AMUSEMENTS,.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10197, 5 July 1911, Page 1

AMUSEMENTS,.

OPERA HOUSE. The prospect oi: an evening's amusement at the expense of aspirants to the vaudeville stage filled the Opera House to overflowing last evening, and long before the orchestra struck up the overture the sale of tickets had to bo stopped. The first part of tho programme was supplied by Messrs holler's Vaudeville Company. The audience in good humour, and all the artists wero liberally treated._ Miss Nellie Se-arle captivated her audience by her singing, while Mr Jim Gaffney, Mr Bob Harper and Master Ilughie Sellwood supplied numbers that were received, with encores. The Gibson Girls were heartily encored for their singing and dancing. After the interval the amateurs took the stage, and for an hour and a half the house rocked with laughter, exploded with applause, or listened with polite interest, according to tho qualities or the performers. In all sixty-three entries were received for the trials, but this huge total was more than the management could cope with on one evening. Twenty-two " laced the music last evening, leaving the remainder to be disposed of on Friday. Good "turns" were not very frequent, but when they came they were heartily approved of and encored. Mr Barrett gave two excellent recitations, while tho items of Master Lawrence (" Harrigan "), Harry Coleman ("Virginia"), Turner Sisters, W. James (magician), D. Seaton (" Do, Re, Mi"), J. H. Perron ("Why I Wear Kilts") and Orton Spencer, described as giving a " diabolical demonstration," were good enough to receive the approval of a critical audience. The remainder of the trials will be held on Friday night. Next Tuesday a comic singing competition, with a prize of 30s, will be held, and at the same time 10s (3d will be given to the performer who gives the best impersonation of Mr Harry Sadler singing "Penelope." The usual programme will be resumed this evening. WEST-HAYWARD PICTURES. There was a good audience at His Majesty's Theatre last evening, and the West-Hayward Pictures were again well received. An especially interesting feature of the programme was a picture showing the bad accident caused in France by an aviator, by which tho Minister of War was killed and the Premier was injured. The series will bo repeated this evening. FULLER'S PICTURES. At the Colosseum la.st evening Fuller's Pictures were shown before a large audience, and the films were all well received. The programme included the second series of views of the Zoo, as well as a number of fine dramatic pictures. The series will be repeated this evening. SYDENHAM"TiCTURES. The final showing of the lengthy picture, " A Tale of the Australian Bush," attracted a good audience to the Sydenham Empire last night. To-night a change of programme will be presented. The new pictures will include " Scones in the Roga Valley," '-The Gulf of Salerno,'' " Life-savers of Coogee, Australia " and "The Runaway Engine."