AMUSEMENTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16479, 19 February 1914, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS.

THEATRE ROYAL

" THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIER,"

In the cleverness of its construction and the genuinely humorous character of its situations " The Chocolate Soldier," which was revived at the Theatre Itoyal last evening by the J. C. Williamson Comic Opera Company, stands out, a clear head and shoulders above the majority of similar productions of recent years. For its excellences, of course, the praise is mostly due to that great and good man George Bernard Shaw. The librettists and the translator have done their best to bowdlerise the plot and bring \tho dialogue down to the level of inanity considered indispensable in the modern comic opera, but the Shavian foundation redeems the flimsiness of the structure reared upon it by Bernauer and Jacob-sen in spite of the wellmeaning efforts of those rather unenterprising gentlemen. Of the music it is unnecessary, at this late stage of the opera's financially successful career, to say much. The melodies are sufficiently rhythmical and conventional to be easily remembered, and the waltz song has become popular wherever the gramaphone has peneThe orchestration is melodramatic, giving the kettle-drum and other percussive instruments plenty of occupation, and the vocal solos, duets, trios and sextets are as easy to 6ing as they are to listen to.

The production last evening was handicapped by the absence of Miss Florence Young, who is suffering from nasal catarrh, and was unable to take her part, that of Nadina. Her place was filled by Miss Alice Bennetto, who sang the music very capably and whose acting improved considerably as the play progressed. Mr Reginald Roberts as Lieutenant Bumerli adopted with whole-souled enthusiasm the tradition that male characters in comic opera are intended to be pourtrayed as congenital idiots, and gave considerable point to Nadina's epistolatory injunction to behave " less like an ass and more like a man," but he sang the numerous numbers allotted to him with considerable spirit and -was deservedly applauded. Mr Edward Wynne as Alexius Sniridoff was commendably august and supercilious; Mr Victor Prince as Captain Massakroff must be complimented on his admirable makeup; Mr Phil Smith was very much at home in the part of Colonel Popoff; and Miss Dorothy Brunton made a vivacious and uprightly Mascha. Miss Celia Ghiloni deserves a line "to herself for her genial and effective acting in the part of Madame Popoff. The opera, despite | minor defects, went,with a.good swihg-fnrm start to finish, and an audience willing to be amused found very little difficulty in enioving itself. " The , Chocolate Soldier" will be repeated, this evening, and the performance will terminate the company's Christchurch season. GLOBE PICTURES. The various "'sessions at the Glebe Theatre were attended yesterday by appreciative audiences. To-day a new series of pictures will be shown, which will include " The Express Car Mystery," "A Concerto for the Violin," "Two Men and a Mule," "English Gazette" and "Pumps." . , GRAND THEATRE. The programme at the Grand Theatre 1 was shown- yesterday for the last time. To-day's' new programme will include "' The Doctor's Secret," " The Mysterious Stranger," ".Mabel's New Hero," "Eclair Journal" and "The Veiled Lady." OPERA HOUSE. There was a large audience at the Opera House last night and the re-, fined vaudeville programme was much' enjoyed. Leonard Nelson, the popu- 1 lar comedian, in his latest successes, the Hondas Trio,-expert cyclists, the Guzmani Trio, sensational equilibrists, and Mr John Fuller had enthusiastic receptions, and other members of the company were very successful in their items. To-night the programme will be repeated. QUEEN'S THEATRE. There were enthusiastic audiences at the Queen's Theatre yesterday, when the current programme was again presented. To-day the programme will be repeated. WEST-HAYWARD .PICTURES. The current programme of pictures was repeated at His Majesty's Theatre last night before an enthusiastic audience. To-night the pictures will be shown again. FULLER'S PICTURES. The Colo-seum w as we U filled by enthusiastic spectators last evening, when the star film, " King of the Air," was again presented. The film and the supporting pictures will be shown again tonight. SYDENHAM PICTURES. There was an appreciative audience at the Sydenham Pictures last night, wheu " King cf the Air" and other pictures were shown for the last time. To-night a new programme will be presented. The "star" film is entitled "The Chinese Death Thorn," and is a story of the under-world. The supporting films include "The Pathe Gazette" (topical),. "Plants and Flowers" (study), "New Zealand Animated News" (tonical), r- 'Lucca Cavalry" (educational), "Sunny or the Cattle Thief" (Vitagranh drama), "The Clothes-line Quarrel" (ccmedy), "The Marble Industry" (educational), "The Gusher" (comedy) and "'Surf Bathing at New Brighton."