ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 93, 16 October 1913, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

"80-PEEP" TO-NIGHT. "Two crowded acts of laughter" the advertisement promises will be the result of the production of the pantomime "80-Peep" at the Opera House to-night. The pantomime is to be staged by i Stanley M'Kay's Royal Pantomime Company^ which is making its first appearance in. New Zealand^ after a. successful ; tour of the Australian States. The j company is a complete pantomime one. ! from principal boy to demon sprite, and [it is promised that " "80-Peep ' will be I staged in a very complete manner. The scenery is especially good, quite in keeping with the talents of the performers, I and includes a transformation "The Four Seasons," from the brush of that wellknown artist, Mr. Harry Whaite. Mr. Harry Taylor is responsible for the music, which has made "80-Peep" noted everywhere it has been played for its tuneful melodies and songs. The latter include "Shady Lane." sung by Miss Kathleen Mack, and Miss Rita, Webb (principal girl), a number which is particularly attractive to the ear; "The Pearl of Persia." sung by Miss Cora Terry, who is the possessor of a well-trained voice, ! and "I'm the Shah, Tarantara," by Mr. j Walter Cornack. A chorus, "Children j of the Empire," accompanies an ensemble i in which the ladies of the company are j attired in representative costumes. In the art of terpsichore the company has many capable exponents, the dances including a floral ballet performed by a [ selected band of young ladies. Popular i prices are being charged, and the season } here, necessarily a limited one owing to i prior "bookings, should bo a successful i one. A matinee will be given on j Saturday. ; CLARA BUTT'S FINAL CONCERT TO-NIGHT. Arrangements previously entered into will preclude all possibility of Mme. Ciara Butt and Mr. Kennorley Rumford • giving a further season in Wellington, '. bo this evening will be' their farewell • appearance in this city. ' To-morrow | the company proceed to Christchurch, J and after their concerto there and in j Dunedin they return to the North Isi'land, and concerts will bo given at Palj rnen>ton North, Napier, and Wanganui." between the 10th and 14th November. This evening Mme. Butt will sing Ellgar's great patriotic song, " Lund of Hope and Glory," with organ obbligato; "0 Don Fatale," from Don Carlos (Verdi); " The Fairy PipeiV (Brewer), and half a dozen others. Mr. Kennerley Rumford will sing a group of Schumann songs, " The Little Red Fox " (Somervell), " The ' Magpie " (Lohr), " How Deep the Slumber of the Floods " '(Loewe). As a very large audience is again expected the management decided to reserve the 5s seats on payment of Is extra, so that patrons may make certain of their seats. The 3s and 2s tickets can also be obtained at Christeson's. " THE [ PRIVATE SECRETARY." Tta production of a comedy like " The Private Secretary" by amateurs must always, to a certain extent, present a | number of difficulties which it is only fair to estimate when considering its production. The dialogue, which is exceedingly smart, and the situations requiro very perfect presentation, and tha training and completeness of professionals. But while this is so, the performance of " The Private Secretary " by the Wellington Dramatic Society last evening in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall was an exceedingly creditable one. The character of the irascible old Anglo-Indian uncle of Douglas Cattermole, who is so anxious to find Ins nephew a manly young fellow, was cleverly played by Dr. Norman Hales, ! with an excellent appreciation of its humour. He acted with .perfect naturalHess, his make-up was excellent, and he was throughout the life and soul of tho piece. It was easily the best performance of tho evening, roars of laughter from the audience following his various scenes. .Tho other strongly- marked character study was, of course, that of tho private secretary, the Rev. Robert Spalding, who is being continually thrust into all sorts of ridiculous and difficult situations. It was played with much success by Mr. Norman E. Aitken. He thoroughly entered into tho part, and his impersonation of the very lugubrious secretary was full of drollery. Especially good was he in the various scenes with the peppery old Cattermole. Miss Ethel Lissack was very good indeed as Mrs. Stead, Douglas Cattermolo's landlady, her performance being a clever bit of character acting. Mr. C. B. Rubsell made a capital Douglas Cattermole— the young man who set out to sow his wild oats — the part being played with a considerable amount of success. Mr. G. P. Phipps Williams' made Mr. Marsland somewhat j heavy in parts. The character is one which required rather more variety of treatment infused into it. Miss Iris Lennox, as Miss Ashford, the lady who dabbled in spiritualism, gave a very good interpretation of va difficult part, especially in the last act, and Mr. Peter Devereux had a good conception of Mr. Sydney Gibson, the Bond-street tailor. Mr. Frank Eller, as Harry Marsland, and Mr. C. Pullyn, as John, also played , well. Miss Ruby Scott, as Mr. Maisland's daughter, and Miss Marie Fix, as Eva Webster, both acted with daitity naturalness. Throughout the piece went with commendable smoothness, and there was noticeable a praiseworthy thorough knowledge of their roles by the different characters, evincing careful training. The setting was admirably done, and, j as a whole, the production was really a j praiseworthy one, and fully up to the ! standard of tho other pieces played jby the club. The Wellington Gas Com- ! pany Orchestra added not a little to j the enjoyment of the entertainment by I playing some excellent music. At the close of the performance several beautiful bouquets were presented to the lady performers. Owing to a large number of people ! being unablo to obtain admission, "The? I Private Secretary" will be repeated at tho Town Hall to-morrow evening. GENEE AND THE IMPERIAL RUSSIAN BALLET. The- send -off which Genee and the supporting company received when leaving Sydney was an extraordinary on© (says the Sun). The theatre was crowded with enthusiastic spectators, most of whom, it is safe to say, had been to see (he performance several times before. After every dance great bunches of flowere were handed, up to tiie- artists, and at the end of the performaucetlowers rained upon the stage till them j was a carpet of them stretching all along ; tlie toothghts. They were thrown in j small bunches and singly. Women in j Mie audience who had flowers in their i hair or dresses snatched them out and j tossed them on to the stage. Gonee and Volinin, who had finished tho programme with the Polka Comique, were recalled a dozen times, and at last Oenee had to speak. She said : "It is very difficult for a dancer to make a speech, bocau&e she can't <lo it with her feel. Thank you, all of you, for your kindness to myself and associates* during our tstjiy in Sydney. I tun e>ure Monsieur Volinin would like to say some-thing if he could. I want you to keep a tiny corner in your hearts to remember me." . The speech was delivered in a- voice as dainty as a, pirpu-

ctte, and "Monsieur Volimn, who did' not understand it, smiled benevolently. Tho spectators still cheered, co them Genco came out with an armful )of her old ballet slippon and flung them into tho audience, where there was uicarly a riot to got them. The season, opona here on 25th October. • HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. That there is always a public fop* bright vaudeville entertainment is being proved nightly at His Majesty's Theatre, where tho attendances this week hava been quite ujj to the standard. Tho attractions oi the present programme aro substantial, and include the clever turns of Albeit and RoseHa and their troupo of singing and dancing midgets, Vaughan and Berry (Australian contortionists and comedians), Majorie Daw (siffleuse). May Brilliant (English comedienne), Marcel and Bell, and many others. The bill is one that can be recommended. THE EMPRESS THEATRE. In celebrating the first anniversary of ! tho opening of the Empress Theatre- as ' a continuous picture palace, a special programme is being presented to-day and to-night. The first picture on the list is the Kalem Company's feature drama "The Skeleton in the. Cupboard." Tho plot is laid in th© Wild West, where many romantic events have taken place. Tho heroine is Kitty Hawkins, the daughter of a cattle thief. Tho girl, on discover* ing her father's method of making - money, is distressed, and, when one o£ hia accomplices harasses her with his at' tentions, she runs away. Kitty joins a band of pioneers, who aro attacked by an overwhelming number of Indians.' The redskins massacre all except Kitty, who is, found by Dan, a young deputy sheriff." Ho v takes tho girl with Turn, and, she consents to keep house for the sheriff and Dan. Soon tho tw6 men fall in love with her, and she finally selects the sheriff. The developments aro sensational. Tho next item in importance . is the A.B. Company's powerful dramatic story "Women in tho Ultimate."' In this subject a leader of a select gang of thieves compels his step-daughter to decoy wealthy young men to his house, so that the gang can rob them. The better side of the girl's nature revolts, and the climax arrives when sh© falls ia love with' one of the gang's intended, victims. Having been ontioed to the house by the girl, a young man is pounced upon and overpowered by the gang. No longer able to restrain her inward emotions the girl telephones for tho police, who arrive in time to arrest tho whole gang. Tho Vita-graph Company's comedy ("Does Advertising Pay?") is a laughable story of how two young lawyers gain much credit and fame by making people believe that they, are rich, by an ingenious trick. "Rambles in Pondichcrry" takes the spectators to India's sunny climes, whore the wonders of tho East aT© vividly depicted. There ar© a number of other subjects contributing to tho general merit of the bill. This evening patrons will bo prosonted with, artistic souvenir grammes. THE NEW THEATRE. "That Scamp Ferdinand," a Path© feature comedy, takes precedence in th© change of programme at the New Theatre continuous pictures to-day and tonight. This Is a laughable illustration of the exploits of % young man who assumes the air of a very staid individual, while in reality ho is much given to gaiety. Tbe A.K. drama "What's Bred in tho Bono, 1 " "Th© Eclair Journal," "Troubled Waters," and "Tho Ferrets"- are also good subject*. PEOPLE'S PICTURE PALACE. The new programme of pictures at tho People's Picture Palace to-day features a charming love story, " The Blind Mother." Beatrice Russell is a school teacher, the support of her blind mother, and during the yearly examination of the pupils Edward Pool, the chief' inspector, falls violently in lovo with her., ij is attentions prove unwelcome to Beatrice, who indignantly refuses his offer 1 of marriage, and tho inspector thereupon reports adversely on her school and secures her dismissal. Beatrice, aftei? a time, is appointed to another school in a country village, and there meet* Paul Harvey, a wealthy landowner. They become engaged, .but Pool turns ,up again,' and by means of anonymous letters addressed to Harvey, attempts to defame Beatrice's character. However, through the influence of here blind mother, misunderstandings aro righted, and Pool ia denounced. There are uumerous interesting supporting pictures, including "Rounding up the Counterfeiters," a first-rate detective story; "Dad's Little Girl" ; and " Hiß Redemption." THE KING'S THEATRE. The current programme of moving pictures at The King's Theatre is one of all-round excellence. The feature drama "The Pretty Ward" is a capably pictured story of an attempt to cheat two young people out of their happiness, resulting in the triumph of rignt and the confusion of villainy. "A Gentleman's Gentleman" is another very fino dramatic study by tho Edison Company. Other films are "Counsellor Bobby," "Curing Her Extravagance," "Max and the. Love Letter," "The Sugar-cane Industry,'* and "The Otter." SHORTT'S PICTURE THEATRE. " The Triumph of Strength " heads the new bill at Shortt'B Continuous Picture Theatre to-day. To secure realism in a symbolic group entitled "The Triumph of Strength " a sculptor hires a number of lioiiß as models. They aro conveyed to his studio, and there, through tha carelessness of the trainer, break loose. Unarmed and cut off from escape, tho sculptor' and his child aro confined in the studio with the savage beasts ; but, after many thrilling incidents, they ar« rescued through the heroism of the sculptor's wife. " Funnicus and Jane Visit London " is a picture brimful of laughable incidents. Among other pictures in the programme are " God's Inn by tho Sea" (drama), "Tour in Japan" (scenic),, " English Pathe Gazette No. 833," and "Those Good Old Days • (comic). STAR THEATRE. " The Pretty Ward " is proving a very great attraction at the Star Picture Theatre, Newtown, J thia week. Other excellent films now being shown, also find favour with the picture-loving public. GARRISON OFFICERS' CLUB Mr. Atmoro (Nelson) asked the Mm» ister of Defence in the House of Repr«» sentatives yesterday, whether the statement regarding tho_ Garrison Oiticers' Club, published in the Evening Post of the 6th October, 1913, is an official statement of tho position supplied to that journal by the Defence Department. •1 he Hon. Mr. Allen replied: 1 am given to understand that tho particulars referred to were collected from several sources of information by a representative of the Evening Post detailed to investigate tho matter, and were not communicated to him as an official statement of the case by the Defence Department. It is the sacred duty of ovoryono to safeguard their health Bo earful what you eat, without being "faddy." Indigestion is the chief source of illhealth, and it can be readily cured. Baxter's pills (compound-quinine) will put your digestion right—and do 'it quickly, too. Is 6d box, at your , chemist .or store.— -Advt