ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 497, 3 May 1909, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THE ROYAL COMIC OPEEA COMPANY. : The Royal Comio .Opera Company concluded a three weeks' season on Saturday ovoning as it began—to a packed'houso. The "Girls of; .Gottonberg" was played for tho second time, and the performance was, as wo predicted, would bo the caso, a much brighter aohioyement tthan was tlio ease on tlio opening night. Miss Florence Young, Miss Fanny. Dango, Mr. Victor Gouriot, Mr. Reg. Roberts, and Mr. W. S. Percy threw plenty of life into their work, and gavo a different impression of the comedy to that obtained onthe opening night. Miss Dango:and Miss Young wore singled out ftfr espeoial favour, and 'tiro latter received a very : handsome floral tribute. The company is to appear in 'The Merry Widow" at Masterton tins evening.; .■;;-. ■~'■.■ j. ' •'' THEATRE ROYAL. --,' . ■ The return of Messrs. Fuller's kinematograh and cinophone to tho Theatre, Royal on Saturday night was welcomed by a largo audience. The kinematograph items of the programme wero well up to the usual standard, and cemprised pictures of all classesdramatic, melodramatic, humorous, and descriptive. The best dramatic film was un-. doubbedly "Lucy of Lammermoor." : The Story it told is an old one which has been placed before tho public as an opera, and in-Scott's well-known novel, "The Bride of Lammermoor:" Luoy; the daughter" of a loyal supporter of .William of Orange, is rescued from death by Edgar, whose support of the Stuarts has entailed,the forfeiture' of. his title and dansed enmity between him and Lucy's father. : - Edgar's brave resoue, however, is and when he ventures to love Lucy her family • rush her into a marriage with one of their own following. For a long time Lucy resists, but at last, believing Edgar to be dead, she agrees to tho marriage. When, she is. at the altar arid has' signed• the deed, Edgar.returns suddenly, and bursting into the churoh, sword,in hand,: endeavours to stop the ceremony, but; finds ho. is too late. .He denounces; Lucy. and leaves.,the" church; after, challenging the bridegroom • to,' mortal .com-, bat. ■ ''But;:the rapid and, tragic:events have proved too much for the bride's reason, and that night die goes mad and stabs her hus- ; .band.. Then she flees from the house; and,' meeting Edgar,' embraces' him frantically and .dies in his arms. All hope in life gone,Edgar'too .ends the weariness, of existence by riding over a cliff. Another good picture was one showing scenes in the Land of the Midnight Sun. "There were snowclad mountains, with • quaint. little towns, nestling at their.feet, glittering glaciers, calm arid.majestio fiords, arid- finally .a sight of' the soft' splendour of the midnight ■sun.;" "Palermo and its Surroundings".,- ■■ was also. a splendid film .descriptive; of an ancient and beautiful city of -Sicily.' , But the>audience.- was not . allowed to become too serious, and luaghter rang through the house when"House Cleaning. Days", and ' 'Lightning; Tours of Paris" were shown. :;.The;two'cinephorio items,wore of Harry Lauder singing :"I Love a Lassie", and "She's Ma Daisy." Tho programme will' be repeated to-night.., ■'..'. ' • ....■} '-...;. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE/iV;:;,: 1 ; , The RoyalPicturos have had quite a Irecord: season,in, Wellington,, but yet their popularity shows no signs of: waning..' i'-Nor: iß'.tWs;'likely;,wihen such-programmes'as the 'present one- arei placed'"' before "the public;:' One picture alone -worth a- visit 'to' His .Majesty's Theatre; This'is 1 "C^Q.D. 1 , br Bayed by Wireless." "0.Q.D," is. the' wireless telegraphic signal of distress, and the story which;the picture;tolls is of how-Jack Binns .when tlio Florida-Republio collided in the Atlantic stuck to his post and tapped off the signal until it.was taken .by a wifeless station .on riiore,. and the news, disaster transferred- to the Baltic, which quickly .went to .the rescue." The film is.'a;very- fine,one,, .the/scone-showing, the- ; vessels as seen, through the .haze and fog, gradually :. approaching'each] 6thor, ? -''bli|hg'' 1 V^ l spleridid' r ample of the kiriematographio art. ' The"p'ro : grammewill.'bb:repeated.to-night.'. ; " ' ''' : ::i!>' ; ; :-;mada^mblba.' :; : ;- '^ :^:: \ .An advertisement; regarding ('■ Madame Melba's farewell concert appears in andther column. :. c .■'; ,•.•.'.,',;. .-' :':■ ■ v—.,:.', ;■ ■:) IIEYNELL- AND GUNN COMPANY;;.■/ | To-night Moynell and" Qunn'B Dramatic Company will inaugurate a season* at .the Opera; House, when they will stage ': Walter' Howard's -now; drama, '"Two ■' Little .Sailor. Boys." ' It is described'as an original dramatiq s mrk, .judiciously ''• - punctuated ;■ with thrilling; .scenes '.and humorous' inoiderits; The", cast' is •a. strong -'one,, including;' Miss' Beatrice.' Hollo'way,''.-Miss--'Lillian: ''''MeV-' ,ers,' ■: Herbert;-«::-J. -;ft'Bentley,: i "'J. f -- Athplwopd,.etc: .The•' play,-will be staged;-in-j a ; most ''.'complete' : manner,.:;'. with-iatteil-j tion paid to the smallest: detail. Popular ' prices. ard advertised;'-The. plan is on view at 'the Dresden, "and oarly-door' tiokets may, bo- had from: Abel's;: opposite tho-/ Opera House.;'; '..'■.:'■•:.; . ;,■..':,„>■:•":■'.■ -;y' : '■-....-'; ; ' i-'-- 1 ..":-■' ;i ':-,;> -'ROLLER SEATING. .■:■''. !,Tho firflt skaters'.who. attended; the ; Bank in Ingestre Street have .many; successors who. find the whirl: of ; wheels ..very. V enjoyable. Theso. and ;doubtless' many ..aspirants ■ jfor. skating honours trill.be able to indulge their fancy to-night, r when the' skating season will be inaugurated. l , A; first-class staff, has been engaged, including a lady, instructress, who, aided by high-grado'skates, good music, and an'excellent; floor, should make the rot of tho skater an enviable one. : :v;- : :';''v':;'..; -ORGAN iRECITAL'';';, > ;' -.::f ."'Tho recital' given 'on the Town Hallorgan on Saturday.night by Mr! Maugkan Barnett, city. organist, .Svas' : attended by about the usual number of pcoplo. The programme con-, sisted of fselections'which had been asked for by listeners'at previous'recitals. Tho first' number was. "Si-'j'ct'ais Roi/' by Adolphe Charles Adam, a 1; oharming example of the French school of .operatic music in its lighter, phase/ After two items by Schubert ("Serenade" arid "Moniens Miisicaux No. 3"), Mr. gave. Mendelssohns' !'Secorid Orgori .Sonata" and' the varied music of : this favourite composition : was greatly ap: : preciatod.' 'The' "Minuet" 'from ■ Mozart's ;!'Divertissemeht'No.. 1 in D" arid, a fantasia from Bizet's "Carmen" completed a very interesting programme. The recital on Saturday -evening next will include Elgar's march "Pomp; and Circumstance," Wagner's "Good Friday" music; from "Parsifal," Smart's' air with' variations and finale in-: gato, and "Sorenado," Pierae. SPNDAY CONCERT. | There is never tho slightest troublo in raising a largo!audience for a Sunday concert in Wellington, particularly wheii; pains are taken to M the public kubw that it is not compelled to pay. Last evening tho Wellington Professional Orchestra attracted a largo' audionco to tho Town Hall in aid of tho St.' John Ambulanco Nursing Guild fund, and the magnificent sum of £30 ss. 7d. was taken at the doors—a house which at ordinary concert prices would have yielded £150. Out .of that sum tho advertising and cost of printing tho programmes has' to bo borne. Had hall-rent and artists' fees to bo pajd there woilld.bo littlo for tho guild. As it is there .will not ;bo more than £25. Tho programme Consisted of tho following orchestral selections ;—"Zompa" (Hcrold), "Largo" (Handel), 'Maraima" (Espinosa), "Sizallceta" (VonBlou), "Violot6 ,r (Wright), and the march "Befsaglori" (Eilonborg), played in painstaking manner under the conductorship of Mr. Frank Oakes. Mr. Chas. Read (late of Cliristchurch), a tenor of fair quality and range, sang "Cujua'Ariimam" (Rossini), and "The Coming of the King," and Mrs. HydoWoodward sang very sweetly f*o of Liza Lohmann's little vocal poems—"Unfolding" and "Rosa Resurgot."