ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17040, 23 December 1918, Page 10

ENTERTAINMENTS.

MUBIEL' STARR SEASON.

The bos p'ans will open at Wildman and Arey's this morning at eight o'clock in connection with the forthcoming Muriel Starr dramatic season, which will begin nt His Majesty's Theatre on Boxing Night. The first production, " The Bird of Paradise" proved remarkably successful throughout America, where the famous emotional actress recently cut short a triumphal tour in order to fulfil her engagement with the J. 0. Wilhamson management, contracted for prior to her New York debut It is described as a play of love and life in Hawaii, being the romance cf a native maiden and a white man, and offering many novel and fascieating features. The spectator is wafted, as it were, to the paradise of the South Seas. A feast of enchantment is provided bt the Hawaiian hula hula dancers, the captivating music, the sweetness of the ukulele, and the mystery and magic of the native ceremonies which reproduce iho subtle and sensuous atmosp!»re of the Pacific Islands. It is stated to, be a play irf an entirely new vein, and to arouse the interest and enthusiasm of even the most hardened theatregoer. Miss Starr portrays the part of Luana, the Hawaiian princess, and is supported by Frank Harvey, Louis Kimball. J. B. Atholwood, James Hughes, Edwin Lester, Maggie

Moore, Norma Mitchell, and many other stage favourites. "The Bird of Paradise" will be staged for the first five nights then will follow two other productions new to this city-" The Man Who Came Back" and " The Easiest Way — also a revival of the popular drama " Within the Law."

I OPERA HOUSE. Rarely has an enterprising proprietary st.h as Messrs. B. J. and J. Fuller securud as important an attraction as Gfcfflpaili, tiiu well-known Italian tenor, who opened a season in Auckland at the 1." Opera Howa on Saturday. The musicloving people of Auckland first became acp quainted and charmed with Signor Cap- | 1;• pelli's singing when the Gonsaiez Opera i Company, of which he was a prominent member, toured New Zealand under the Fuller management nearly two years ago. ;!§ * Cappelli paid two subsequent visits to J ; Auckland, tho most recent being last July, i :i? and on each occasion he gained fresh i laurels. It was with particular interest, therefore, that the gifted singer made his reappearance on Saturday. Those who |; have heard Cappelli 6in§ will not forget him soon. His glorious voice leaves a thrill |h that does not easily fade. The audience on Saturday awaited his appearance with i| ket.ii anticipation, and gave him an en[f, thusiastic welcome. His first number was jl an excerpt from Meyerbeer's "L'Africana." I reappearance on difficult aria revealed have heard Cappelli sinj; will not forget him soon. His glorious voice leaves a thrill thst does not easily fade. The audience on Saturday awaited his appearance with < ketn anticipation, and gave him an en-, thuiiastic welcome. His first number was | an excerpt from Meyerbeer's "L'Africana." j This trying and "difficult aria revealed j ! v Cappeli's ability in this class of work. Ite The head notes & the upper register were p specially clear "and virile. His second | [f item, a Spanish serenade, " Lolita," by j If Buzri Peccia, was sung with a warmth || of feeling that instantly conveyed itself to IK the audience. " Matti Nata," by Leon i:.: Cavallo, and "Mania Man" were num|};i' bers requiring great dramatic effort, but |£. the task was no' beyond the ability of If ':v Cappelli, whose treatment of both items | '&' was an artistic triumph. His concluding [:/-• number was the favourite "La Donna e m: Mobile," from the opera " Rigoletlo." It H•.,' made a heavy vocal demand, but the Iff tenor's ringing was a masterpiece of 1' vocalisation. These five selected gems ijv torn among; Cappelli's extensive repertoire were more than sufficient to reveal i;': the rich bmuties of his voice, and during i i W-\ . bis season in Auckland he is certain to re- J ||! ■'■'■ ceive abutJant public recognition of his is! great gift of music, Miss Ivy Ackersten I] '.was. a capable accorapaniste, Walter ||S George's Sunshine Players presented a row comedy entitled '" Seaside Frolics." It was an enjoyable pot pourri of song lH .••'«nd dance, with the addition of many ;i' -humorous interludes. Among the more 5: prominent vocal items was Miss Hylda ;;'._ Shannon's singing of "Cupid's El ':/';'. Dorado." Murfaynj played a number of I | Dorado." on the- played number of selections on the- xylophone, Doorak's %'0 T - " Humoresque " ' bung warmly encored. Km , Elsa Bran and Arthur Hemslov ap--|i pearad in a new sketch, "The'Knut, !-X'>!ha'i Girl, and the Egg." Mr. I;I; Hemlsey's eccentric dancing was a fea- ||. . tire of the piece. l>Esß Violet Trevenyon t{ ||i delighted tne audience with several new I Wf% catchy songs, her <hic appearance secur- ||:, ing many admirers. The topical verses in 4; the ; song, "On the Day On Which Peace lifer ie. Declared," were keenly appreciated. . Baron, the skilled ventriloquist, kept the H audience, intensely amused for several |r- . minutes. The programme will be repeated g / t ewry evening this week except on Christt;.; mas Night, when a special selected proml-, gramme, headed by Cappelii, will be sub'■W: mitt©! k / •. ,5: "ALICE IS WONDERLAND." 1* The success , already achieved .in the }v pantomime,-'' Alice in Wonderland," by 111 Miss Vera ißurmester's juvenile dance H pupils was well sustained on Saturday I;- evening, when a repetition of the per- |'■ . fdrmance was -given in aid of the Bed ; »;; Cross Hospital Fund, b;fore a large. r£-:,. audience in the concert cbambe!.- of the H Town Hall. On this occanion the enter* ff;'^.: tainment was seen to a disadvantage, as fe; compared with the former presentation in W&i Hie Majesty'* Theatre, in that the only . I*'-' ; available scenery was too large for the H ■■'/, '. sta^;>'6f Hba concert chamber. The garden § stage, of the concert chamber. The garden ! seeded consequently, was perforce left to • M the imagination of the audience, but the j mjgk apology that was made for this, unavoid-1 I't* ; able drawback was cheerfully accepted. I H m All the children acquitted themselves with j We--' credit, the dancing thicughout being W§. pretty and graceful, whilst the songs and if;/.; -elocutionary efforts showed considerable HI '< prorate. Miss Yolande Orbell, as Alice, f& gav3 a pleasing interpretation of the part, g| and the various other characters, some 20 fel in number, were capably presented. An, |- ; ,. an &' dance, in which nine little girls F.j\, took part, afforded considerable delight to fe:; all present. A' feature deserving of special Up-' mention was the Hawaiian scena, (a) p " Ftoso of Honolulu," and (b) " Hello, t" . Hawaii," in which the performers, picm.:- turesquely garbed in native dress, brought s' down the house".' Miss Korah" McGarry g'X was very successful as the- soloist, and her 5 - ( singing was much appreciated. This item, fc: as well as several others, including -a |;.' charming Welsh dance, was heartily en|p cored. The rag-a-jag and Coronation f;. .ballets, with which the performance con* lb. eluded, also deservedly found much favour m with the audience A few of the perH? . formers, who wer? in the original cast, p including Miss Dovie Shrewsbury, a clever p young dancer, were unavoidably abiient. ¥ The beautiful costumes were a feature of V:-- the entertainment, and did much to en* Wji-> hance its success. TIVOLI THEATRE. I•'' The holiday , programme, which com* m- tnence<j at the'Tivoli Theatre on SaturB day, is one that will prove attractive to §•*. the large number of visitor* to Auckland m during the holidays, and should lot be ] % missed by lovers of the pictures. The r principal film is entitled " Rich Man, Poor' Mail, and features the favourite versatile American'.., artist, Marguerite Clark. She is assisted by a cast of well-Known f artists, and this, coupled with the expen- ; sive settings of the picture, make it one of her best releases. It. tells of the rise of a girl from a waif to the wife of a wealthy man. Some pathetic scones occur in parts, but the shadows are dispelled by > the brightness 'of the changing parts of f the story, which lead to the climax, where 6 happiness is " reached after many dark days. Included in the programme is a Burton-Holmes traveWue, snowing some !' fine fcenes in classic Greece. The whole is brichtened by a Mack Sennett comedy, in which the fun is fa.it and furiouii, ana which keeps the audiefice vastly amused. The acximpsniment tc the entertainment is played by the Tivoli Orchestra, which is an attraction in itvili'.

fj STRAND I'd BATHE. p An excellent programme of motion>pioj tores was shown at the Strand Theatre g on Saturday, and will be 6hown each day X this week. " Ghosts ol Yesterday," which Ms posesses an unusual plot. It is an adapta--1 :;'• tiort of Rupert Hughes's famous book, M& "Two Women." The story tells of the P many and,varied adventures of a woman mr* of the underworld, : who holds a high posi-|-r tion .among the upper Bohemian eet in £ -' Pam. I She is the self-termed "queen" of a notorious resort, the " Bal Tavarin." Mia? Norma Talmadgo is in the chief roi, [*«*, ■'»-"•'■• '-•• ..■■'-».••■•'■--,'! .-• : '• - ■ '

LYRIC THEATRE. Anita Stewart, most charming of motionpicture actresses, is to be seen at the Lyric Theatre this week in a good film-play, entitled " A Million Bid," which iB her latest production. Miss Stewart, who has been before the public eye for several years—in fact, since the disintegration of the Lubin Players—has proved her worth, manifestly in "The Girl Phillipa," and in " Clover's Rebellion,",, which had an unprecedented success in this city. Other films included a good Topical Gazette and some comedies. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. " A Million Bid " is the title of a Vitagraph photo-play which is featured in a now picture programme which iB being presented daily at Everybody's Theatre. A powerful and connected story, it is interpreted in delightful manner by a brilliant cast, which includes the very wpular artist, Miss Anita Stowart, who captivated local picture lovers by her interpretation of the girl in " The Girl Phillipa " and other films. The supporting cast includes Miss Julia Swayne Gordon and Mr. Harry Aforey. In addition to possessing a good story, " A Million Bid " has a beautiful setting* and the photography is excellent. Supporting subjects include " His Sudden Rival," a Keystone comedy, and the " Gaumont Graphic." Additional charm is lent to the entertainment by the excellent rendition of several numbers by a capable orchestra. GRAND rffEATRE. Large crowds attended every session at the Grand Theatre on Saturday to witness a fine film entitled " Shnngahaied," in i which the inimitable comedian Charlie 1 Chaplin was seen in one of the most I humorous comedies vet screened in Auckland. " Nearly Married," a Goldwyn production, featuring Miss Madge Kennedy, was another fine subject, and of the supporting programme the thirteenth episode of "The fatal Ring" was the most interesting. NATIONAL THEATRE. An excellent Christmas attraction is provided at the National Theatre this week in the film adaptation of Rhe well known fairy tale " Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp." Nothing finer in Mia way of photo-play production has been presented in Auckland for a considerable time. The photography is of a magnificent order, and Hie manner in which persons .and buildings mysteriously come into vision and disappear again are a triumph of the cinematographic art. Several good supporting subjects are also screened. PRINCESS THEATRE. " The Brass Check," a Metro photoplay, which was screened at the Princess Theatre on Saturday, and which will be shown continuously throughout this, week, teems with interesting situations. Francis X. Bushman and Bovorley Bayne appear in the chief roles, and are responsible for some clever comedy work. The story concerns Richard Trevor, son of a crooked financier who imprisons an inventor in an asylum in order to obtain his formula for a rubber substitute. Trevor meets the inventor's sister, and they experience many exciting adventures. Tho supporting subjects are very good. QUEEN'S THEATRE. An excellent photo-play, entitled "Old Love for New," is screened at the Queen Theatre this week. It tells how a man was overcome by a great sorrow, then how ho regained his manhood, awakened an erring wife to a sense of duty, and began life afresh. GLOBE THEATRE. A most amusing and entertaining nhotoplay, entitled ''The Clodhoppor," is shown this' week at the Globe Theatre. 'In th-3 principal role is Charles Ray, who gives a capable characterisation of* a raw country lad, who visits the metropolis in search of employment. He finally enters a revue company, where he wins instant fame as an exponent of ludicrous eccentric dancing. Other films are shown.