ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 641, 19 October 1909, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS.

EICKARDS'S VAUDEVILLE CO. A CAPITAL SHOW. Vaudeville in its many phases must always appeal to lovers of the lighter class oMhcatrical' entertainment. There are always those to whomone'particulir form of amusement makes no : app«il| but in vaudeville there is sure to.be one or more tnrns tlxit please the individual— 'seme-thing. hiU his particular fsney. In the case of the Ricksrds Company, which com-menc-Ml i. season at the Opera House, there are three particularly striking turns. Theise are Mdlle. Resina Casselli and, her talented troupe of Mexioan dogs; Florenco and Lillian, reSned musical l artists; and tho Kremka Bros., acrobats.. Mdlle. Casselli anil her ■ dogs—chiefly her- dogs—occupy the" stage ■for about'twenty minutes with a perfectly astonishing act, which at' once increases tho reepect for the intellect of tho whole canine race. 'These Chihauhau dogs from Mexico aro the tiniest and cleverest little animals 'that kaveerer taken to the stage, and what they do not do would be more readily related than' the abundance of tricks they perform. The' midgets enter in a midget motor-car, and at once .take their places on their own little stage. Not a word is'spoken, each little doggie. Knows his. place, and' comprehends perfectly where he comes in. The apparatus—a thing of. mechanical beauty in. itsell—appears to be their only guide. As soon as the tightrope is stretched, for instance, the weo canine Blondin is found at his post ready to risk his bones in mid-air. Then there is the triple horiiontal-bar.- The dogs whirl round on tho bars, and jump from one to the other much in the manner of 'professional gymnasts, and, as if that is not enough, • a clown dog makes exce~ent. eoraedy, with funny falls' and failures, and swinging round the supporting posts,, a traditional trick with tho jymnastio elewn. On another occasion, one dog hangs fcy his "calves", to a miniature trapew, holding, in his teeth the ropes of another, trapeie, on which another doj goes through .a- performance. ■. A massed piece is particularly effective. ":Dogs, darabev everywhere, assuming various posesy or h&nrins on by their chins .or,, legs,. whilst the wliolo aparatus revolves. -.How these .pretty, little, toy dogs aro trained to it all is,mystifying. The end,of. the act is unique. .'.Backed - into the motor-car,, they leave the stage-amidst a crash of applause, ■and just aj the audience , fancies tho perform-ance-over, an explosion is heard, a dog comes trotting in on its hind legs to tell Maderaoisello of a dreadful accident to the car. Then follows a tiny brindle, pulling the car by a rope, the rest pushiris the "lamo duck" _ from. behind. Whilo tho act ■ is absorbingly interesting, as demonstrating the fine point to. which dogs, -may bo trained,.it is also very funny. Tho ovation accorded was thoroughly deserved; ; .Kolined art in music has been successfully 1 studied by Florence and Lillian, two young ladies who give an. ideal and original musical interlude. Attired a la directoire, they announce themselves like twin angel Gabriels, playiri; a 'beautiful fanfare on silver coachhorns, the festal tones of which fall, sweetly or the-car.'" Tien Florence—or was at Lillian? •-sa»j['>' Terse *f tiouned's "Serenade," l in a pleeiaiKjr lyric sbprmo voice, without observing ai slavish "dev'eti»n to the text ef Geuned's tcore, , aid folloired it with t violin solo—tone j'ood,-' executiea krilli«nt, and ■ temperamental Mlourinr'excellekt. Then tke t»o ttiited. np tie Wood witi a bujle duet—a series of tills perfectly blo»ji ii nnis»n. w«s it Tntr»iK»?-t»n| k humoitus ditty (to her own icw»p»»iment> om Ue inbjfct of m«n. Finally both yeusr ladits Mev, as tie duet, "The Soldier , ! CherDe," tr»n "F»«st," on hrilliiiattp»ed erck-wtrtl, troapete of »«vel construc.ti«B.'.'■.Tk« -Kremke Urje. delmt tomethinß quite ae».,i» icrobitics. Tke two, »ttired as Sliest.and waiter, may be almost said to comnieno* Trkere the,»Ter«te professional acrobat leaves »)f. KetXix; is deliberate or studied— therrueh end jum»_at their feats as if charged with eleetr.ieity. When one desires to stand .oh the other's iihenlders,. he bounds into the position, «.nd .vfhilnf the audience thinks he is getting his balantt, he hops "into the air and alights, en his 'partner's head. Feats.of strength, head and sheulder springs, whirlwind and-ssraersaults, are cemented-cleverly with smart comedy bnsjness, . -..•■,•: ; Fred. Graham and.Nellie Dent, eketeh artiste, received-.a warm ireleeme-bnek. . Their'little ,blaylet was entitled;: "The 100 tor Chance." It pr«ved : a happy Medium for .some smart aetinj ef . the flippant erder, •of ,which , j Mr. Graham is bo capable an exponent. . During the eketeh the comedian sang"« humorously, P raps, P'raps Not," a eont which arrived many moone since. -Messrs.- Walker iSnd'Stwrnt' . gavo ; an' amaiing expoiton' of' tennis' racquet- ; Bpinmng and jpsglinj. Their dexterity and absolute' precision, in : tho decorated racnuets sbout-.was quito remarkable, i ■ Aβ a final* ene. becomes the' apex of two ladders, Wlds'a trnpe:e:in.'hi« teeth, to'which the other haiifs'-with his' feet. Then'.he efthe Btrong 'Y; 'Pfi o**0 ** M> leE* " high -over his '■ head", whilst the suspended one "juggles in an np-side-dewn; position wit> tennis balls; ". Wonders never , cea«. ,; Amonr the other . performers werc_ Messrs, Harry Hart: (tenor) and 'Harry ■Eochfort (ba.ntono, who san? solos, and joined in a duct, a perversion of "Tho Village Blackcmith," the Marlow' Sisters sang frivolously and danced neatly after tho,accepted manner of seno-duettisls; and tho Two Donnellys (who are'really.thvet).are helped out by the pretty dancing of Little Kitty, a.tiny girl, who danoM most skilfully.. The comedy-of Mr. J. V. Gibson' was somewhat crude, to say the least. An orchestra, under Sir. Fred. Weierter, did good work. The present programme will be continned.'until.ifurtherinotice. ■•.■'.• ' ' . , '■

; '■:,;-■ J'-,, THEATRE ItOTAL. ;..::'.• ./' .' '■■ The '.now programme was repeated at the Theatre Boy&l • last night in tho presence of n large.; attendance,, The pictures submitted areusedy the-keenest interest from start. to finua. ;.-The cTprivr of - the • different •■.'■ flying machines,-at/the recent aerial, ;at Bheime,<ir«s.jerli«,p3 the chief Attraction.- Othur filnii! »kejra-;irne':'"The Trappers," "Tho Cigarette Irdustry," "He Could not Dance,". "Across the Bospherus," »nd many others. . '• .5 ■'■

v! ~. ■; ;;;. ■■• A : laree' sttendance iijain assembled nt His .Majesty's Theatre last. eveniug to view this .Veek's ssltction-of pictures, and. judging by tho expressions of 'approbation the. i programiii6 )vas I'greatly ' appreciated. -Among tho iilms run oft': Vcr'o 1 the following:—"The limbarrassing Portfolio," "The Gambling Fever," "Tho Con...ylct's:Sacrific?,;','eto.. '■■'■''. ' . . ';■/•■ ;'-.: ; :--''■•■'■'■••■'j.STAE-.-PiCTTOES; [ "■■:..■ /Lastnight tho first change.'of programme.was received oy an ontbusiastic audience at St. Thom.iß's Hall. ,The- pictures were exceedingly good, .and.mostly in colours. "A I'otter s 'I)ream"-iS"B beautifully-arranged picture,show- , |ns,.tho different. national characteristics" depicted, on bhina'wnre, which appear in tho-fur-unce .while tho -potter is dreaming. "A Greel: Slave" is a charniing but somowhat tragic love ctory' of olden, days. Somo coloured views of Italian lako",'scehery -were greatly appreciated, and ianother",magnilictmt film wns'.'The. Martyrdomof louis'XVll," whioh is very r'calislio in detail. Among tho comic pictures was "tir. Jlakoum Thin," showing how a fat man is reduced in his voight by a most elaborate proCess and complicated, machinery. Patrons mo notified by advertisement olsewhero that owing to a pi'tvious booking the "Star" pictures will not show to-morrow otcdibb. ; ... ". . '.'.. MJSS;BEATMCI!' HERCEE'S CONCERT.. -, -To-night concert will be given byllije 'Beatrice fiercer in the Concert-Chamber, Town ■Hall.-, Mi*s Jlercer'e items will be as follow:— -!'Out'on the.Kpeks," "Still as the Night,"'and "liiJiSiW the Hart, Besrieth," Mr. -E. Park;s will sine l "Ntlson's Gono A-sailinj," etc. Mr. J. F. Carr, "Out of the Darkness," and "Erer so Far Away." Mr. F. Johnstone will -play J .''Q»Tott«.-Hnraor«ske," and "Aye Maria," . ifrer M. 'Williams will reoite "Htme, Sweet Home," eto, : Box Plsn »t Dresden. ~ " . : ■'-'; WELLINGTON, MUSICAL UNION. .' ~ .The erer-fresX and popular "Crtaticn" will form the work for the hmiciil Union's fourth »üb»cripti«n cocert, to b« tiren on Tuesday, October It. Fev ontorlot retain the enrao permaUl oh«rm »s the mMterpiece of 'Tapa" Hayda. vlf he did iiot interpret literally tho spirit ot Miltos'i iubliao nuratire in "Paradlse Lost," lie mors than compensated by pouring iftto lu» 6;ttiuj a great measure or the geniality and evoa the quiet tumour of his own naturo. An ncellent selection of soloists has beon made for the , coining performance. Tho box office ia now open at the Dresden.