ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17659, 21 December 1920, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS.

OPERA HOUSE

A cordial reception was given to a. number of new artists added to the programme presented at the Opera House* last evening. Miller and Rainey, whose turn was somewhat cryptically described as " Love and Peanuts," speedily established themselves in the favour of the audience. Their performance was distinctly clever, one of the features being the manner in which the possibilities of the slide trombone, both as a comedy maker and the producer of oblisato to vocal music, were exploited. James bcuone!d won favour with a number of tenor solos, his laughing-song proving particularly acceptable. Harrington Reynolds. Jun.. took a little time to work the audience to on appreciation of the points he was endeavouring to make. He might have succeeded more speedily had he excised one or two of his jokes. But, leaving these aside, his efforts won their due share of applause. One of the most enthusiastically received turns was that of Ward and Sherman, playing their final week, whose string of absurdities kept the house in a simmer of laughter. Genuine merit characterised the acrobatic performance of Desperado and La Rose, the tumbling and hand balancing of the former and the trapeze-work of the latter both being excellent. Rex. with his rapidly executed cartoons and sketches, and Hart and Clege were welcomed on ther- reappearance. The "hilarious offering" of Eva.ns and Deen. and the clever patter of Uaxlton Max. the ventriloquist, with his mend Jerry, in the character of a jockey both proved very much to th© taste of the audience. Henri French displaved an amusing power of reproducing the peculiarities of various musicians in conducting an orchestra, and by force of personality won success where the audience could have little chance or appreciating the exactitude o. his impersonations. The programme will be continued nightly.

THE FOX TRIOA musical event that is being looked forward to by Auckland people is the group of two concerts to be- given by the Fox Trio and assisting artiste in the Town Hall concert chamber en Monday and Tuesday evenings. December 27 and 28. The proRrammes are comprehensive of their kind and include violin concertos, piano concertos, piano solos, trios for piano and strings! a.uartettes' for strings, and a grand quintette icr piano and strings. Among the composers represented will be Haydn. Mendelssohn. Bruch. Schubert, Saint Saens. Techaikowsky Weiss, and Lisit. The box plana are at Lewis Eady's, Queen Street.

FRANK. HUTCHENS' RECITAL. The second pianoforte recital toa bo given by Mr. Frank Hutchena. the soTo pianist and teacher from the Sydney of Music, -was held in the To.wn Hall concert chamber last evening before a large and appreciative audience. The programme was confined to musio of a descriptive nature, and _ Mr. Hutchena' interpretation rendered it highly interesting and appealing to the ima-gination. His selections incluo>a 'The Eagle" (Macdowell), "The Clock' (Poldim), Beethoven's " Moonlight Sonata." Cyril Scott's " Egyptian Boat Song '-' and " Water Wagtail." " Bird Song " (Palmgren). 'Menuetto" (Zanella). "Rain" (Minnie Solomon), " Island Spell " (John Ireland), " Jeux D'Eau " (Ravel), and " Noel " (Balfour Gardiner). The programme was concluded with an excellent rendering of three works of Chopin, " Prelude in F Major " (mill wheel), " Berceuse," and "Ballade in A Flat." Encore items included "Andante " (Grazonnow), and Liszt's " Rhapsodies." No. 2 and No. 10. The final programme will be given to-morrow evening, when Mr. Hutchens will play certain selections on request. DRAMA AT KING'S THEATRE. Considerable interest is being manifested in the forthcoming production of " The Unmarried Mother." a drama which Fuller's Dramatic Players will present at the King's .Theatre. Newton, for a season commencing on Monday evening. Boxins Night. The intention of the producers is to make the reopening of this large theatre a memorabl* one and they are not sparing any expense in furthering this object. The company has just completed a record-breaking *»ason of 176 consecutive weeks in Melbourne and includes several popular names in the world of drama. The box plans for the first week of the season are now open at Richardson's Queen Street, and Finlay's. Pitt Street. ' PARNELL PICTURES. An attempt to break the world's record for continuous piano-playing, at present , l S °SMx. Kemp, of London, is being made at the Parnell Pictures by Mr. AlbeTt Steele Mr. Steele commenced playing at, 9 am yesterday, and to achieve his object he must continue playing without rest or sleep until 11-51 p.m. on Friday, a local committee has been appointed to see that Mr. Steele fulfils all the conditions of the. test. Mr Steele play b for the pictures each evening and also for the amateur trials, which are beins: held on W&dneeday and Thursday evenings, when a gold medal will be presented for the best song or other vaudeville turn. The. theatre ia open to the public day and night,, and interested people may gam admission .during the recess.