ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 70, 16 December 1919, Page 14

ENTERTAINMENTS

; GRAND OPERA SEASON, On Monday next Wellington will have its first taste of the J. 0, Williamson grand opera season. A 9 the company comprises a number of names celebrated in tho world of music, and its orchestra and choruses are large and well chosen nnd well trained, it will probably llnd in Wellington the success that attendod the Australian season. In view of the ii terest ; tliat has been takail by tho public in the venture, extra precautions iiave been taken by the management, through the booking office, to regulate th<> allocation of seats .when the plans for the first week open at the Bristol this morning. Amy Castles, the prima donDa of the organisation, will make a welcome reappearance in lington next Monday. "Faust' has. been set down for that date, and will he snng entirely in Knglish. With her in Gonoud's populnr work there will he associated Mr. Walter Wheatley, n I'rpr who comes from America with a fine record of oporatic work, not only ' n the United States, where he sang with tho CVntury Opera Company, but on the Continent'and in England, where he was leading tenor with the Carl Rosa company for several seasons. The Mephntopheles will 1» Mr. Alfredo A alenti, a basso with a repertoire of over a hundred operas. He lias sung "Faust" in four languages. The Valentine v ill .« Mr. Carl Formes, a baritone, grandson of the famous 'basso' of His same name, who sang at Covent Garden for fifteen consecutivo seasons. Tuesday ' fveniit? will be notable for the first production in New Zealand of Offenbach's brill'.ant work, "Tales of Hoffman." On AVcdnesday night "La Boheme" will be staged. lA 'classical concert will be given i-y the full strength of tho company on Christmas night. "II Trovatore" .-ill lie simg on Friday, and on Saturday "Mad.une Butterfly" will lie played.

"HINEMOA." Tlic hooking, which is very heavy, indicates that an excellent concert is anticipated for Thursday night, when Mrs. Ernest H. Oueree and members of her studio will present in the Concort Chamber Alfred F. Hills Maori cantata, "Hinemoa." The.cast is an exceptionally strong one, and tho orchestration is in the able hands of Jlrs. Queree, Miss Rone Queree, and Signor A. Truda. The Williamson Dramatic Company, headed by Miss Muriel Starr, passed through Wcllin.'fion yesterday, en. routo to Dunedin. After the Duiiedin season the company will play in Christeliiirch dnrintt tho Christmas holidays and in Wellington about the middle of January,