ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 13948, 2 January 1909, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

■*, . ■ j I OPERA HOUSE. " ;..., .. ; f Miss Florence Baikbs was greeted last j night by a very large holiday audience, wh<J f followed tho whimsicalities of " Miss Lan* j cashire, Limited"—otherwise Mary Ellen | Thompson—with avidity. One great long J laugh reverberated round the house, and th« j change in Miss Baines' song programme < was well received. The laughing song i* \ always vociferously encored, . but Mis* , .'J Baines' rendition of "Home, Sweet Home," : '| overshadowed everything else, and created J something of a furore. Time after time : j she was recalled. A new laughing song, j entitled "How Various People Laugh," was y. introduced, and bids fair to outrival the gem I of rippling mirth which was such a feature \ of the last programme. The season is limi- '■{'.. ted to seven nights. The. box plan will bffl 1 on view to-day at Carter's confectionery J store, opposite the theatre. . S| . • .) ■ " ■ ■". - . i ■ HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. j Th,o final performance of the quaint. old | Dutch musical comedy, "The Red Mill," 1 ; was given last evening at His Majesty's '.-§•-', Theatre. A large and appreciative audi- . I ence was present.' The eccentric dancing \ of Messrs. Ford and Leslie was responsible ■■;, for roars of laughter, and the various other *| , characters carried out their parts well. To- j night and throughout next week the musical j play by Frank Pixley and Gustavo Luders, j entitled " The Prince of Pilsen," will be pre- :>| , sented. The entire strength of the. com- ,£J, pany will be engaged in this production. " j which it is promised will be on a very- ' . 1 elaborate scale, and in full keeping with, tho j methods invariably adopted by Mr. William- { son in staging his plays. The Prince of i Pilsen" has the reputation of being rich in .j musical numbers beyond the ordinary, and | of possessing those manifold qualities so -. | essential to :real success in musical comedy. -V| The plans for to-night's performance will be 1 . on view-throughout the day at His Ma- ■' 1 jesty's Cafe.' • .] .-. ...-..'. :;""*.'•"- .:'■': J'.'.•'. ■TIVOLI THEATRE. ' ] The Tivoli was packed to the doors last ',-J night, and the programme was received with , "§ . evident satisfaction by the audience. Mr. '4 C. Brown-Parker made quite a hit, with his | ball punching, and only succeeded in get- ■ .'? ting off the stage after three encores. .It | is. bad enough -to be knocked down by a \ serious boxer, but to be bandied ail over •- '-'M the ring by a blithesome party to the tune I of " Pop Goes the Weasel" or "I Am Ybui <■$ Honeysuckle, You Are Do Bee,".. would be | entirely too much joy. An entire change .., of programme will be submitted at the I matinee this afternoon, and every child -in ■■ ■ .J' attendance will, receive - a New -Year's gift. -"| ■ THE ROYAL'PICTURES. '; . ■" | Last night 'the Royal Albert Hail was ■ I crowded on the occasion of the first' changa '[':. c-I of programme presented by the Royal-Pic- J ture Syndicate! The standard ;of.cxcellbnc« : set in the opening, programme has-•been-we'i '■' maintained, and r amongst.; .the,,, .besti "weivs j ,were: '■"Scenes-in^Alderney,'**?" A"Day in, * the I^fttiah«Jl^rGaraen^jV ll j Wat^rfcjils,and K df 80uihew«AW$;"'*iirra a a "Trip'^n ;lf 'tKr^^Ti^l^."iK^M ns ' ' I Barry Boat Race," "The Ambiance Dogs,'' 1 "The Guardian Angel." "Retribution,'.' and r s. ■ ■■ "The Young Poacher." Tho . : same 'pro-! *t gramme will ;bo repeated to-night, and thirf ~\ afternoon a matinee performance: will be ' i given, at which every child will receive a 1/ present. The management have invited the JUinmates of the Parnell Orphans . Home t/ I witness this afternoon's performance. " . | 1 - — — . ■■-_-* - | I "THE SCARLET TROUBADOURS." \ "Tho , Scarlet .".Troubadours" gave their" j | final concert in Auckland at the Choral Hall ' | last night. There was a very large audience, .} and the Troubadours contributed a specially \*j arranged programme, which -included' many of the items 'that" have made the scarlet clad .-■'.%-■ company so popular with Auckland--i£&£ic« lovers. " v The applause throughout was spdV* § taneous and hearty,, and many 'encore .hum bers had to be given. ._■..' t,. •.',. " -M 111 \ •'.. •"!!■ • THE HIPPODROME. 1 The varied music hall and cinemato l , .. ; -| graphic entertainment provided by the mam - y agement of tho Hippodrome, at. the cornel j of Queen and Custom Streets, was patronised \ last night by a large holiday crowd. The J|| principal | attraction was a fancy shooting \ act by Bernard and Bernard. An excel lent ':. vaudeville and moving picture programme Itwas also submitted. .' _ a: ____________________ ,--—-•-«» ; ROYAL WELSH MALE CHOIR. a The Royal Welsh male choir will inaugurate its tour of the Dominion with a »ix if nights' season' at His Majesty's 'Theatre, Auckland, commencing on Monday, the 18th inst., under Messrs. J. and N. Tait's guid- .|| ance, direct from its Sydney, Brisbane, and . Melbourne triumphs. The choir had a very "~" '"§. small beginning as the winners of & prize of £5 at the competition held in the town of St. Pagan's, near Cardiff. Thus was commenced the long series of competitions in $ which these singers have gained - so. many \ successes, extending over a period of -20 . | years. ' This record includes four National ~ § Eisteddfod awards in Northern and Southern Wales—a unique achievement. "One of th« J medals which I prize most highly," said Mr ' ■ Thomas, the conductor, in an interview in Sydney, is this one," and he held up a gold |.. medal inscribed with a portrait of Sir J. i Barnby, with that eminent - musician's :| opinion of the choir in the words surround- - -„3 ing it, " The finest specimen of ' singing ;F. . 1 over heard." This was won at the National. .'A V Eisteddfod in . Llanelly. "Two or three '■ months after that we were v* com- -:'k manded to Windsor to sing before ' Queen j Victoria," said Mr. Thomas. Her Majesty 1 was so delighted that we had to extend our 1 programme. * It was upon the suggestion I of Mr. J. H. Choate, at that time American ~ } Ambassador in England, that the singers J undertook thsir tour of America 18 months '■] ago. Mr Choato heard them at the house of the | Earl of Dunraven, and predicted that they j; would achieve a great success in America j a forecast which was amply verified. The y'i% < members of'the choir are all working men. ' 1 who have obtained 12 months' .leave of ; absence for this tour, just as ■ they obtained ' ! leave to go to America, their places being > M kept open for them until their return. The I tenor soloist is a collier, another is a carpenter, another a grocer. Mr. Thomas, when , I asked to account for the success, of the } choir, said it was due to steady, unremitting _•' work together. Furores of enthusiasm, - I : are everywhere created by the msignificenfc I interpretations of old hymn tunes submitted ■ J as encore numbers, such as "Abide With J Me," " Jesu, Lover of My Soul," etc. Mr. -} A. W. Batiste, touring manager for Messrs. | Tait, is in Auckland completing details, and I would be pleased to meet choirmasters and | conductors of musical societies at Wildman m" and Arey'a. , ' '.',j