ENTEETAINMETO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16672, 17 October 1917, Page 4

ENTEETAINMETO.

EBNEBT DRAKE CONCEHT/.''g Mrsic-ixwHts attended the Town Ml concert chamber in largo numbers evening, when the complimentary conceit tendered to Mr. Ernest Drake, the w e ll. known Auckland tenor, by Signor anil Signora Molinari was given. An excel.! lent programme, embracing many excerpt}''! from grand opera, was presented, and such was the enthusiasm of the audience f that practically every item was enccred. Signora Moiinari's renderings showed & ;; fine sense of dramatic treatment, eo\ipl with artistic restraint, and her interprets tion of Meyerbeer's great area " Roberto tu che Adoro," so beloved of operatic sopranos, was a veritable triumph of vocalisation, in which the moods were finely conveyed. Later Si*. Nora Molinari sang, with much taste Siebei's popular "Flower Song" ro]) J ".Faust." Signor Molinari's dramatii< tenor voice frequently found its m or( J aggressive tendencies least suited to Ik,, restricted confines of the concert chamber yet there could be no question as to the arresting interest of such excerpts as the, gripping "La Donna e Mobile" and " Questo a Quella," Verdi, and subsequently the heart-broken accents 0 { " Vesti la Giubba "—sung in costumefrom Leoncavallo's "Paghacci." Follow, ing this was a sterling 'nterpretation of Puccini's great air. " E Lucevau 1 6 Stella" from "La Tosca." These were so graphically sung L Signor Molinari, with accompanying gestures, as to convey the impression to tho listener that the mise en scene of th« operatic staga was actually in evidence. Both artists were warmly received, and contributed new numbers in response to the insistent applause. Mr. Ernes i Drake was in excellent voice, and displayed the finer points of his lytic tencr voice. His employment of the irezzo-voce was invariably artistic, white his vocal phrasing enhanced the inner nwaning of his songs. Mr, Drake's singing of McDermid's "If You Would Love Me " and "Sacrament" was wholly satisfying, and paved the way for a double recall, resulting in '* The Minstrel Bay " and Blumenthal's " E"en. ing Song " being given, In the second part Mr. Drake submitted an ■"■ryressi-.-e I reading of Coleridge Taylor's love song "Onaway, Awake, Beloved,' ar.d was : again recalled. The operatic duets by i Signor and Signora Molinari wen much appreciated, as was the concerted item A Night in Venice " sung by .Signora Molinari and Mr. Drake. Miss Evelyn Wyman, pianiste, found her deft fingers well suited in ?aderewski's "Carcovierme" and Balakirew's " L'alonette," the latter in particular being thoroughly pianistio in character, and engrossing in interest, Mr. Thos. Harris, elocutionist, displayed much versatility in his "Ebenezer Scrooge " sketch, and "o-itinued the good impression made in " Devil May Care," Clarke. The pianoforte accompaniments by Miss Clarice Wood were always in I good taste.

OPERA HOUSE.

Another large audience was present at the Opera House last evening when " The Muiless Isle " was again presented by tha Walter Johnson Rovue Company. Tha revue is bright and clever, and the staging is excellent. Variety turns are provided by Chivalli, the Royles, Rose and Dell, and an excellent juggling display is given by Oharleno and Charlene.

KING'S THEATRE. Charles Darrell's, sensational melodrama, "The Girl Who Knew a Bit," -is staged by the Brandon-Cramer Dramatic Company at the King's Theatre this week.

MUNICIPAL ORGAN RECITAL. j The weekly organ, recital will be given ! in the Town Hall on Saturday evening,:; when the city organist will be assisted by Miss Laura Stone, vocalist. A popular* . programme of organ music will be sclented}; irom the works of Hollir.s, Wolflteuholme, ' Corelli and Rubinstein.. AUCKLAND MALE CHOIR. J The Auckland Male Choir will give its ■ third concert in the Town Hall to-morrow-, evening. The soloists will be Mrs-. John-ston-Topliss, Miss Ava Symons and Mr. T. C. Beaton. ■ \ DANCE CARNIVAL. The dance carnival given by Miss ("Veil Hall and pupils in His Majesty's Thee ire last week will be repeated this evening for the benefit of those who were unable to gain admission on Saturday night. Tha game programme will be given, and the proceeds; are in aid of the Returned Soli diers' Association. TIVOLI THEATRE. "Sweet Kitty Bfiiiirs," a vivid pic ture of the days ol chivslry. forms the leading attraction at the Tivoli Theatre this week. The play gives Mae Murray several opportunities to display her versatility as an emotional actress. She is no less entrancing than Miss Nellie .Stewart, who created tile character of Kitty in Australia and Mew Zealand. The photo' graphic production offers many opportunist tics for a broader rendering of the play, than would be possible on the dramatis : stage. Kitty Bellairs, a coquette, was sought after on account of her sparkling disposition. Yet ska was a wild, un- | spoiled Irish girl, qiikk in sympathy and ready with advice, though not always good advice. As Lady Barbara remarked, " Methinks, perhaps, she has tool many conquests, too many dimples, and scarce s -feet disposition'." The action is laid in i..d city 01 Bath, the Monte* Carlo of the eighteenth century. The jettings of the play are excellent, s.me of the scenic effects being distinctly fine.

PRINCESS THEATRE. An allegorical play, "The Secret 08 Eve," is presented this week at the PrinJ cess Theatre. Olga Petrova appears in( three distinct roles, md is convincing in) each. The plot concerns a. Quaker girl's desire for happiness and worldly riches.| The character of the stern- Quaker father! is one of the strongest in the play. 'The( scenes of gipsy life are particularly good, and give an atmosphere of freshness to ani otherwise rather ordinary play. One of the finest sections of Rex" Beach's " Pirate Haunts'' is screened. This picture deals with wild life in Central America. A Christie comody, " Skirts." is also shown. QUEEN'S THEATRE. An eminently successful adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's quaint story* "The Bottle Imp," is being shown at the} Queen's Theatre this week. Certainly no picture of such an uncommon and entertaining nature has been seen in Auckland.* The play is notable on account nf the/ acting of the Hawaiian native* who portray the main characters. Ses3ue Hava« kawa is excellent as the fisheiinan who, by the power of tho "bottle." is transformed into a prince. The scenic element in the play is a feature, the view of tha volcanic eruption being especially fine. In addition to "The Bottle Imp," a drama, "Meg's Curse," founded on a poem by Ella Wilcox, is shown. WEST END T7EATRE. A powerful story of spiritual struggle* "The Martyrdom of Philip Strong," « presented at the West lind Theatre this week. Robert Conners and Mabel Trun« nelle appear in the production., OTHER ENTERTAINMENTS. Douglas Fairbanks is the principal actor in " His Picture in the Papers." a comedy screened at the Grand Theatre. "Periwinkle," a pretty tale of life on the American coast, is shown at Everybody's Theatre, A splendid version of the schoolboy classic, "Tom Brown's Schooldays' U presented at the Lyric Theatre. Frank Keenan appears in " The Phaii' torn Crook " at the Globe Theatre. "The Self-made Widow," with Alic«J Brady in the title role, is shown at the* Palace Theatre. Olive Thomas makes her debut on tha screen in "Madcap Madge," a delightful comedy shown at the Strand Theatre. Francis Bushman and Marguerite Snowl are the chief playerc in The Silenti Voice," to be shown at the Alexandra Theatre this evening.