ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5375, 7 September 1904, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS.

OPERA HOUSE. The last performance of Captain Marshall's frolicsome comedy “His Excellency the Governor” was given by the Williamson Comedy Company last evening. The house was a full one, and interest in the nice© was sustained without a lull. To-night “His Excellency the Governor will give, place to another of Captain Marshall's successes, “The Duke of Ivilliccrankio.” lu was the hit of tho season at tho London Criterion, and is still running. Tho curtain will rise to-night at eight o'clock, when a short Haymarkct piece “The Widow Woos” will be played. ‘•Tho Duko of Killiecrankie” will be repeated to-morrow evening, and on Friday and Saturday Mr H. H. Davies's ‘‘Cousin Kate” will bo staged. THEATRE ROYAL. Changes of programme and accessions of new artists keep the entertainment at tho Theatre Royal as fresh and amusing as ever. Tho Cathedral Choristers have returned, and stepped into renewed popularity with their singing of ‘'Hark to the Mandolin” and other part songs. The old favourites Percy Denton, Alice Layton, Sam Wilson, Carden Wilson, and Jay W. Winton are as fresh as ever, and tho cake walk still has attractions. On Friday evening Mdlle. May Moor© Duprez, described as tho “Jolly American Girl,” is to appear. Mdlle. Duprez comes with a London and Australian reputation, and appears by arrangement with Mr Harry Rickards. HIS MAJESTY'S. Tho Fuller management, overrun with specialties, have done away with the minstrel ring in tho first part, and added variety thereby. Parker, the handcuff king, mystifies comprehension and baffles almost any form of bonds. Tho touch of melodrama introduced by tho Swift family iu “Sweet Clover” is la good taste, and not too-long, and the programme is well diversified by tho songs and turns of Kitty Lenton, Denis Carney, Jim Marion, May Dagmar, Lottie Southwell, Frank King, and Will Dyson, to say nothing of tho Stagpooles. Carmo, the juggler, who has made his reappearance, astonished tho audience by his feats of legerdemain and balancing, and won unstinted applause. FLORENCE MENKME X ER. Miss Florence Menkmeyer has consented to give hor ninth recital in Wellington in aid of tho Salvation Army cuaritiea. Tho concert will tako place to-mor-row evening in the Cltaded, Vivian street. The programme includes the “Erl-Kiug” (.Schubert-Liszt), “Hungarian Rhapsodic” No. II (Liszt), “Funeral Mlarch” and “Impromptu” (Chopin), “Serenade” (SchubertLlszt). The offer of Miss Menkmeyer to give hor services in aid of these charities has been well received by all classes in Wellington. A very large audience is expected. v PADEREWSKI. Mr Paderewski will arrive in Wellington on Saturday evening. Ho will give his first concert on Monday evening. Tho demand for seats stall continues. Only seven of the extra half-guinea seats reserved now remain unbooked. A few guinea seats in tho dress circle and a number of good stall scats are, however, still available. Mr Robert Parker, the well - known Wellington musician, who heard Rubinstein play in 1886, has just returned from Auckland, where he heard both recitals, and he states that Paderewski's playing of ordinary pieces was. invested with a charm that profoundly moved him. Speaking of the “Carnival” of Schumann, he said it was mad© a wonderful living picture in the hands of the pianist, who seems to have a marvellous command of colourtone. “The wonderful gradations of tones he gets, and the charming effects produced by the use of the pedals, are astounding. It is quite a lesson to watch him. Another thing that struck him was uie moderate and unaffected way in which Paderewski plays classical works. H© does not hustle them .through, but invests them with plenty of warmth and expressive phrasing—it is virtuosity for virtuosity's sake, as it were. He recognises that the function of art is not to astonish, but to edify.. Tho music is first in everything; it is a great education to near him. The man seems wrapped up in his music, and you forget the man in tho music. His head drops over his instrument, and ho seems to make it talk intimately to his audience.”

INTER - GYMNASIUM COMPETITION. 'i'lio second annual competition between teams representing the Wellington Physical Training School and Harrison's Gymnasium was held last night at the Harrison Gymnasium. Thero was a big muster of tho public, and they were rewarded with an excellent exhibition. Last year Harrison's was tho winning team, but on this occasion the Physical Training School (Dovey's) secured the judge's verdict by a substantial margin of points—llßß to 1133. The winners put up their best performances in the wand and the dumb-bell exercises,while the losers did best in club-swinging and in vaulting tae horse. Tho championship gold medal was won by A. Murrell (of Harrison's) witn a record of 165$ points, while the silver medal fell to W. Weston (of Dovey's), who scored 164$ points. Mr Tankard, of Christchurch, acted as judge, having oome up specially. Following is a summary of tho points- gained:— Exercise. Harrison's. Dovey's.

At the weekly concert at the Sailors' Rest on Monday evening, an excellent programme was provided. Items were fiven by the Misses Lloyd Hassell, and hlsforci, Messrs L. Cohen, P. Cooper, J, Zachariah, and Bray. Mr F. Barrett was accompanist. Several vocalists and an orchestra have been,engaged for the promenade concert to be held at the Bellevue Gardens, Lower Hntt, on Wednesday evening, September 21st. The illumination of the grounds will bo on an elaborate scale.

Eopa and ladder ... 116 128 Wands ... 143 ... 158 Horizontal bar ... ... 132 149 Dumb-bells ... 130 146 Parallel, bars ... ... 145 154 Clubs ... 145 ... 137 Kings ... 144 ...' 155 Vaulting Horse ■ ... 178 161 Totals ... ... 1133 ... 1188