ENTERTAIAMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13368, 24 December 1906, Page 9

ENTERTAIAMENTS

* v: OPERA-HOUSE.

PaTEOKS of vaudeville and pleasure-seekers generally expect something out of the ordinary at Christmas time, and prompted by a wide experience Mr. J. Fuller has tilled the bill by providing a tine all-round programme, interpreted by new artists, at the Opera House. This holiday programme" was presented on Saturday night for the first time to a packed house, every available seat being occupied. The audience were'most appreciate e, and the evening's entertainment passed off without a hitch. The programme was a varied one, and included clever, sensational, dramatic, and laughter-provoking turns. A thrilling act i. that provided by Wild Friday, assisted .by Wild Rose. During this turn the audience i- kept in a state of breathless suspense by Wild Friday's daring knife-throwing, and the peril of Wild Rose. The lady stands against a board, and Wild Friday standing off throws some dozen knives into the board, thus marking out her figure. ' So close do the knives go to her that she is practically held by them. He does this with the lady standing in different attitudes. Still more daring is the feat he performs of marking her figure out. with knives while he is blindfolded, and she is standing against the board, obscured from view, by a large- piece of brown paper. In other ways. Wild Friday displays his remarkable ability as a boXvie knife-thrower. Needless to say, the turn evokes great applause. In response to the encore Wild Friday throws an American boomerang out into the auditorium, and after skirting round the dress circle it comes back into his hand. Apollo Belvidere, who made his first appearance, after having just completed a successful season in the South, gave a very interesting turn. He is. described as " the living bronze statue." Belvidere posed as Ajax cowering before the lightning, Ajax defying the lightning; •» Atlas carrying the world. the dying Gladiator, and Apollo Belvidere, etc. His posing is very fine, and were the curtain to be raised without any previous notice being given many in the audience would mistake the figure for a bronze statue. Each new pose met. with appreciative applause. Bex, "the indiarubber man," made his first appearance, and gave a display different to that, of most contortionists. He tied his body and legs into knots, and walked the stage on one leg, with the other around his neck. He was warmly applauded. The Lewis Sisters made their first appearance in serio and dance, and were well received. They gave a good turn, the feature of it, perhaps, being dancing and high-kicking. Mr. Arthur T. Tauchert, who made his first appearance, amused the audience immensely with his comic songs. Miss Connie Bird, a clever young mimic, won applause for her impersonation of a well-known actors and actresses. Besides the first appearances mentioned above the programme includes such warm favourites as Miss Pearl Lovell, Miss Lucia Lavinia, Miss Amy Blaekie, the Rollos, Messrs. Frank King, and Sam. , Wilson. Miss Lovell has decided claims to being a* she is styled in the programme' " the most popular of all series." Miss Lavinia's songs were received with loud applause. The Hollos provided their full share of amusement with a musical comedy, "The Tuner's Opportunity." Mr. Frank King appeared with pronounced success in a scena, entitled "The- Deserter,.' which gave ample scope for his ability in dramatic action. He was assisted by Miss Phyllis Fay. In the first half she also appears in a serio and'dance turn. Miss Amy Blackie again pleased the audience with her rendering of pathetic ballads, and was heartily applauded. Miss Kitty Delavalc sang successfully the serio, "Love Me All the Time,'" while Mr. Sam. Wilson provoked roars of laughter and applause with specialties out of his never-ending budget of funnyisms. The first part of the programme ends with "The Great Egg Mystery," while the last half concludes with (if too many encores are not demanded, as was the case on Saturday night), the Warwick bioscope. The programme will be repeated this evening, and should draw a large attendance. To-morrow,, night a sacred and illustrated concert will be given at the Opera House. MARIE NARELLE. The most notable musical event of the current week will be the first appearance in Auckland of the Marie Narelle Concert Company. Four concerts are to be given during -he week at the Choral Hall, the first on Boxing Night arid the others on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings respectively. A Christehurch paper says: — I" Miss Narelle is reminiscent of both Miss : C'rossley and Madame Dolores. This is mainly due to her delightful personality, for she not only sings her songs, but enters whole-heartedly into the spirit of them. She ,is, in.fact, 'a dramatic singer who seeks not only to sing a song, but also to interpret it. These characteristics, wedded to a magnificent voice, make, her one of the most attractive vocalists ever heard in Christchurch." Mr. Chester Fentress is also highly spoken of. . He possesses a highlycultivated voice of purest quality, and his singing is characterised by an artistic finish ithat speaks well for the musical training he received in London and Paris. Miss Bran-don-Usher, the pianist studied for five years at the Liepsic Conservatorium, and is said to bo not only a most sympathetic accompanist, but a brilliant soloist as well. The box plan for the four concerts will be at Messrs. Wildman and Arey's to-day, and to-morrow and Wednesday at His Majesty's Cafe. STEELE-PAYXE BELLRINGERS. The talented Steele-Payne combination of bellringers, etc., will give one of their enjoyable concerts on Christmas Night' at HiMajesty's Theatre, a choice programme having been specially arranged for the occasion. Whilst keeping to a class of selections 'suitable to Christmas Day, the company, has introduced pleasing variety into the list of items. The. bellringers will introduce several numbers. Two new artistes will make their first appearance in Auckland, one lining Miss Alice Appleby, a pleasing ballachst and instrumentalist, and the other Miss Lorraine Tansley. Considerable interest is being shown in musical j circles at the advent of this popular Hawke's I Bay songstress, of whose singing a South- ! em - contemporary says: "Miss Tansley was greeted with tremendous applause. , She selected as her opening number ' Becked in the Cradle of the Deep.' which fully displayed the splendid range of a full and rich contralto voice. The item was full of merit and the singer's enunciation perfect, and earned undeniable encores." I j MADAME STAUNTON'S RECITALS. At the Choral Hall on Saturday evening Madame Staunton gave the .second and 1 a•-1 of. her song recitals. If the size of the audi ence was not commensurate with the merit-, of the entertainment provided there was no mistaking the genuineness of the enthusiasm 1 , -which increased rather than diminished as the evening wore on. The programme was well chosen, and served to display Madame Staunton's splendid vocal powers from various standpoints. Her phrasing, expression; and enunciation .were specially noticeable, while in dramatic work her rich tones, vibrating through the hall, produced a wellnigh overwhelming impression at times. In German songs Madame was highly successful, and in her rendition of Schubert's exquisite" Standchen " every opportunity was utilised to the full, while "Es hat die Rosesicli Beklagt " (Franz) received a thoroughly artistic treatment. Cluck's "Che Faro" was a telling number, and the utmost was made of the lights and shades. A broad rendering was given of a " Romance " from -Gounod's opera, "Tribut de Zamora," and i u ° manifold beauties of the melody were adequately presetted. The range of voice was fully equal to the demands made upon it in Tosh's favourite "Good-bye," and the vocalisation was an ideal one." In tin's a full and musical tone quality was forthcoming in the forte phrases, while the SOtto voce singing was a marked feature. After the interval Madame Staunton opened the second portion of the programme with a highly-finished interpretation of Do Koven's favourite song, " 0 Promise Me." and at its close flowers and the heartie-t applause were bestowed upon the enntatrice. After an exquisite rendering of "Two Eye- of Gray" Madame Staunton essayed her final programme number. Time and again one has heard "The Minstrel Boy." but only once- in rears such an exposition as that heard on Saturday night. The dramatic fervour infused into portions of the old-time Irish an- stirred the audience unmistakably. On its termination Madame was applauded again and again, and at length the final verse was repeated. After " Caller Herrin' " had been sung someone called for " Estudiantina. ' and with" characteristic good nature Madame made this the farewell number, singing the captivating rhythms with great aplomb. Mr.-. Ernest H.'Querec received well merited apnlause for hci pianoforte solos, "Polonaise* in C Sharp Minor" (Chopin). •■ VaL-e in E Minor" (Chopin), and "Hungarian Rhapsody" (Liszt). Mr. I- E. Midgley again acted as accompanist to Madame Staunton, and hi- work in tins department was always reliable. It i- to Ik ; hoped that, another opportunity of hearing : Madame Staunton in the near future will I be given.

J3ROUGH-FLEMMING company

It is now twelve months since the Brough- | Fk-mming Company ha* been wen in Auckland.' During the season commencing on Wednesday evening the list of play-. to bo presented will include some of tin- la*e*t London 'successes. OF all the dramatic organisations that have appeared in New Zealand during the past 18 or .20 years none have a greater claim on the public than that with which the late Mr. Brough and Mrs. Brough were so long associated. Tlie appreciation of theatregoers is in tin- rase* ba'sed upon solid merit, and the traditions of th© company are declared by the Australian press to bo carefully guarded and respected by Mr. Herbert Flemiuing. an actor of distinction himself, and a- man who was in cfof** artistic sympathy with hi- late partner. In these circumstances it is not surprising that the booking for the opening performance of " Dr. Wake's Patient " has been fully satisfactory, and there should'be no risk in venturing <he opinion that the opening night will bo a brilliant affair. Some exquisite cost times* will be worn by Mrs. Brough, Miss Day, ana the other ladies of the company, as good dressing is by no means a negligablo feature of modern comedy. Owing to Wed' nesday being a holiday the box plan will bo j open a: His Majesty's Cafe instead of j Messrs. Wildman and Arey's. The members of the company arrived from Sydney by the s.s. Manuka yesterday morning".

j AUCKLAND CHORAL SOCIETY. The Choral Society gave a free performance of "The Messiah" yesterday in the Choral Hall. The performance began at three o'clock, but long before that horn the hall was crowded to the doors and outside. and the anteroom was full also. The soloists were Madame Briggs (soprano). Madame Cecilia Staunton (contralto), Mr. Robt. Biuclon (tenor), and Mr. Hamilton Hodges (bass). The orchestra was not so full as it should have been, several useful performers being absent. There was a good attendance of the chorus. The performance was on the whole, very satisfactory. Mr. <;. A. Paque, L.A.M., "conducted and got the utmost out of the forces at his disposal. The soloists were each most warmlv ap- | plauded for their numbers, which were"most : artistically rendered. The narts for the or- ! gan were played by Mr. R. Leslie Hunt. Mrs. S. Jackson being at the niano and Dorr •Tohann Wiclaert being leader of the orchestra.