Dramatic And Musical

Free Lance, Volume VIII, Issue 400, 29 February 1908, Page 16

Dramatic And Musical

By Footllght.

CARTER, the prince of magicians, has been holding sway in. rare style at the Opera House during the past week. The fine audiences which have been attending the house have been delighted at the wizardry with which Carter has infatuated one and al. To his feats of skill/ and clever mysteries there appears to be nio end, and he utterly confounds the spectators by his undoubted genras. Muss Abigail Price has been the talk of the city by reason of her marvellously accurate answers to complex questions. • • • On Wednesday afternoon a matinee ■performances, fox ladies only, drew a house of astonishing size, aid many of the fairest of the fair foregathered to pop crooked questions and receive straight answers. The entertainment is generally conceded to be the best of its kind ever given m Wellington, and up to the present there is ma sign of a blow out in interest. A special matinee will be given on Saturday afternoon for ladies and children, and on Saturday night the final performance wffll be presented. Mr. Carter and his clever associates are to be congratulated on their splendid success in Wellington, which has bee nthoronghly deserved. • • • NewtO'Wn. turned out to weep at St. Thomas' Hall on Monday evening last, when the Rev. Father Ainswoxth bade farewell to his parishioners of St. Anne's. St. Thomas' Hall was considered the No. 1 size hall in. Newtown, and it took a good-sized building to hold the sad-hearted friends of the devoted priest. There was a tilp : top programme of music, and all the singers were in tip- top voice.

Madame Carlton sang capitally, and secured an encore Father Am,sworth sang, and secured three encores "The Two Grenadiers," "Rory O'Mo,re," "Sunofl the Celaier," and "Off to Philadelphia" all came off in splendid style, and the genial priest was "four not out" retired, tired. Miss A gaps Segrief, a young lady with a promising rich contialto voice, .sang splendidly "The Ship's in. the Bay, and delighted her audience to the encore mark. Miss X Gallaher and Mr. E B Reade sang Denza's "Nocturne," and the choir of St Anne's gave a fine nerfoiman.ce of "The Lovesick Maidens." Mr McLaughkn's orchestra were also billed, and did nobly. Then came the pieisentations There were illuminated addresses, and unilhimmated addresses, silverware and photographs, a purse of sovereigns, and a bag to cairy them in, groups od chow members, and loads of good n ishes. The Rev Father Herbert was chairman, and made an excellent speech ful of genuine eulogy and compliment of Father Ainsworth. Alter the singing of "Auld Lang Syne, the air became full of the sound of farewells, and the Lancer left. On Friday evening last a very successful recital was held at the Seamen's Mission. Institute. Mrs. Sutcliffe, the talented elocutionist, provided a rare treat by her select elocutionary items, and Miss Mm a Caldow sang four songs with excellent effect. The organ fund of the Institute must have bumped up considerably as a result of the recital. . • • The booking for the Clara Butt and Kennerley RumfoTd farewell concerts indicates two crowded houses. The concerts will take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings of next week, and on Friday the party return by the Marama to Australia, where a brief farewell tour of the Commonwealth will be entered upon. On Tuesday evening Madame Butt will sing "Mon ceour," from "Samson et Dalila ' (St. Saens); "England, Mother England" (E. C. Booth's famous patriotic ballad)- "The Little Silver Ring" (Chaminade), and the duet "Break Diviner Light (Allitsen), with Mr. Kennerley Rumford, who will be heard in the dramatic scene "The Lament of Shah Jehan," by Landon Ronald; "Tears, Idle Tears," and "0 Swallow, Swallow," composed by the late Sir Arthur Sullivan for Mr. Rumford

Mr. Maughan Barnett has been engaged to play the organ obligate* at the first concert. "The Lament of Shah Jehan" and "England, Mother England," require special treatment to bring out their effectiveness, ajul Mr. Maughan Barnett will be quite equal to the requirements Mr. Oarl Baa re and Mr. Frank Merrick will contribute to the proga-mme as before, as well as Mr. Arthur Godfrey. At Fullers' Theatre Royal, A. L. Cro'ppj the popular basso, is running alocng his last few nights, and, although he is singing "The Yeoman's Wedding Song," there is an air of sadness of farewell about his numbers. Miss Bnghtie Smith a new artiste, late with Bland Holt, is quite up to the standard, and is much appreciated. The Franklins are also well in with the crowd, and their comedy and acrobatic mijctuie is rare fun. • • - Will James, with his banjo work, is superlative. Nothing half so good m this line has hit us up this way before. Bonetta and Williams, the comedy sketch patterers, pourtray "A Housemaid's Troubles " and convulse the audience with mernmemt. The Vantels are incomparable on, the "bar" work — horizontal bar, of course — and one can understand their London Hippodrome fame after seeing these artists at work. There is any amount of other good stuff in Fullers' current bill of fare, what with Lilian Montgomery, Denis Carney (the Yorkshire comedian), the Banvards, Miss Malvena Moore, etc., and the proof of the treat is in attending at the Royal. • • • Wellington, young Wellington especially, is going mad with glee. Wirth's circus is at the door. They open fire on the Adelaide-road- oil Monday next. March 2nd. It took two special steamers to bring Wirth's circus to Wellington, and theie are now four menageries m one in the show. Since their last visit to Wellington the proprietors of the popular circus have secured a number of new artists and animals, and in a programme of twenty-seven items, fifteen new artists will make their first appearance in Wellington. • • • Herr Batty will be in charge of a section of the entertainment described as "Hagenbeck's greatest wild beast act m the world." Six full-grown

lions, a number of leopards and bears and a couple of boarhounds will take ■part in this portion, of the performance. They have been trained by Hen Hagenbeck, uho is said to have the largest "Zoo" and to be the most successful trainer of wild animals in the world. • • • The hippodrome contains "marvellous talking horses," champion high jumping horses and ponies, including Playmate, and Lady Morton (who holds the high-jumping record of 7ft. 3^m., put up at Christchurch. Mr. P. Wirth will appear with a number of horses and ponies in' new acts. Special seating arrangements are being made for the opening night, Monday, March 2.

On Tuesday, March 17th, an important sale of sixty-seven level sections on the Evans Bay foreshore is to take place at the auction Tootms of Messrs. W. H. Morrah and Co., 55 and 56, Willis-street. The sale, which is timed fo.r 7.30 p.m., covers an eightacre area, at the head of Evans Bay, South Kilbiraie, and is of exceptional note m view of the properties offered. Ideal residential sites, with sea frontages, as well as business and factory sites, aTe included Ln< the catalogue of sale. Terms plans, etc., are to be had on application to the auctioneers. A very important sale by auction has been arranged for by Messrs Macdonald Wilson, and Co., to take place on Wednesday, 18th March, at 2 30 p m., at the Exchange Land Mart, Lamb I . on Quay. The sale is unexampled in its regard to exceptional offeTS to city capitalists and suburban residents or to 'market gardeners, and" bee or fowl farmers. The areas affecied are in the picturesque town of East Porirua, and in all forty-three magnificent building sites arc catalogued for disposal. The sites ranging from a quarter of an acre to five acre blocks, and being situated directly in front of the Porirua railway station, are second to none from every point of vantage along the line, and are causing considerable keeainess amongst investors. The terms of sale are exceptionally liberal. Conditions of sale, plans, etc. are to be had at the offices of Messrs. Brandon Hislop. and Johnston, solicitors, of Featherston-street, or of the auctioneers. • • « Investors warehousemen, manufacturers etc., in, Wellington^ are considerably interested just now in the pending sale of the famous Rhodes Estate. The sale, which is set down for Wednesday, March 18th, _at 2.30 p.m., is certainly one of unique importance, affecting as it does the wealth of Wellington properties in the very heart of the city It is justifiably claimed for the event that it will be historical. Messrs W. H Turibull and Co. are the auctioneers, the sale is to take place at their auction rooms, 5, Panama-street, and their instructions for the disposal or the important properties are from Mrs. S. A. Rhodes and the trustees of the estate of the late Hon W tf. Rhodes # As instancing the unique nature of the sale, it only needs to be mentioned that warehouse and commercial building sites are to be offered on Lambton ton Quay, Thorndon Quay. Victoriastreet, ' Cuba^treet, Grey-street, Featherston-street etc.. etc., together with sites on what may be. regarded Tatter as the. choicest residential districts of the Empire City. It is the most important, valuable, and extensive catalogue of city freehold properties eveT offered in the Dominion. Locality plans, complete catalogues, etc. are to be had on application to the auctioneers, William H. Turabull and Co.. at their offices. 5, Panamastreet, city.