ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 775, 26 March 1910, Page 13

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THEATRE ROYAL. On Good Friday night the ordinary vaudeville programme presented nightly by the Fuller Vaudeville Co. was entirely suspended,- and a special programme of selected songs and pictures was submitted.' Miss, Maud Hewson, a. cultured contralto, whose vocalism is marked by refinement sang, "Alas, Those Chimes" (from "Maritana") very sweetly, and in response to an imperative encore sang "Ben Bolt.'" She also contributed "Daddy," a rather dreary song of no particular musical merit, that somehow or other, has become popular. Miss Beattie M'Donald and Miss Gertie Johns sang sentimental songs of the accepted musci-hall type in the accepted music-hall manner. The pictures shown were really excellent and were enjoyed by everyone present. This evening the vaudeville company will resume operations, strengthened by the appearance of the Crottons, noted strong men of the "Gladiator" school, and the Colman Sisters, serio-comic artists. THE KING'S.THEATRE.. West's and Royal Pictures, provided a special programme for.Good Friday,, giving performances both in the afternoon and evening; By 7.30 p.m. the management were reluctantly compelled to close the sale of tickets. The numerous audience were delighted with the special programmo submitted and such subjects as "The Way of The Cross," and "Scenes in Palestine," etc., appropriate to the day, were enthusiastically received as they were accompanied by suitable music by the King's orchestra. This afternoon, and also on Monday there will be a matinee in addition to the usual evening programme. , , : • HIS MAJESTY'S PICTURES. . There was a packed house at both tho afternoon, and evening performances at His Majesty's Thoatre yesterday, ■ when the fine programme for the current week wa* again presented. The picture "Wild Birds in their Haunts" is a beautifully-coloured Pathe art film. Another fine film is a view with stereoscopic effect of the river ■■ Rhino from Cologne to Bingen. . A capitally-acted, version of "Faust" is another item of note. There will be matinees to-day and Easter Monday. Plan at Christenson's to-day and at the thoatre on Monday. , v..... .

STAR PICTURES. ■ The Opera Houso was filled to overflowing last evening, when the Star Picture Proprietary- screened ■an excellent programme of kinematograph films. The principal item was the representa-, tion of the. picture on Shakespeare's "Othello." The acts and scenes ' embraced the canal, on which gondolas flitted hither and thither, and the gor-r geous and somewhat quaint buildings of medieval. Venioe—the City of the Doges. The costuming waß on an equal! scale of magnificence, and both the principal and minor characters were richly apparelled, and the acting, of all participating m the performance was splendidly depicted. . The other. pictures wero of. a- dramatic, scenic, and instructive nature, besides which there was a of., the ever-popular comic reliefs. This afternoon: a matineo will be given at St.. Thomas's., Hall, Newtown, and the ■ usual. performance will be held in the evening.

; " . PICTURES AT TOWN HALL. ; All details are complete for the exhibition of His Majesty's Pictures at the Town Hall on Easter Monday night: Of special interest should be the picture of the present small band of survivors of tho Balaclava charge.... This picture, was. taken in the praiseworthy endeavour to help ahd ; comfort these old sol-, diers in their latter.days, and to obtain living .portraits of them 'to hand .down to posterity. Every penny paid for the exhibition of thi3 film directly benefits the Balaclava Survivors' Fund. Another star, subject is "Macbeth," the staging of which is said to be on a magnificent scale,: "The Galley Slave," "Les Miserables," "An Indian Wife's Devotion," ■ "Love and Treason," "Foolshead Adventure," "The Golf Mania," "Beauty Spots in Prince Olaf's Land," "Performing Bears," and scenes at'a French marble quarry, will also lend variety to a holiday programme. ~,',

.'.: BESSES 0' TH' BARN BAND. . An open-air concert was given by the Royal Besses o' th' Barn Band at the Athletic Park last evening. In spite of the. fact that only 'a Sunday service of cars was running, and fares were oharged at double rates,- a couple of thousand people and more assembled at the Park to hear the band. A, rotunda had been erected for this .and subsequent concerts at a convenient distance from the grandstand, and the wholo of tho green was available to the audience as a promenade. The night was calm; and the excellent-'inusic of the band was heard under the most favourable conditions. One of • the best items played by the Besses was Suppe's wellknown overture,. "Light Cavalry," and the cornet polka, "Les Folics" (Waldtuegel), as played by Mr. Ryder, appealed to everyone's taste. Mr. Ryder was'called upon for an encoro,'and, in response, the band , played "The Better Land" (Stephen Adams). The Besses o' th' Barn will play at the Park again this evening,'the programme to include the "Merry. Widow" v.alse. Tomorrow, afternoon tho band will give a concert at Day's Bay, and on Easter Monday they will play at the Athletic Park at 3 o'clock and at 8 o'clock. VICTORIA COLLEGE BAZAAR.; The Victoria College; students are holding a bazaar at the end of Easter week'in aid of the building and furnishing fund for their gymnasium. There is a small debt owing on the gymaasium and so far no provision has been made for furnishing. The preparations are well in hand and the list of side shows is unique. The'children will be v-ell provided for with bran tubs and their old favourite, Punch andJudy. A chemical display run by the science students in tho college laboratories should prove well worth a visit. He who desires to know the future may have it laid bare by. clear-sighted exponents ,of the art. WONDERLAND. Wonderland, with all its curious inventions, its exhilarating chute, its splendid toboggan, its amusing, absurd side shows, its great geysor, its fire balloons, its kinomatograph, its splendid' fireworks, is running its last few days. Already stimo of tho grounds are being formed into tennis courts, croquet lawns, and a bowling green for the Wcllingtqn Sports' Club. . Citizens should go and seo for thomselves what this really moans.; No such show has ever been offerod in New Zealand for prices of 6d. and Is., each. To-day and Monday Wonderland will be running all day and in tho evening. "PETER PAN." To-night, at tho,Opera House, J. M, Barrio's charming fantasy will . commence its Easter season in Wellington. Patrons should take particular note that tho curtain will bo raised at 7.45 punctually,, and nt matinees_ at. 2 p.m. Barrio's fairy tale has achieved such enormous success olsewhero' that tho public of this city will no doubt bo glad to have tho opportunity of witnessing it, and, indeed, their dosiro in this direction is already evidenced by tho heavy booking of resorved scats, It says much for tho manner in which .

Mr. .Williamson caters for Australasian audiences that practically all the world's greatest productions are brought to our doors by his enterprise, and this the more especially when it is remembered that the population -is compa'aijvely limited, and the prices of admission just about ono half the amount charged in Europe and America. In the latter country dollars; or about 10s. 6d., is paid for a stall seat to witness "Peter Pan," and the same price is charged in London. During their Btay in Welling the company purpose pursuing the course followed in the Australian cities, and inviting as many poor children inmates of benevolent institutions as possible to witness "Peter Pan" at a matinee. These matinees have given great delight, for "Peter Pan" is above all things a child's play,, and for grownup people to thoroughly enjoy Barrio's masterpiece the years will have to be rolled back till'one arrives at the, age of .9 or 10—to the time when one made the usual nefarious absence from school, relished cane cigars, and "ginger pop," and looked forward to a glorious career as a pirate, a circus clown, bushranger, scalp hunter, or all four combined. This afternoon and during Monday : the box plans will bo on view at' Christe'son's, opposite Theatre.