PRINCESS THEATRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18076, 26 October 1920, Page 6

PRINCESS THEATRE

'A change of programme At the Princess Theatre always a big audience, especially if it ie an. improvement upon the one that preceded it Such waa the programme submitted last night, and such waa its fate. The two new turns are both of the physical dexterity class. Tara Yasuda, & Japanese, gave a most attractive display of skill as an equilibrist and juggler. He claims to be the only aii-etiok juggler in the world, and the ease and confidence with which he manipulated first three, then four, then I five, and finally six sticks told of a quick eye, steady hands, and persistent practice, lie also juggled with a tennis racquet and two balk, the inequality in weight and difference in form apparently creating no : difficulties for him. A glass of water was balanced on metal pipes, which weio placed at right and acute angles, aud finally between two of the pipes first one and then two tennis balls were placed, the balanco of the water being maintained all the time. Finally Yasuda introduced an essontially Japanese trick, in which a light metal top was spun in the air, drawn on to a narrow board, and balanced first on tho edge of tho boards and then on the edge of a fan, which was opened while the top waa still spinning. The turn dtserved tho hearty and lengthy applause which greeted it. Yank and Jean, two American entertainers, are decided acquisitions. The young lady, who first appears with what to the mere man appears a fearful and wonderful head dress; but it is likely to make tho ladies jealous, as it is composed of very fine ostrich feathers. Jean is really an assistant, and she helps with quips and cranks and also sings a serio-comio eong. But the feature of the turn is the marvellous acrobatism of Yank. Ho begins by standIng on his hands on what at first eight appear to be merely table ornaments, but which are shown to be wonderfully strong. He then stands on his head on a bust, and turns completely round without his hands touching any part of the paraphernalia. Finally he places one table on top of another, and on top of the uppermost one places a slender but evidently strong framewori, to the apex of which he climbs and stands upon hia hands. He first elicits ecreama by apparent slips likely to leau to disaster and finally turns completey over backwards until hia feet almost touch the table, and then draws himself back—not an easy feat with ordinary apparatus, but rendered doubly difficult by the conditions under which it is done. A storm of applauee greeted the close of the performance showing that Yank and Jean have leaped' at a bound into popular favour. other performers are old favourites hko Billy Elliott (who took the audience into nis confidence in a most amusing way about the private history of members of the company), and Leonard Nelson (whose comedy in patter and song is always welcome to the audience) and artists who are staying on after having established themselves ae favourites with the Dunedin public? ilenn JTrench gave an excellent display of Bharpshooting, in which small balls of paste •4. V y j a dos , 1D Ita mouth or attached to its head were broken, and then tho same performance was repeated with a young ludv aoldmg the paste balls.. It was a 1 clever and attractive turn. Cariton Max gave Z entirely new programme of ventriloquial items, with the assistance of his dummy o-aaF' i ew of them decidedly clever—were introduced, and two new songs served to show how complete™ the performer has hie mouth there being scarcely any movement of the morality and was adSly 2 and acted. Doff Dee, the three seno-oomio songs. Frank Evans W?J er rie Dean gave a new turn, and, m beforefh£ most, pleasing feature of it Vμ their nln dancing on roller skat™ tT olog »» ptogimi,. ,111 be repa S toiishfc