ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 685, 9 December 1909, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS.

'....: .: ; :.."A EOtAL, DIVORCE? -:r ..":.' Julius Knight Company is popular fa Wellington. ■ It has done fine solid business:':: throughout its three weeks' season,, and is winding, up: as strongly as it began, "A Royal' Divorce again- attracted, a. largo audience, last..-:: evening,- Mr. Knight- and Miss Beatrice Day : appearing'.to advontago as Bonaparte and : Josephine respectively. The season will con-:', elude this evening, when the popular Napoleonic play will be repeated. ; ■**-.- : -/;.'. THE,ROYAL PICTURES.;: ■':[■ J.'Nei'o" is'the brief title of-"one of tlio-aost stirring, kmemntograph pictures,-that have ; : oior _beon shown in "Wellington. It was the siar item of the new programme presented by : Messrs. Lwley and Donovan last evening, .at : His' Majesty's Theatre,- which was packed ia thodoors,withahot but, happy crowd of pio-v ture lovers. "Nero, or the Fall a pictorial tragedy enacted in a series of scone*'' '"■' that, would do, credit to theatre 1 in; the world. Nero, tired of his Empress-Oo-taua, becomes smitten with.the -charms of Uio beautiful Poppea; who 1 is only;, too ready/to / 5£525L tl «.' tarof but gtadiafly - realising the power hiV infatuation gWhS : to? ' N TS ™ hT> Md; ,vhen tte scorned ;-'. Uctavia seeks to- remonstrate with her «rrrmr. • •f° S m te s Emperor to haw her s£g. wl?v/ v hls ronsod tho Populace to fray,'-,' fa VZ, n ™ orde r s Ws to set frm : to Jiome. The .ensuing .scene is a masienriece W^flt I ?v n;i8:e , me ?, t - Tho «rowoV,aro scon.' hurrying through --the blazmg city, carryW «.S: C « flames? spread and Hje palaces crack, totter, tod' crumble into bnniingash!' ■ making an.inferno worthy.of Dante, KniflY eminence, with Nero stmmnrhig hdslYr&wLtii. demoniacal glee. , Another v ?L h h,'». aV: - of ' l which cwceS-i two brothers, who take up -^ l>»Lt ttM mto 'conflict, there, is i - A Chadless Wife' ,is of the order dornesttv-v case ' a. Arifo who keenly f childlessness; and. her husbani^cW.this,,. te S b« EJf p ?li.K atiay girt ■■}, vt h^ n ,«" to 1 Mm- as a sort offcgacy* V mSm 6 j d i Ecorei V Ws .visits; '• to tha"'•" chid, ,and for tho' time belfores, ™ ' to be_ her husband's, but he is able to convince- -: mJ* the letter written b/^i: ■j li "f- op ™ I ? er »™« to the nttle one, ■ and the . story., ends with assured ; happiness r for all concerned. It is a long time smce bo good a scenic ™tare;has ; amra , aUd y^sa^t Biarrite-the ooast, '■, the ,bathing-place,Hhe Church' of St;. ' th oj Casmo,; and the. broad., reaches ■■■ of -: SS? 1< f r * n g»- „ of: note ;ar<K' The Lost Heir, "The Foot Juggler," ''ChaiS-;. Express," V Black Handsand Feet," and "A Good Action' Kewarded. ; The Royal, Picture; Syndicate, is : ' "? p r °fe m a ? pecia Vlot of pictures for dispky • r at..Christmas-in;the Town Hall.',,- '~:..'-,,.;

.■;.;■" -> theatre.eoyal;: ■'''.:'-■'. : -'vK A^capital;progr'amW'of! the beet 1 - : i j e > ln , em 2X o^B P llor ' s; art is. being.' pro- ■■ sented at the Theatre Royal this week; B Among: -,'.• the most notahle. pictures are ."The.Renancia- : ■■ i "' .v.Sr 6t T a "« Twenty,"• rThe' Fair- 'Dc-S-'-lores," Lnnd;o£. the Gttarios," and' quaint industrial picture detailing-.She -maha-:<v* tactunng of fountain: pens. . ■; '■■ ;"■;. •<■■/ • 'star .pictures: ■'.: :: ''f'< : r The Star 1 Pictures' will resume their inter*- ;: rupted. career at St. Thomas's. Hall this even.'-' !£,* a-n 'i"r°Bramme of interesting &" pictures will be presented. A .remarkably/ ':' good, filings promised, in .the sensational in-' .: cident-enfaUed.r'Boy.Scouts to the RescTO.'^:.-.^ ;- .: THE SCARLET^TROCBADOUES.';■:-!<-?: -Theeight nights' season'of the Scarletbadours- begins'.to-morrow : night. , The Trou- : badours appeal; uot, only■'■ to ;th6se who appro- - ; ciate good music,: but also .to' those-who emoyi' rehued humour and harmless-mirth. Whilo : nearly- every mem bcr of the company has graced'--the t London operatic, stage in leading: rolls,l all ■ without exception arc- excellent actors and ; '. comedians. .In Tact, Mr. .Edward : Brausoombe,. : i-f u^ Ml te^ d v cntre P ron . cnr >';aid' theirvorean-' i>^, a M J director,.: as ''1 ,V,& r their:histrionic abilities 'as for. their'-.'. opet'atib;.gems; quaint-.sketches, melodramatic' : burlesque,, and eccentric drolleries" are' stased,'. .■ -.costumed,- sung, arid .acted.'''; In vsuch a^ast'it-'' \t "to"nnd'-.'the.'liiam©;.of Mr'.', Ford ''- 'Walthanvoue; of the, most; versatile: artists. of-- ; " . the, day. He'has,filled the roles of. principal^'in''.:: Carl Rosas Grand Opera -Company and ooine- '' man-iii:.Georgo>Edwardes's Musical. Comedy :r Company. Mr.; Cunningham, the.baritone, made - ! for ;'. himself with;,, tho London' ■Meistei'/Glce Singers.. Additional' interest andv;. lustres,lent-, to'the-scenas and operatic num. ' / uers by the.presenco of, such well-known actressvocalists; as. Miss Madgo Nicholson and Miss'.' Gertrude Parker, who have frequently appeared". m tho soprano and soubrctto leads respectively ' in London. The jester, Mr.' Edw,ard: Warwick, is described-as "'-a seccnd'Mel. .B. i Spurr;''Tht> "-■' art/humourist: is' Mr. ..Claude, Lcplastricr'; l and - his beautiful coloured pictures; executed within :■ sixty seconds.: must be, seen to: be properly:' appreciated.-In Mr.' Leonard ; Griffiths; of Lon- "'.', don' Royal Academy. fame,- the . company pes-.■-''.' ;sesses.a fine pianist/arid a"brilliant tenor; whos#.W' singing in -the, unaccompanied quartet is 'in- : .v; valuable.: T'Kp.stage business,' acting arid daniy■-".■" ing are under, the supervision: of &.'.■Sydney,,-.";'. Mannering,:tenor, who has' filled the same- ■■-'•& capacity, for the; Moody-Manners Opera.Com-, :; v pany. -The -box .plans are opcri'at; the' Dresden,: ■

.- ;; : Attentionis.'/drawii'to' an advertisement 'in"•;'■ this issuer in, which'-it. ,js ,announced that tha'■■ .Musical 'Union will give, an' open-.concert■ on ; . tho evening of Friday, December 17.; The firsts § art. of the programme,will' consist of' 1 Men-.', elssohn's fine-dramatic cantata, "The First 1 : ■Walpurgis. Night.". This is one of. thei most X powerful and' spirited of, Mendelssohn's choral*', works, -and shows .histcapacity :for treating' a'. : dramatic ..theme. .The. libretto ,is based ■■ on': Goethe's/poem of the same-name, in which: the great poet: depicts tho .collision between 'tho ■ Druid and.Christian.religions/ Gootho'handles ■'■ the situation in his.usual masterly fashion, and .Mendclssohn:in ; liis musical sotting.rises to tho''. demands of the splendid'poem. The chief solo : part is that of a.Druir high priest, which will;, bo taken on this occasion by'.Mr.: John Prouse. :' 'Mr. Prouse's broadi dk'niaed'manner.'will'bo'-' 'admirably. suited, in the-.'.'part. The' .second•'.':■ part of the programme will be miscellaneous, \ consisting of a.violin concerto by Miss Ruby .' Mnedonafd, with: orchestral accompaniment,' ' orchestral items, songs by Miss Phoebo'Parsons'and Mr: Prouse, selected choruses, etc. '. A most interesting concert may bo looked forward to. Seats may bo booked at tho Dresden. . « CIUCKET CONCERT. Tho Concert Hall was only fairly well filledlast evening when an excellent concert was given in aid of tho funds of tho Wellington Central Cricket Club. The club was,fortunate in securing tho services of several performers of merit that nro seen but rarely on concert platform. Thoso who assisted were: Messrs. W. 11. Roberts, Dr. J. K. Purdy, Messrs. T. K. Thompson, T. Wilkinson, H.' Stuart M'Lean,' Borneo Gardiner, ,Tas. Dykes, Ernest Parkes, Frank D. Andrews (a capital step dancer), W. T. Baslin, and Chas. Gray, and Misses St, George and Bessie Imko. Tho president of theclub, Mr. F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., was programmed for an address, but 6cnt his apologies and a cheque for jEl'.ls. EVENING EXCURSION. A largo number ot peoplo joumoyed' to Day's J3ay last night by (ho s.s. Duchess. In addition to tho water-chute and other side-shows, which were in full swing, thoso who made the trip were treated to an excellent musical programme, which was given in (he pavilion. A couplo of items wero rendered by the orchestra, and Mr. .T. W. Dick gave two 'cello solos. Songs were sung hy Mr. Ernest Archer and Sirs. Archer, and thoy also contributed a duet. Two items by. Mr. .Bob. Lelh,'.Scotch', comedian, wero also well' received. ST. MARK'S CHOIR. This evening, at St. Mark' 6 Church, th« choir, under the direction of Mr. L. F. Watkins, with Mr. Maughan Barnott at tho organ, and Miss Gladys Watkins, Messrs. J. Ferguson, H. Fletcher, and L. C. Barnes as principal soloists, will give a porformanco of • Spohr'c "Last' Judgment"