ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 234, 28 June 1920, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS

THE PANTOMIME. Though, skies be dripping and street! dreary, Wellington folk, old and youngv cannot be deterred from their visit to the pantomime, for within the walls of the Grand Opera House, the old story of "The Sleeping Beauty," in a very muohrevised veision, may bo enjoyed 60 thoroughly as to banish all thoughts of tho weather at its very worst. This year's pantomime sets a now standard; its surpasses as a. spectacle any previously put on here. Its colour schemes and designs are most beautiful, its ballots are very quaint, its humour is clean, its 6ongs, and choruses aro melodious. Twice on Saturday the fortunes of ."The Sleeping Beauty" wero followed with, almost breathless interest by large audiences. The matinee, for the special-benefit of the children, was o great success in every way, and the evening performancedrew an audience which crowded tho theatre in every' part. _ The hearty applause which was liberally accorded testified to the complete satisfaction of nil present. Tho pantomime will run all the week, witli matinees on Wednesday and Saturday. THE KING'S THEATRE. Crowded, attendances were the rule at both sessions at the King's Theatre on Saturday, when the programme current, headed by Norma Talmadge in "The Isle of Conquest," was repeated in the afternoon and evening. The chief film sets out to illustrate the misery that may result on a marriage engineered by a scheming and ambitious mother. A striking feature of the production is the elaborateness of the mounting, which includes a most realistic representation of tho torpedoing of a passenger liner by a German submarine. The minor pictures are excellent, and include the. latest Gazette (which shows some interesting views of the departure of the Prince of Wales from England), "Vorde Canyon," and "Heroic Ambrose" (comic). Madams Marie Germain won applause for 'her vocal numbers, while the King's Grijnd Orchestra add much to the entertainment with a series of delightful seleotions, chief of whioh were the "Aubade Brintaniere" (La Conde) and "Dance of the Hours" (Ponchielli).

THE EMPRESS THEATRE. The Empress Theatre has as its win. cipail picture play a romance full of adventure and love, entitled "Heart of Grild," in whioh Louise Huff and Johnny Hines are starred. This film is v-'ell supported with other excellent pictures.

EVERYBODY'S THEATER "A. Dog's Life," in which the famous comedian Charlie Chaplin is 6een, caused roars of laughter at Everybody's Theatre on Saturday. Another feature en .the propamine is "The End of the Game," in whioh Warren Kerrigan is starred. It is a story of the gold rush days if California, and some magnificent setting's aro shown. The latest Pathe Gazette is also shown. This programme will be repeated until Friday.

NURSE GARVEN'S CONCERT. If readers will examine the programme for Nurse Garven's concert to-night, advertised in the amusement cdlumn, they will realise that voice, work, and patience, the necessary qualifications in the making of a 6inger, are accomplished facts in Nurso Garven's case. The pro-

gramme is exacting and interesting from the "all round" musician standpoint. Nurse Garven was fortunate in securing 'the services of so talented an trtist as Miss Paula Scherok (violinist). Miss Nellie Hayward is well-known in Christolvurch as an artistic accompanist, The Wellington Harmonic Quartet will be heard in part songs ORGAN RECITAL. An organ recital i 6 not, perhaps, the most cheerful form of musical entertainment for a cold, wet Saturday evening, and it was not in the least surprising to find a mere sprinkling of people present in the Town Hall at Mr. Bernard Page's recital. 'Die programme was an interesting one to thoße who arc tuned up to the vory best in music, and it is such that Mr. Pago makes his chief appeal. It opened with, tho overture to Beethoven's "u>riolan," a vory noble and dominating piece of music, the true beauties of which cannot be'reflected by the organ. Indeed the fortissimo., passages, which in an orchestral .rendering would be the most arresting, became simply a ' junible of confused sound, as the sounds struck back from ceiling' and wall and mingled with those coming fresh from tho organ. The contrast was supplied in Debussy's' Andante from one of his string quartets. In this alluring measure, Mr. Page showed fino registration in obtaining the string tones, and one could detect the nice distinction given to each as the fancy-free music meandered on. The late Claude Debussy was an original, that is to say, he was, in his style of composition, distinctive and individual, owing nothing to the styles of other known composers. He was an impressionist, given to writing, round a mood or some visual triviality, euoh. as sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows of a cathedral, or gold-fish swimming in a crystal bowl, yet euoh was his extraordinary talent for idealising each impression that ho 'held- th» senses of the impressionable at once, His harmonic scale was just as individualistic as the man, and 60 delicately and exquisitely did he apply it in "pinning down an impression' that he made a special niche for himself in the piauistio world during tho last quarter of a century. The Andante played by Mr. Pap was nicely iKustralivo of the composer's deftness m weaving charming patterns into tho fabric of his musio. Every composer worth his salt has written "Pastorales." They express in a hundred diverse ways offerings to the shrine of nature in. "Arcady." That of Scarlatti's, played by Mr. Page, is softly and sweetly redolent of sunny meads and babbling brook 6in medieval times, a beautiful number, expressed with rare beauty. Saint-Saens wrote much- fine music, but one has to confess his Rhapsodic (No. 3) is not tho best of him, Tho second' part- of the programme was devoted to Caesar Franck's Symphonio poem, "Psyche," written for orchestra and choir. The work is a very notable one, which increases our reverence of the Belgian composed'. Tho playing of this pioco was marred by using the power of the organ out of proportion to th« capacity of a comparatively empty hall.

Mr. Allen Wilkie will arrive hero from Palmerston North, to-day, and will leave for Melbourne this week. This indicates that .Mr. Wilkie's idea of running a permanent stock company in New Zealand has fizzled out, The company is to open in Melbourne with "Tho Rotters," a comedy which has proved quite a success through Now Zealand. Tliero is some taik of Mr. Wilkio transferring his Activities to South Africa after a season in Australia.

Tho Gisborno Competitions Society (Incorporated) advertises its fourth annual festival in this issue. The competitions commence August 30. Mr. Harold Grtgson, of Auckland, will judgo tho vooal and instrumental music, and Mr. Samuel H. Osborne, of Dunedin, will judge tho elocution.