ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 477, 8 April 1909, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THEATRE ROYAL. . Interesting and highly amusing, tlio picture show at tlio Theatre Royal continues in public favour. Somo of tho star items' in the prosent bill aro "Hunting the.Brown Bear" and "Bobby, tho Sportsman." Tho programme will be repeated to-night, and tho management announces that to-morrow night is flio last of tho season, when a specially attractive show will bo submitted. Prices aro as usual. THE ROYAL PICTURES. A crowded house greeted tho weekly chango of programmo at His Majesty's Theatre last night, and it is evident;that tho popularity of tho Royal Pictures is not by any means on tho wano. Tho present -pictures aro probably an improvement, on. any that tho management has yet placed before' a Wellington audienco, and they met with hearty applause. "Historical Visits to Versailles" pictures somo beautiful soenos from tho roign of Louis XIV down to tho present timo. "Biarritz When tho Stormy Winds Do Blow" portrays a pioco of the coast washed by tho inoxorablo waves, and "On the Brink of a Precipice" is tho story of a narrowly-averted tragedy, with a background of mountain scenery. Other interesting pictures aro tho "Dying Request" and tho "Carnival of Nice, 1909," tho wholo concluding with tho amusing picture faroo entitled "Ma-in-Law Has a Hard Life." The present items will bo repeated during tho week. URBAN PICTURES. Tho announcement of a new programme at tho Opera House drew a good house to see tho Urban Pictures last night. The machine was in perfect working order, and tho films were capitally shown. An interesting industrial ttlm entitled "Modern Metallurgy" gavo a vivid idea of tho inner working of a stool manufactory, with its blasting furnaces and huge reservoirs of molten metal and converters, and finally tlio process allowing the tempering ana finished articles of bar steel and rails. "Rip's bilicritaneo" was another fine picture, and an interesting and instructive film showed drill on a battleship and phases of lifo on tho warships. Tho reproduction o£ tho Marathon rnco at tho FrancoUritish exhibition was well received, and soveral othor of tho pictures shown, in previous programmes wcro again welcomed. Tho comic elomont .was interwoven with thwother

films, and appeared to suit the humour of ,tho audience, moro particularly tho laughablo sketch "A Ticket for Tiro." Tho management amiounco a specially selected' programme lor to-morrow night. A matinee performance will bo given to-morrow after* noon. "THE WOMAN PAYS." The Edwin Gcach Dramatic Company will present on Saturday evening at tho Theatro Royal, for the first time, tho successful drama, "Tho Woman .Pays." This play is Said to abound' with sensational and pathetic incidents, and to include aloo many startling and effective scenic and mechanical effects. Included in the cast arc Miss Ethel Buckley, tho' charming Australian comedienne, and Mr. Robert Inman, one of tho most accomplished and popular Australian actors. They will havo the support of a strong combination for this class of production',' which includes Misses Maud Appleton. Pattie Gourlay, Marcia Rogers, leal Douglas, Maud Amvin, and tho Messrs. J. P. O'Neill, Kenneth Hunter, Thomas Cnrran, Stan Robertson, Laurie Nunn, Harry Norman, and Albert Lucaß, and others. Tho box plan will be opcu at tho Dresden, "THE MERRY WIDOW." Mr. J. C. Williamson's Royal Comio Opera Company, numbering 105 persons, .irriveti by tho Moana from Sydney 1 yesterday, and active preparations are in progress for tho initial performanco of'"Tho Merry Widow' to bo given at tho Opera House on Saturday night. j Not only iE the company numerically stroT.g, I but a glance through tho cast reveals so I many favourite artists that its success would seem to bo assured. Miss Florence Young is a leading favourite of, tho Australian musical stage, and there arc also such names as Victor Gourict. Claude Bantock, W. S. Percy, and others. Mr. Andrew Higginson and Miss Fanny Dango are new to Hew Zealand, but their reputations are well Known to all who read Australasian theatrical news. There will be a special holiday matinee on Easter Monday, commencing at 2 o'clock' sharp, when children will bo admitted nt halfprice, to all parts of the house. Patrons are especially requested to be in their seats bofore tho rise of tho curtain at all performances, as some important musical numbers occur in the opening scene of the opera, during which all doors will be closed. During tho Easter holidays tho box plan's will bo at Christesen's, opposite tho Opera House. MR, HODGE'S CONCERT. An announcement elsewhere sets forth that tho' box plan for tho farewell concert of Mr. Hamilton Hodges will open at tho Dresden this morning. To a eplendid programmo Mr. Hodges will contribute some" gems of song previously given here, and others new to his many Wellington admirers. , CHAMBER CONCERT. , That there is public appreciation waiting for roally good concerts has been proved in tho happy result achieved by Mr. Maughau Barnett, Herr Max Hoppe, and Mr. John Prouse, in the series of chamber concerts they havo fathered. Last evening tho Concert Chamber was filled to its utmost capacity, and the larj.o audience exhibited a fine spirit' of enthusiasm throughout, Not a littlo of' this was due' to the inclusion in tho programme of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Malliuson, . who havoj by their superb art—ho as a composer of genius and an accompanist, and sho I as a colorature artist of fine artistic suscep- J tibility-^-completely. won tho admiration of the musical peoplo of this ciity. Three sets of Mallinson solids were submitted last evening, seventeen in all, and still tho audience was healthily unsatisfied. Mrs. Mallinson sang "Courage," "To Mo at My Fifth Floor Window," "Dream of a Blessed Spirit," "Daybreak," "Slow, Horses, Slow," "Summertido," "Gloriana," "Four by the Clock,'' "A Birthday," "Baby," "A Blood Red Ring," and "Servian Gill." To select a prcforenco among so many gems of poetical songs would almost bo an impertinence. Each is complete in itself, idealising photographically a wide ranj[o' of true sentiment. Mr.'John Prouse, who has "fallen under 1 th l^1 Mallinson spell, was in splendid voice, and did full justice to "The Hunter's Farewell.." "Cavalier's Spell." "Love is so Strong a Thing,;' and "Wo Sway Along," . It is 'significant that the last number in each evelo was encored. Mr. Barnett (piano), Herr Hoppe (violin), and Mr. Frank Johnstono ('cello), invested tho trio "Novellen" (Op. 29), of Gado (threo movements) with a cortain charm, and also eavo pleasure in Raff's Andante and Scherzo rom tho Trio in Q (Op. 112). * ■ WEST'S PICTURES. Holiday time in Wellington would bo in-, complete without West's Pictures, and they havo corno to oilier diversion of a wholesome character this Eastertimc. , Picture shows oomo thick and fast with tho progress of kinorrtatography as an art, and each successive season sees an advnnco in ono direction or other in this alluring, but entirely innocuous form of cntertainmont., If will ba remembejjed that tho first films shown in* Now Zealand affected tho eye, and in many I cases wont far to outrage tho artistic sense. Now, however, the pictures are projected almost smoothly and clearly enough to doceivo the spectator for a brief moment or two into tho feeling that ho is looking at realities, whilst tho increasing favour in which tho kincmatograph is held tho world, over has justified leading experts in securing the very best talent which the stage can supply for the perfect acting of those story, pictures—serious and sentimental, historical and Biblical, comical and magical. This was admirably exemplified in the representation of Alphonso Daudct's littlo lovo drama en- • titled "L'Arlesienne," presented last even- •' ing. Acted before tho lens by accredited Parisian players, this tragic episode became a vivid reality. Fredori is seen leaving his simplo home, kissing his parents, and casting shy glances at his sweetheart. Ho goes to tho arena, and there meets "L'Arlesienne," who is smitten with Frederi's good looks and youthful spirits. Sho makes passionate love, to which, ho responds, a fact which arouses tho fierce jealousy of L'Ar-. lesionno's former lover. Defying "tho latter's threats, sho goes with Fredori 'to the" homo of his parents, but tho pair are followed by tho jilted gentleman, who has ample reason to complain of tho lady's fickleness. Tho story horo becomes tragic. Frederi is shown a letter which L'Arlesienne has written to her former lover, and, mad with jealousy and doubt, casts her off, but cannot cast her out of his miud. Ho becomes , distraught and sees. her in visions, but at tho solicitation of his mother promises to marry his .old sweetheart. Ho is walking with her, when once more ho fancies it is L'Arlosienne, and waking to the knowledge that it is only his brain playing him triclts, rushes half-demented to tho loft high abovo his room, and onco ajiain fancying ho sees his love in a hallucination advances with open arms, and falls through spaco to his death. Tho acting of this little drama was vivid to a degreo, and the artists engaged invested tho parts with a naturalness and finish refreshing to witness. A series of "snaps" illustrated tho hop-picking industry of England, and others were secured at close range in the London " Zoo." Ono of tho cleverest trick films shown was that entitled "Mystical Love-riiaking," being a complete story illustrated in chalk figures, such as would bo quaintly drawn by an eight-year-old lwy with an abnormal senso of humour. Othor good pictures presented wore entitled "A'Champion House Dog," " A Strange Inheritance," " Tho ..Attack on tho Courier." " Tho Spring Lock," "Picturesque Holland," "Fashionable 'Waltr,," "The Planter's Wifo," and "My Wife's Dag." Tho cntertainmont was considerably enhanced by tho roally excellent performance of Do Grocn's Vice-Regal Band, under the baton of Mr. S. R. White. If cave a spirited rendering of the overture t< Rossini's "Tancrcdi," and played an attrao tirn selection entitled "Chant du Rossignol" which was really a setting to ar elaborate piccolo solo, brilliantly played bj Mr. Cecil Trevely.in. In addition, the or. chestra lent appropriate musical colour to each picture, a good deal of taste being exhibited in tho choice, made. Tho programmo will bo repeated this evening. To-morrow evening (Good Friday) a special set of pictures befitting tho occasion will bo submitted. Attractive programmes havo been arrancd for the holiday season. West's Pictures (No. 2) visit Pctouo to-morrow evening.