ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 341, 30 October 1908, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THE BLAND HOLT SEASON. The Bland Holt Company will this evening bring to a close its highly' successful season at the Opera House, when "the Great Roscue,'' with its weird . and wonderful mechanical effects will be produced for the last time. The company is to play a return season in Wellington, commencing on February 1, when sevoral plays, new to Wellington, will be produced,, including .the racing play, entitled "The Betting Book." THE ROYAL PICTURES. "Our Indian Empire" is one of the most attractive and educative pictures that has yet been displayed per medium of the kinematograph in Wellington, and is only one of a particularly interesting lot of pictures that are now being shown "at His' Majesty's Theatre nightly. THEATRE ROYAL* The last showing of this- week's splendid series of films will be given at the Theatre Royal to-night. To-morrow evening the management prohiises an entirely new programme, including several strikingly new features in kinematography. ORGAN RECITAL. A fairly large audience helped, to subdue the vast emptiness of the' Town Hall last evening, when Mr. Maughan rßarnett resumed his increasingly popular'organ recitals after a few weeks' spell. ■ - The programme should have attracted a much larger audience. It included as something" in. the'.form of a novelty, a transcription. of the third scene of the first act of " Tannhanser" s (Wagner), where Tannhauser, making a pilgrimage to Rotic, chances -.upon a' shepherd boy playing his pipes and.singing—

" Now songs of joy attune- iny lay. For May hath come, the balqiy .Maf."

At length he hears the chant bf the pilgrims ,and ceases his song to listen.' -As the weary band disappears in'the'distance he resumes his pjping, and the solemn cadence of:the chanting grows fainter in the'distance. Lemare proved the organ to be ,i'-fine medium for the representation of Wagnerian music, and Mr. Bamett's interpretation of the above scene was very interesting. -He also played the thunderous .Prelude . in • D Major of Bach; the dainty " suite Gothique" of Boellmann; Rachmaninoff's highly-col-oured Prelude in C. Sharp Minor; an attractive " Volkslied" by Mark Hambourg; Mendelssohn's. " Wedding March,''' and the familiar " WAr March, from " Athalie." The next recital will be held on Tuesday evening next. 1 ' ■ "MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH." --•- William Winter, the dramatic*'critic of the "New York Times," described .'-Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch" as 'bemg "as bright and sparkling as a drop 'of 'dew under the early sun of a spring morning, and as braceful as it is pure, besides being intensely fur.ny." The characters of "the play that J. C.'Williamson produces by : arrahgement with Liebler and Co., of- New York, oil Saturday, aro said to bo for the most j)!\rt living reproductions of the author's fancy as deSicted in the story. Besides its' several wouerful character studies. "Mrs. Wiggs" is spoken of as being remarkable: for the num-, ber 'of hearty laughs it/raises in a' short period of time —nevertheless," there'are many passages full of infinite, pathos, .which cause the mingling of tears of the . gentler ' sex along with tne bursts of laughter.- Of Miss Ada Dwyerj as Mrs. Wi^gs,:-there appears to be only one opinion—she has been recognised as an artist in the first rank; also Miss Lowell as Miss Hazy, Miss Raymond as Mrs. Erickson, and Miss - Armstrong as Mrs. Schultz.. Of the sterner i.sex; of course Jolm F. Webber, as the Micawber-like StubI bins, takes pride of place, followed closely by J. W. Smiley as Mr. Wiggs. On the face of it, 'there is every possibility Vof a ■ fine dramatic treat for playgoers ,on Saturday night.' The box plan,,at .jiho Dresden yesterday was again in demand, the. advance booking it is. said being very big. , . HELLER'S COMPANY. At the Theatre Royal to-morrow, evening Professor G. W. and Madame Maude Heller will open their Wellington-season.' A con- • temporary says:—"There can }>e no denying that, judging by last-night's production, tho entertainment is one of considerable ■ merit and well worthy of patronage. Mr. G. W. Heller has justly earned the reputation of a king amongst mystifiers, and his feats of legerdemain were such as to class him as-a past master in the profession. - Madame Heller's trance-reading seance wa,*s a. marvel. Those who desire. a first-class entertainment wilTdowellnottomiss.it.'.' '' 1 • ORCHESTRAL CONCERT. Music-lovers ( will learn with interest that the next concert of tho Wellington Orchestral Society, of which Mr. Alfrca Hill is conductor,'will be given in the Town Hall'on Thursday, November 12. .... .. Ir. aid of . the .alteration fund,' an enjoyable time is promised to patrons; at the' Missions to'. Seamem to-night' at 8, 'when tho missioner will tell of. the,'lights - and the shades of a sailor's life, and. Miss C Picot will give recitals to please:--the tastes of all. A concert and dance was : given by Mr. S. Dromgrool and Mr. Perciyal Archer at PorirUa Asylum last Tuesday : 'evening. The accompaniments and dance music were played by Mr. Archer. SALE OF WORK. TJie fifteenth annual sale of work in connection with St. James's .Presbyterian Church, Wellington South, will be opened by Mr. J. G. W. Aitken,; M.P., next Wednesday aftornooii. Arrangements are wellforward, and a large-supply.,of articles for disposal, is coming forward, , A feature of tho evening's proceedings will .be some attractive spectacular drills by,.the children.