THE LORGNETTE

Observer, Volume XXXII, Issue 21, 3 February 1912, Page 6

THE LORGNETTE

By Prompter.

A SPECIALLY piquant programme is on at the Opera House this week, and big audiences are the result of discrimination on the part of the proprietary. " The Ballet Dancer " is a thrilling dramatic study which, in addition to unfolding an enthralling narrative, furnishes interesting glimpses of that mystic territory known as " Behind the Scenes." " The Maze of Fate" is another absorbing drama, impregnated with plenty of surprising developments, and "A Cowboy's Retaliation" wafts with it the usual weekly spice of the Wild West. The kinemacolor films include some enchanting studies, such as "Lady Bewlay's Necklace," "The Sahara Desert," "The Watchdogs of the World at Spithead " (a fine naval series), and " The Beedham Boys at Drill." Other pictures include "Honeymooners," "Duck Farming," and many others. There will be a matinee on Saturday. » 9 .■ At the Lyric Theatre, Symondsstreet, there are pictures to suit all tastes, and also to suit all pockets. Some good views are shown ot Auckland's Annual Kegatta, which is a very topical subject at the present time. " The Engineer's Daughter " is an exciting railroad drama, and " Flora and the .Nymphs " is another dramatic triumph. " "JTia Better to have .Loved and Lost," "Detective Fuzzle's Triumph," and "Jack's •Soldiers in Morocco," go to contribute to a comprehensive programme. » .• • The King's Theatre, Newton, has had an extensive array of pictorial entertainments on view this week, all of it being of a highly-acceptable nature. There was an abundance of scenic studies, these including "Famous hivers," " A Holiday in INew Brunswick," and "The Khine Falls," while " Andulasian Dances" was a him that combined charm with interest and instruction. " The Wager" was an entertaining study of the refined comedy order, and more solid form was provided in a powerful drama entitled " The Abyss." There were several other films of a miscellaneous order, and the music supplied by Mr E. J. Bourke's orchestra was always of an entertaining nature. ■ • p If any doubt existed that the Newbury - Spada combination has taken hold of Auckland .with both hands, the audience that crowjded the big Town Hall on Saturday again would have dissipated it, and that the fare submitted fills the popular bill is proved by the manner in which the various items are acclaimed. Mr Newbury, in splendid voice, contributed such musical gems as "Lend Me Your Aid " (Gounod) and Blumenthal's exquisite " My Queen," and with Madame Spada, helped to delight the audience with Verdi's "Home from the Mountains," from "II Trovatore," in addition to encore numbers which the house would not be denied. Madame Spada's rendering of Bemberg/s "Nymphes et Sylvains " and Tosti's evergreen " Good - bye " were given with customary ar - tifitic finish, while Mr Ernest Parkes captured applause to the echo with such numbers as "The Rebel " and "The Devout Lover." A little variety was added to the vocal part of the performance by Mies Kathleen Major's elocutionary effort in "Th© Art of Making Up One's Own Mind." Mr Harold Gregson, on the organ, added another laurel to his triumphs in Baptiste's "Toccatta" and the " Offertoire in D Flat," while Herr Raimund Pechoteoh'g maaterly violin numbers

completed a programme brimful of merit. Mr H. Woolley was as efficient as ever as accompanist. • • • The Queen's Theatre, Queenstreet, is in the hey-day of successful business and good programmes. Some of the plume shown are individually well worthy of a visit, and no better place can be recommended for a cool rest during the hot hours of the day. A brand new list of studies appears to-day (Thursday) and can be guaranteed to equal the past ones in interest an|d the worth while look in. • ■ * * That truth is stranger than fiction has been demonstrated in connection with Mr Bernard Espianasse's latest play, " England's Hope," now running at the King's Theatre, Melbourne. The author got his plot accidentally through having a story of a girl told to him by a friend, and—after he had written his play —the girl's subsequent experiences in real life proved to be exactly similar to those imagined by him as pertaining to the heroine of the drama. The girl whose story was told was pointed out to him as she stood on a street corner in London. The lady who is said to be the richest actress in the world is called Krzeszinska —a name which sounds like a bad cold in the head. She is a Russian dancer, aud beirs the proud title of "Soloist to H.I.M. the Tsar." She is the leadiag dsiicer in the Imperial ballets at the Opera House. St. Petersburg, and is only bound to appear at gala performances in the presence of the Tsar and the Russian Court. Her position as a royal favourite has made her fabulously wealthy, and she is alleged to possess the most wondrous collection of jewels of any private person In Europe. Lately she was much photographed as a premiere danseuse at Covent Garden, London, where her pretty toes have been flickering in several ballets. David JBelaeco, who wrote about sixty plays, only fifty-nine of which have found oblivion, is the illustrious ualism for its central theme. The author or a drama which has spiritpiece, it is said, was recently tried in JNew York before a smilingly sceptical audience. m • » "A Royal Divorce," which was recently revived at London Lyceum with considerable success, has been replaced by a new version of "The Three Musketeers," written by Arthur Shirley and Ben Landeck, wellknown in Australia as the authors of melodramas produced under the Anderson management. The cast of "The Musketeers," by the way, includes Miss Ethel Warwick, the tall siren who figured in "The Flag Lieutenant," "Henry of Navarre," and other plays done here. ■m • * William Anderson, director of the King's Theatre,Melbourne,has offered a re-engagement at the current contract to Roy Redgrave, who has been playing leads tor him for the past three years, and it is understood that the actor will accept the offer. Mr Redgrave first came to Australia from South Africa, under a ten weeks* engagement to J. 0. Williamson. The ten weeks extended to three years, and after that he went to England, where he remained for three years, and then came to Australia under a twelve months' engagement to Wm. Anderson. The H. B. Irving. Co. gave Hawera the go-by, owing, it is said, to a dispute with a hotelkeeper over the tariff. • * • Miss Jennie Pollock, an actress who originally hailed from Auckland, is engaged to what a Melbourne society paper describes as "a nice Sydney man." The name of the nice man has not transpire^.