ■ -amazement of: the committee and the, audicncc.. Carter's last appearance-was» »»ian; m- , .personation of the. Chinese . magician.Clung . Ling Foo, when, to the accompaniment of some amusing "pigeon" English,.he prodwak bowls of fruit and finally a huge bowl ot water from nowhere. ' • • ~ ■ , , Tho entortainmcrit is. refined and clo\er ■ throughout, and the Wellington 6eason should grove a highly ... • 'v THEATRE 'ROYAL. '' The Fuller Proprietary claim that the bill at present running at the^ahca' fcTO tho "finest programme yet. 11ns weeks bill is certainly an attractive one, and the most ' exacting could not complain :of tho , lack of varictyf The Vantclls do somo remarkably ' clever work on tho horizontal bar, and tho Banvards provide a: smart.knockabout a®obar tic turn. .The rest of the performers arc well ' above the average. . •-

■ . WONUKKLAKB. : A goodly number journeyed out to fonderland last evening to witness the sensational ride down tho water chute into a lake of lire, undertaken by the clowns, This feat was accomplished'without; a .lntclv and will be re-, peated again this evening. To-morrow .evening the grounds will bo spcciiuly lighted Chinese lanterns, and should-present a beautiful sight to thoso who attend this popular placo of amusement. . ' HIS MAJESTY'S. THEATRE. . All exceptionally interesting set of. slides is being shown by the Royal Picture Syndicate at His Majesty's Theatre this; week.. A welMillcd house showed its appreciation of ,tho merit of the pictures last night, \vlien .1. special/attraction was the declaration-, of the result of the second ■ Limerick' competition.. . The winners were as follow First prize: Gladys .Bursvell,4 Drummoiid Street, Wellington;' second prizo : Catherine Easton, 3 Salamanca Road, Wellington; third' prize: T. -Lambert, 3 Arlington Street, Wellington. The:third Limerick competition commenced last evening.; ; ,