ENTERTAINMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11223, 31 May 1922, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE ANOTHER bright bill. A fea«st of fun and merriment is pr©< vided at the popular llis Alajosty’s Thear tre by tlu« weeks ©right bill. The latest ‘offering is headed by Dnvey and Ritchie,' the skilful juggler and patter expert and his winsome partner, who provide some remarkable turns, which are greeted with delight by an astonished house. Bradley and Hamilton, the clever English comedy duo, are eeen in that clcutt of work in which they have made themselves deservedly popular. Their ftketek, "Always Tell Tour Wife," has met -with much well-deserved applause. The sisters Sprightley are quite the most remarkable pair in their of work that we have ever seen here. The "Seaside Girls/’ as rendered by them,i© a sure-fire laugh, while they follow with anothor sketch, "The Ladio©* Rugby Team/’ which is fully a© good. Newman, and. ■ "Wynne are effective in their presentation of “Jim’s Return"; Carr, "the Modem Hercules," demon, strates strength and skill of no mean order; and Alberto is us gay and deceitful a a ever in his mystifying sleight-of-hand. Bob White, the whistling doughboy, can imitate anything from a farmyard to a grand organ, and do it well, and Videan and Ivibby have a clever little comedy skit, "Golfing/* to charm the cares away. The bill is attracting big houses, and patrons are reminded that booking may be made at the Bristol.

ROSINA BUCKMAN

TOWN HALL TO-MORROW NIGHT. To-morrow night at the Town Hall> Wellington, music-lovers will have their first opportunity of hearing New ZeaQueen of Song, Miss Rosina Buckman, after her wonderful triumphs in Europe. Mr E. J. Gravestock had arranged for the distinguished soprano and her talented husband, Mr Maurice to give four concerts in Wellington on June Ist, 3rd, 6th, and Bth. In view of the very heavy booking it may safely b£ anticipated that Wellingtonians will not be -behind Aucklanders in their appreciation of the famous soprano. A feature of to-morrow’s programme will be the duets sung by Miss Buckman and Mr D’Oiely, notably the dramatic duet from the fourth act of Gounod’s "Romeo and Juliet.” Miss Buckman will be heard in Nedda’s celebrated ‘'Ballatella** from "X Pagliacci, ’ in compliance with numerous iequests the ever-popular "One Fine Day ’ from Puccini's "Madame Butterfly/ Outside the sphere of grand opera the famous soprano will contribute some of the songs which have made her name a household word on the English concert platform. Among these will be the delightful "Evening Prayer,” by the Russian composer, Modeste Moussorg&ky, and Granville Bantock’s "The Lament of Isis.” Mr Maurice D’Oiely will sing the great tenor aria, "O Paradise* from Meyerbeer’s "PAfricana/' He has earned a great reputation as a singer of French songs, and on Thursday night he will be heard in the old-- French chanson, "Eniendez-vous le carillon due -rerre?” Emile Bernard’s "Adieu du Matin/’ and "Sombrero/* by Mm©. Chaminade. Additional interest will be lent to this extremely diversified programme by the fact that several of the numbers will he heard for the first time in New Zealand. Miss Adelina Leon, the talented’ English ■'cellist, whoso playing was a feature of the Auckland concerts last week, will be heard for the first time in Wellington. The accompaniments will be -rvlayed bv Mr Percy Kahn, who will W remembered as accompanist with Mlsbha Tflman. The box plan for ihe four concerts is now open at the Bristol. '

VOCAL RECITAL

STUDENTS OF MR REGINALD BLOW. A number of promising vocalists, of whom more may yet be Heard, were revealed at the Town Hall Concert Chamber last evening, when Mr Logined* Blow ' presented to an appreciative, audi,-; ence fourteen of bis leading .pupils. Many of the singers had never previously appeared on a public platform, yet all did credit to the songs they had chosen. Recalls were the order of the evening, each singer reappearing with a, second number. One of tho most prominent items of the entertainment was that of Miss Myra Sawyer, the possessor of a brilliant and tuneful soprano' voice, whioh is capable of much power and expression. Her first offering was “ V lUanelle’’ (Del’ Acquia), which showed, off some beautiful middle notes. The trills and bravura passages wore sung with .perfect ease and. remarkable truenose. -As an enoore Miss Sawyer sang the charming ’’Waters of Minnetonka, assisted by a violin obligatist; and the item had to be repeated. Mr F. Swan G'unn, who sang as a programme number Allitsen’s "Lute Player,’’ with Homer’s "Requiem" as an encore, pleased with a warm baritone, which he used, under excellent control. A sympathetic and passionate rendering of Bomberg’s ''Hindoo Song" was given by Miss Doreen Harper, whose light mezzo voice was admirably suited to both, this number and her encore selection. _ Another pleasing item was that of Miss Mary Bacon, soprano, who appeared with Foetor’s "I Wonder if Love is a. Dream. She was more successful, hoMevor, in Brower 5 a "Fairy Pipers." The only operatic selection of the evening was Mies Gwen Evans's rendering of "The Flower Bong,’’from ''Faust." When recalled; she. sang feelingly "In Your Grey Byes.” Mr Aloetair Campbell has a powerful basso of fair quality, but loses much of his effect by giving equal weight to all his notes, thus sacrificing expression. Mr Claude - Moss was heard to best advantage in "The Arrow and the Song," which he gave as an encore item to “Thou’rt Like Unto a Lovely Flower." Ho is a Very promising baritone. Other contributors to the lengthy programme, all of equal merit, were Miss Olive GUI ("Rose in the Bud’’); Miss Elsie Harper ("A Request”); Miss Winnie Babington ("The Dove’’); Mrs I. Glennie ("She Wandered Down the Mountain Side’’); Mr H. B. Keenan (“Mnire,' My Girl”)! Mr N. A. J. Barker ( Beloved, It Is Morn’’); and Mr E. V. Goddard ("The Company Sergeant-Major”). The accompaniments were capably rendered by Mrs A B Williams. Mr Blow promises a second recital on July 4th when at least twenty of hie puipils will take part.

EVERYBODY’S

“THE MARK OF ZORRO.” In this splendid film Douglas Fairbanks is the hero of "The Mark of Zorro" at Everybody’s Theatre on Friday next. This picture, adapted for screen purposes from a thrilling novel, "The Curse of Capistrano," gives very attractive material to assist Fairbanks in his acting in the major role. Double identity is a great feature of tho work of the mysterious Zorro, a man who acts in private life as a weak-willed, chuckling imbecile, but in secret is a most energetio factor for good in the community. He is a Spanish noble, and in costume of mediaeval times Fairbanks makes a most picturesque figure with his black mask andt steed, aa he ever leaves the mysterious "Z,” the mark of Zorro, upon tho face of his victim. The story is well told, with humour in it as well as a romantic element of mystery and more than one thrill, while the settings and general stage effects are most picturesque. This great super-feature will be accompanied by an exauisite musical score played by the symphony orchestra conducted by Mr Matt. Dixon. The box plan, is now open at the Bristol.

i. C. WILLIAMSON PANTO

"BABES IN. THE WOOD." On Saturday next, at the matinee, the J. C. Williamson directors will present their 1922 annual pantomime extravaganza—this year, "The Babes in the Wood/’ According to Australian contemporaries the show is indeed a. gorgeous one, and includes a list of English principals of notoriety, headed by Nora Delany (Lady Maxwell). A leading Sydney critic writes of the pantomime as follows“ Only a perfect, smoothrunning organisation could achieve such perfection in the mechanical side of the pantomime. There is a wonderful system of moving and changing the 6cenes that makes for speed and accuracy. Have you heard of the counter-weight system? At the back of the stage are hundreds of wires, with weights attached, running through pulleys—an intricate maze of blocks and tackle more confusing to the eye than the myriad of ropes on a full-rigged sailing 6hip. But it is quite simple to those who know ■all about it. So the twenty-two scenes of "Babes in the Wood" will be changed in a flash. The most elaborate forest scene gives way in. a few seconds to the interior of a gorgeous palace, or other wonderful transformations, made with a celerity and ease that magic wand of the most experienced pantomime Fairy Queen could not excel." Patrons will not cease to marvel when they see the 22 wonderful scenes. We have heard the story of the artist who painted a setting of eggs so realistic that a hen sat on them and brought- out a brood of chickens. in "Babes in the Wood" the scenes are said to be so wonderfully realistic that one can almost see the trees waving in the breeze and the water rippling! Bric-a-brac Fair, the Outlaws’ Oak, the Realms of Fairy Tales, the Heart of the Forest, the Wonderful Glass Palace, the Orange Grove in Spain, and the King’s Carnival, are triumphs of the scene-painter’s art. The box plane for the first six nights and two matinees open to-morrow morning at the Bristgl.