ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18459, 24 July 1923, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS.

OPEEA HOUSE. • ; Opera House patrons w<sre well served last evening, the entertainment '/ being • bright and varied -with -many ; distin- .; guished numbers. ; . A soloist: of distinction is Signor . . Enrico Palmetto,'-'who . possesses a highly cultivated' tenor voice and has no diinculty in overcoming the most severe tests. He gave : several : clas- ; sic numbers which found instant favour : but he reached the " heart of the audience with " Home, Sweet Home.": sang with infinite sweetness and sympathy, ft is not often that a foreigner,'. who find;; some difficulty with the English tongue, achieves such in an English song. The other newcomer was Wong Toy Sun, a Chinese illusionist. In conjuring and magic of one kind and another the artist held the audience spellbound. His work is perfection itself. In a manner " most •; mystifying he produced pigeons 1 from a pan in which he had made a messy mixture with eggs. v A ; glass box ; was emptied of its contents of fruit which ..-■ was placed in a can, but when a . re- I volver was fired the fruit again appeared in the glass box : which all the time had : remained in an assistant's hands in ' full view of the audience. From a case, assuredly empty, fowls, ; pigeons, and ducks were hauled forth, and finally a girl. An imitation kettle drum "was ! made by covering the ends o:T a cylinder with paper and rom it ducks, Chinese lanterns . and many other things were produced. The whole turn was very attractive. , The setting was Chinese and the conjuror and his assistants performed in absolute silence but for the occasional firing oit a revolver. The two Meurs again received the applause of an enthusiastic house for their amazing gymnastic display. Many of their feats" of strength, agility and balance have never been excelled lin Auckland. . A quaint humour was lent to the turn by the fact that the two performers behaved as if they • were having a quiet practice by, themselves. The little Scotch' comedienne, Miss Dora Lindsay, was excellent in a number of Scottish character studies. Her hucaoour is of the kind to appeal to Scotch folk. Two . braw Scotch laddies, the Mackinnon. Boys, both in kilts, r were joyfully received. One played the bagpipes for the other's dancing and produced surprising music from a concertina. Both gave modern dances. Thome > again found favour for his. delightful violin solos. Miss Violet Elliott and Miss Marie Levarre sang charmingly, and Miss. Madge Bilton and Mac, and Kearris and Hunt gavo highly amusing comedy turns. Jack Momssey, the wizard of the stockwhip and lassoo, was a prime favourite, ' His feats were of the kind people mostly -j. read about, proclaiming a perfect- . aye and . a wonderful nerve. He .is also a 1 S;reat marksman, his .shooting "stunts" , ast evening being performed with such apparent ease that only a shooting man could fully appreciate the skill displayed. The programme will: be repeated- each evening this week and; at the "usual > matinees. ''' . "A ■

OSCAR ASCHE IN " CAIRO." This evening a full scenery and dress rehearsal of 'Cairo" will be Conducted at.' His Majesty's Theatre, under the personal supervision of Mr. Oscar Asche, who; is due to arrive in Auckland, together with his entire company, at 8. o'clock thin morning. It was the original ' intention to open . the tour this evening, but instead Mr. Asche preferred to devote his first night in New Zealand to a comprehensive rehearsal, so that the initial production of "Cairo". miflht be presented on the same ncale of completeness as the original one which , created a sensation in Sydney. There are still a number of seats in central positions for - to-morrow ; night's production, which may be selected at Lewis R. E.'idy and Son, Ltd., and tickets ' for the back ctalls arid early door gallery may be purchased at .Colemah'ij to-day. - A scene that , attracted a ■ pri;at amount iof interest in London is the. ' Bacchanalian ballet. •Elaborate- arrangements are already in progress . for its representation here. An additional supply 01 electricity has been provided, hot water : baths have been installed in fclhe theatre, and numerous other alterations and additions have been effected during the week,' to effect which a . team of electricians, and : property masters have .recently . arrived from Sydney.

STRAND THEATRE. - Enthusiastic audiences continue ,to wit. V-ivv ness ;; the excellent : United Artists film, "less ;• of the ! Storm r Country," featuring :-5 ■?! Mary Pickfprd, which iis now the chief at- , I traction ; on the current programme at the Mlt ' Strand Theatre. This pathetic; tale ;of the F; i : fisherman's daughter who v sacrifices { her ' ! town/ reputation to save that of ; another girl,: is told in entertaining- fashion, the 1 dramatic incidents being cleverly inter- ; ; mingled / vmh humour. : Mary ;, Pickford ?• is -: seen at her best in; th& title-role. Also ; on the bill are, the latest topical gazette, ; a coloured Pathe pictorial, and i a divert- : ing comedy. Mr. Frank ■> Andrews provides 7? ; ar, . interlude of monologues; of lan rentertaining description. "Teas of tb* 1 Storm .« ' CountryV.v,will beV presented daily' until. Thursday. 'On : Friday , the weekly cKenge of : : programme will be ,m?de, with . "Sinilin' Through" as the principal. picture. ,' This > is - Norma Talmadge's . ; latest-: success, i and has been hailed everywhere;, as one of ; the; J best pictures of - the year. :; It'. is ; said to.U -v ■ So a dainty and charming romance, - in jrV which the star sustains a dual role, that :!■ of a pretty, modern, 38-year-old girl, and , ' ; subsequently as a : bride of 50 ; years: ago. The ; days of the crinoline and the minuet are said to have: been most: faithfully de- : • picted in this film. : Most of the narrative X: | is .Mi described , $is being. - 'pathetically , dramatic! •; The nettings, are said to be • most ; picturesque, i the beau iof presen- .; J tation having evoked high praise; from the •/ critics. r "Wyndham.■ Standing,; Alec ° 8.. Francis, Glen Hunter^and' others, ; ; are in .ry the supporting cast." ,

; • PRINCESS THEATRE. . : "Conquering |; the , ; Woman,"; j,- starring Florence Vide? 4 , is still attracting large i ;'; numbers Of spectators 'to the Princess Theatre, where it is the l chief pictui-vi' on ■ an entertaining programme. The ;• story ; , deals with the taming ;of f a spoiled - girl by, a man of .rough.' exterior. The two ;. are thrown together upon an island, where: the girl has to work or. starve, such being:: 1 the decision .of her companion, Larry " Saunders.'. The latter part is forcefully,, played by David Butler. The new episode in "The Timber Queen" shows Ruth Roland, in further • adventures of an amazing description.:/ The Pathe Review is also 'V£| a feature of the bill. On Friday the aew 1 -. Associated Exhibitors', programme, >to be v screened for one "week, :, will ':be! headed by ? "Face to',Face," i\[ Playgoers' attraction, 1 - in which a murdor , mystery'- is ; unfolded -V • without undue • mefodrama being intro- : /;7 duced. , The star will "^'bo' r i Marguerite v : Marsh, who, as Helen Marsley, solves the; V mystery. ■ The. exciting, theme is' dramatic ■ } and emotional in : turn, > and the thrilling detective story is told in graphic fashion; ; : -£ BROADWAY THEATRE, The programme to be screened at {he, . Broadway Theatre, Newmarket, to-night ' will be headed v bv "Sonny," with Richard v Bartholmess : in the principal part.' The v ; film has a strong romantic-interest. ' The . ' ! second' feature; will be; * "One Wonderful ' ; Night," a Universal ; drama-film ; : starring : . ( Herbert Rawlinson. The story is a sensa- • tional cue of: love &nd adventure. Helen i Ferguson plays the .role of- a girL wha: has to be . married by . a certain ; time or . lose ;'; : a fortune. : ;' "■

' QUEEN'S THEATRE. - The triple 1 bill now i' being screened at v . •; the Queen's Theatre; is strong in attrac- > tions. The leading is "Isobol," based :on i one of James Oliver" Garwood's ' „" stories of the ■: North-West, with House v • Peters and Jane Novak as' a pair -of romantic lovers. . The 'second ■ Feature is ' "The Cradle,'/ a powerful - indictment iof ;1; * divorce, with •• Ethel Clayton 'in the: lead. .;■$ "Holy Smoke" is a diverting comedy also : •: on the programme. ■ •: • ' EVERYBODY'S THEATRE, " The - successful picture, ' "Minnie," < fea- ; ; ' ; turing Leatiioe ; Jov, is the. chief attraction •at Everybody s :Theatre this week, Marshall Neilan, the producer, has done very fine work ■ in this •which ; bear? many ■of his < distinctive touches. It tells- _ a- pathetically humorous story of a homely girl and ; her. equally homely : lover-%Thex«p^ , are excellent supporting picture