ALHAMBRA THEATRE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2426, 12 September 1900, Page 55

ALHAMBRA THEATRE.

RETURN OF THE FLYING- JORDANS

The holding capacity of the Alhambra Theatre has frequently proved inadequate of Into when anything special has been on, but seldom it. there such an overflowing house as there was oa Saturday evening. The cau<-e of this great crush was doubtless the announcement that the Fljmg iTorclaiib would reappear before a Duncam audience ,after an absence of about two and a-hah years.. Eveiy seat in the building was occupied lo:'g befoie 8 o'cloclt, and numbers bid to go r.wiiy disappointed. The Jordans aijpeaic-c! in the pecond part of the piogramnie. when ciie of this clever tiourje — Little Venus — g^vc a remarkably good exhibition of wire-walking. A good many people will iem ember the excellent feats on the wne performed by Miss Virginia Aragon, who w?s here with the Jordans on their last visit, but there can be no doubt ihai she is eclipsed by Little Venus, who is a graceful little spnte,apparently ju-st in her teens, and who walks, runs, or slides aloxig the wire in a fearless and confident manner. Tho climax of her performance is m stooging down on the wire and pickirg up her handkerchief with her teeth, and her s.ueces^ful accomplishment of the feat excited the audience to enthusiastic cheers. The Jordans received a friendly greeting from the house, but after a little trapeze woik the performance came to a sudden stop. The leader of the troppe came forward on the stage and intimated that the light was bad end the security of the apparatus doubtful, making it dangeious to go on. He vas very sorry to disappoint the house, but did not care to incur the risk of continuing. Tlis audience took the mtimation ■\ ciy we 1 !, and po far from grumbling at the matter expressed their appioval by p round of applause. The vaudeville yiiogramme was then continued, and Mr John Tudor, who was last heie with the Yaldares nearly a year ago, made his bow to the house. This veteran comedian fooii proved that lie had lost none of his powers to entertain, and was twice encored for his singing of " Waiting ot the door " and " Barney M'Nulty." Miss Lily Devere and Miss Polly Robertson were as successful as usual with songs, and Messrs Will "Diamond, Horace Bent, and Sid Luella kent the audience amused with their respective turns. The programme will be repeated to-night, when the neceseaiy arrangements will have . been made to enable the Jorclans to perform their trapeze acts without a hitch.

An electric lighting plant has now been installed at the Alhambra, and it will be generally admitted that it is a great improvement oa the old system of ga& illumination. The dynamo is not qiule m working Oder, but in a clay or two ought to be workins properly, and the lis^ht will then leave nothing to be den-ed. Tbo powerful arc lamp in front of the building lights up almost the whole of lower Dowling street.