ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18457, 21 July 1923, Page 11

ENTERTAINMENTS.

i OSCAR ASCHE IN . " CAIRO/*,, The opening porfocrmanca of "Cairo/, ■by Mr. Oscar Ascho astd his company, will be given at His Majesty's Theatre on Wednesday evening. The members of th* combination will arrive on Monday evening. In spite of the large demand for scats for the forthcoming season of this piece tad " Chu Chin Chow," there are still to be secured a large ntjcber ' xA. excellent seats in the reserved portions of the house. With regard to " Cairo,". it ; is stated that a feature has been made of the music, which was specially composed foil it by Percy Fletcher..' Number* noteworthy for their melodic and romantic charm are said to be,*; "My King of Love " (Zummurud's song), and also her solo sung to the Sultan, '" When" Love Knocked Upon the Door I Was a Beggar Maid no More." " Love in My Breast " is, another number highly spoken of and falling to the same character. Novel" in the extreme is the music composed for the Oriental scenes and incidents, the score m parts showing remarkable strength. The orchestra, it is stated, is continually entrancing the listeners with harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic effects. Airs' of haunting sweetness are said to be played, and in contrast there are appropriate accompaniments to the humorous episodes of the play, while underlying the tragic events that transpire there is said to be a vivid power of musical utterance usually only to bo heard in grand opera. At other times the orchestral work breaks into a field of weird barbaric and bacchanalian music, such as in the kaleidoscopic scene in the old Egyptian place, wherein the musio is said to urge the dancers into the wildest confusion and tumult. Gorgeous tone colouring is said to add to the voluptuous beauty of some of the stage sets, this also being skilfully mirrored in the music. There is a delightful intermezzo preluding a scene depicting the Nile at sunset, and in this and other phases of the piece it is said that it is im- - possible to dissociate the music from the spectacle:' The play will be presented by a fine cast headed by Oscar Asche.

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. The Marshall Neilan production; " Minnie," now the . leading attraction on the now programme being screened, at Everybody's Theatre should bo universally ap- < preciated. It shows many signs of the artistic judgment of the director. Minnie is the homeliest girl in town. Being snubbed at a dance, and realising that she has no romance of her own, she creates ope by writing letters to herself and sending herself flowers to carry out the : deception. In these and other humourous ways she mates the people of the town understand that, though she is undeniably plain, she has a sweetheart. - When gossip is at its height a jealous step-sister, suspecting Minnie's pretence, threatens- to expose her. In order to save her reputation the girl then claims an unidentified body at the morgue as that of her lover, quite ignorant of the fact that the dead man is a Chinese, When a ' reporter comes to get a story for his paper he wrests the troth from the girl . but is so touched by her unhappiness that ho forgets to write his report and 'marries Minnie instead. There is a sub-plot in [which the father of the girl, an inventor, figures largely, and in the final scenes, when both the heroine and her lover ore * rendered more comely by the aid of plastio surgery, there is a quaint touch. There is distinct heart appeal in the story as well as a good deal of subtle humour. Leatripe Joy does 'excellent work in , the depiction of the ugly duckling of the little town. She is particularly good in the i scenes in which Minnie broadens her knowledge of men while taking motor-car trips. Some screamingly funny situations, moreover, are • heightened; by her seriousness. Another admirable episode in ! "The Leather Pushenj" is also shown. ■;,.;;

' '. ~ PRINCESS THEATRE. • .;., '/, The' new. programme at the Princess Theatre this week is of a varied \ and interring; nafcuro. The leading film is, " Conquering the Woman," starring Florence Victor in a highly-diverting ; performance, as Judith Stafford. Her father, [ Tobie, (Bert. Sprotte) : a self-made , man, . is shocked to see Judith return from Europe •an unbearable snob. He enlists (the' aid of , a. rough sea captain and some . I crude friends in teaching her mere demoJ cratic ideals. They kidnap the girl .and l place her on ■; a yacht .;-where she has; to j eat her meals with the captain and Larry j Saunders) a rough Westerner-. v. She scorns both of them. ~ The captain c than places her on a desert island with Larry, The ' latter makes a new woman of .her so that fho old , associates are no longer attractive to, her. When the Count,; a former . suiter, arrives, . she refuses him, bat he : takes her away on his' yacht. L*irrv follows in anothe/: ship and rescues Judith, and bar father's purposes are carried ; out. * There are several pictureoque : "shoV* of fes sea, a y&sht race, and a thrilling . rescue from a sinking vessel. "Davidsßutlers.. so ~" - fine as Lwry. Also on.the programme! is a diverting comedy, " Down and Out,**: an fajterestateg' Pathe Review, t and another chapter in •''The Timber Queen.* , 1,.; QUEEN/3 THEATRE.' .'' ; The new triple; aill now being screened, .. at the .Queen's Tbeatire-is WJed by " Isobel,''' a George H. DavV p.rwluctko ;;/ of a • James Oliver Curwood ; story, ■ with-; House Peters and' Jane Novak in the ; principal parts. Peters is scon in a robusft ; impersonation of jar North-west; mounted policeman, holding' thaXcharacter X clean .'.;' and true Without, over-acting. ' The snow < settirigs »re unusually good. The second feature in, " The !V 'Craipa;? an ■adaptation of Br leafa stage play i of that name. '.. Ethel Clay toil ■;■ Is : very ; /veflvmang' in; the rola of Margaret Harvey. ' / .The - comedy is, "Holy Smoke," a Mermaid production,;

MUNICIPAL ORGAN RECITAL. An organ recital will be held in the Town Hall this evening, when the«city organist, Mr. Maughan BaJ-nett, will play a number 'of favourite organ ~ numbers, including works by Handel, Boellmann, and Silas, and a concert on some well-known British aira. ' Mrs. Cyril 'Towsey will render some popular vocal- pieces by Bantock and Loh.r> while Miss Dorothy Baker will play violin selections; from the compositions of Kxeislei*.' ;'■