ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 121, 16 February 1920, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

The Williamson Musical Comedy Company finished a highly successful season at the Grand Opera, > House on Saturday evening, whe|i "High Jinks" was presented (o an appreciative audience. The com puny will- go south l>y the Manuka this evening. . •». MURIEL STAKE'S RETURN,. Miss Muriel Starr, with Mr. Prank Harvev, and J. C. Williamson's dramatic company. will, commencing on Saturday night next at tho Grand Opera- House, be seen in three plays new to Wellington, "The Silent Witness," "Common Clay," and "Three Faces East" At the conclusion of her coming season in Wellington Miss Starr will return to America to fulfil her New York engagements. Tho season is also the occasion of tho fare, well appearances of Mr. Frank Harvev, who hns associated us leading man with so manv of Miss Starr's dramatic successes. "The Silent Witness," tho niece chosen for the opening 011 Saturday, is a mystery drama built 011 the romanco ot 11 trirl who loved not wisely but too well, and incidentally throws into high relief the methods of tho American criminal courts, and tho almost savage desire of a type of State attorney to convict and have hanged possibly innocent men, simply to gratify ambition. This drama has proved 0110 of tho biggest of Misa Starr's _ manv successes. It is a play which is said to make a strong appeal to women, and pen with a knowledge of tho world and- its ways. As -'-'Helen Hastings." the girl who has beon shabbily used bv fate, Miss Muriel Starr, it is, said, lias particularly heavy work to carry, but. her-special talent for striking iust tho right, pitch not only keeps her en raonort with her audience, but also keens, the Company on tho right key, with tho result that tiiere is never any undue strain, and tho action throughout, is enhanced with the nicely-balanced cast. Mr. Frank Harvey as the State attorney is said to sustain tho characterisation with caDablo restraint and adequacy. "The Silent Witness" will bo 6taged for four nights. The second* production will be another emotional drama "Common Clay." For the last two nights tho thrilling secret service drama "Three Faces Bast" will be given. Tho plans for yie season will oiien at tho Bristol next Thursday at 9 a.m.

I THE KAIWHAICAKOS. The principal artists for the" above include Mr. Charles Archer, as ICaiwhakako, or Maori missionary; Miss Mario Denton, as the lialfcaste wife' of the ICaiwhakako; Mr, Perry Harper, as Jim Wise the bad man; MiSs Atliole Raymond, as Margery; Lila Stokes, as Mrs. Captain .Goodheart; A. M. G'oft'cy, as Richard J. Seddon; Mr. Burridge, as Wetene, supported by a tig cast. There will be New Zealand scenery and effects "by A. Maurice, and the orchestra will bo under Mrs. Johnston. The hex plan is at the Bristol Piano Company, and day sales at N. Perry's, KING'S THEATRE. r The beautiful face and particularly the sympathetic eyes of Anita Stewart count for much in the success of "Her Kingdom of Dreams," showing nightly at tho King's Theatre., Where dream-liko improbabilities are *tco evident in tho plot and the characterisations, Anita Stewart still keeps the onlookers beneath her spell and maintains their interest unflagging. Her acting is powerful even in unconvincing situations; and where the author has helped instead of handicapping her, she is delightful. Not that, after all, any of tho defects in the playwright's invention are capital. James Warren, the great .financier, docs seem unnecessarily anxious to have a country girl with some few months' secretarial experience telling him things .• ho ought to know. John P. Flannery, too,-tho prodigious office boy, imposes an unjustifiable strain upon, the frail bonds of illusion. But these and similar matters are mere incidents, by no means grave enough to mar what is on the whole a gripping, thrilling story. The action is swift; the complications are sudden and unexpected; and tho climax is fraught with 60 many interesting possibilities that its dramatic effect is irresistible. It should be added that the of tho play is excellent. Miss Elsie Kelt sings'at the theatre each evening. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE.* ''Toton," now being screened at Everybody's Theatre, is a story of the French war time, featuring'dainty Olive Thomas in an adorable role. Toton is a baby girl of Yvonne, a Pari6, flower-seller, who 6ecrctly married an English artist, and lost him through his father's duplicity. Yvonne dies, and Toton is brought 'up amid criminal surroundings, 09 a boy. Her' father adopts a boy to cheer his lonely life, and the web of circumstances brings the adopted boy and "Toton" together, and a pretty love story develops. The supporting programme is particularly good. •

EMPRESS., THEATRE^" A particularly .fine programme; Is being screened at the Empress; Theatre this iveek, including,one of the;;-most notable screen successes of the .vseason, entitled "The Hand Invisible," a "drama of unusual strength and interest, featuring Montague Love in one of his -finest impersonations. Rodney Graham,' steel magnate, and the last of his house,- pro. ceeds-to divorce his first wife because she is childless, and remarries in order, like Napoleon of France, his own blood; may inherit his wealth'and possessions.',-" Ha lives to regret his action, for in tlie-ond, when a helpless and spcechlefs paralytic, lie discovers that he is not the fatter of the heir which was born by his second wife. Here is a scheme with greafcdramatic possibilities, and with ■ Montague' Loi'e in the commanding and impressive role of the Napoleon of the "steel indusJ try, ruthless, imperious, and unscrupulous, this, great production abounds in intense situations, while the climax reveals the .star in one of hi>s finest characterisations. A further episode of I'athe's great, serial.- "The Lightning Raider," featuring Peart White* and entitled "White Roses," is included on the programme.

ORGAN RECITAL. There was a little better attendance than usual at the organ recital given by the citv organist, Mr. Bernard F.,Page, at. the Town Hal! nn 1 Saturday night. At the same time therfc was room in the hall for hundreds more. Saturday evening's performance was a real treat. The programme opened with Handel's Concerto in 1) Minor (No. 10), which was followed bv two beautiful selections from Hie works of Debussy. The first wns the prelude from "'La Damoiselle Eluc," and the second tlio prelude from "L'Enfant Prodiciie." In both these items the music was exquisite in fts beauty, the second fiicce being marked by passages of uncommon sweetness. Jongen's Meuuet-Soherzo, Op. 53 (No.' 2) was admirably rendered by Mr. Page, who also secured liberal recognition of his interpretation of Karg-Elert's "Harmonies dn Soil'." Other items which were admired were Cesar Franck's Choral ("No. ? in B Minor), and two "request" liiecds from the works of Tchaikovsky, ElecV No. 2 fn G, for strings, and the "Finale" from Symphony No. G in B Minor ("Pathetic"). The Pathetic Syninhonv was about one of the last works composed bv Tchaikovsky—perhaps the last—and it was one to which he paid Hie most loving care on its compilation. It. is full of wonderful developments, and ultimately it dies awav in gentle phrases of expressive and grucoful elegance. Tlio next recital will bo given on Saturday, February 21.