AMUSEMENTS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 23 May 1928, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS.

OPERA HOUSE. Blending the gentlemanly aggressiveness of Gene Tunnoy and the spectacular showmanship of Paul Whiteman, Vincent Lopez and Isham Jones into a single characterisation for a picture, is the difficult feat performed by Thomas Meighan in his new Paramount production, ‘‘We’re All Gamblers,” which opens to-night at the Opera House. Only a. man familiar with the drama behind the struggle for success in ; the metropolis could do it. During the years of his stage success and his subsequent rise in pictures, Mr Meighan has probably known intimately practically all the celebrities of his city. In the early scenes the Paramount star portrays a professional fighter on the eve of a championship fight, llis unusually fine phVsique made this easy. Later in the story he becomes the proprietor of a successful night dull. This -required an entirely different technique. Reserve at Ware’s.

COSY THEATRE. “KID BROTHER.” Lovers of the great outdoors have a treat in store for them when Harold Lloyd’s next gloom chaser, “The Kid Brother” comes to the Cosy Theatre tonight, because the greater portion of the picture was made in the open spaces of California. The Lasky Ranch in Dark Canyon, just outside Hollywood, provided a large measure of the locale in “The Kid Brother,” while the beautiful waters of Avalon Bay also provided their quota of “shots.” The story of “me Kid Brother” is set in a tiny town nestling in the mountain foothills. Lloyd gets away from the stereotyped feud yarn, which has been done to death in motion pictures, and throughout the entire picture not a gun is fired. It is just a human interest comedy ripe with carefully correlated romance, drama, and thrills, the type of plot in which the bespectacled comedian revels. That “The Kid Brother” will be another great success is beyond question for those who have seen Paramount’s current release acclaim it as being in a class with Harold’s best. What more could any audience possibly ask of a picture? Reserve at Vare’s.

OPERA HOUSE. AMY EVANS AND FRASER GAXGE. Mr E. j. Gravestoek announces that lie lias arranged for the two famous British -singers, Miss Amy Evans and Mr Fraser Gauge, to make a return visit’ to Mastcrton. They will give one concert in the Opera House on Thursday, May .'list. No two siugero have endeared themselves so much to New Zealand audiences as these brilliant artists have. Since their previous visit they have gone from triumph to triumph, in England and America, until to-day they are regarded as the greatest exponents of vocal art in their respective spheres. On their return to London after their Dominion tour, they had a mighty reception, and the -London “Westminster Gazette” says: —“Miss Amy Evans and Mr Eraser Gauge are certainly two of the best-equipped and most popular vocalists at the present time, and their success has been prodigious. It is not in the least difficult to understand how mightily they pleased their Australian and New Zealand hearers. Both are remarkably fine artists, who make the most of exceptional natural endowments. Both have splendid voices, which arc a joy to hear. Their reception by a large audience last night could not have'been more cordial.” Their success in America has been phenomenal, and Mr Gauge, on his arrival there, created a furore. Since then he has won his way to the position of chief oiatorio singer in the United States, and the most , popular baritone in the •country. Miss Amy Evans has sung with conspicuous success at the Chicago opera, and has further added to her achievements by her beautiful singing in concerts and recitals.

DAWN ASSHETON. Tltc music lovers of New Zealand will have an opportunity to enjoy the great art of a world-famed English artist, who is making her first visit to this country. Dawn Assheton’s universal fame was won not only because of her unusual organ with a range of three octaves, one that enables her to render the most difficult operatic arias from Traviata, Lucia, M'ignon, The Barber ot Seville, etc., with playful case. That is blit a minor part of this celebrated English artist’s accomplishments, for she seems to place a great deal more stress on her achievements as an inter-

preter of folk and character songs from every musical land in the world. Leading musical critics in all centres unanimously agree that never before in the history of England’s musical art has a coloratura soprano attained such un-heard-of scope in versatility, nor has any English singer ever won such world-wide fame as an interpreter of folk and character songs. When asked how she would account for this unique outstanding success in musical annals, Dawn Assheton replied: “I was first

attracted to Folkart as a student of painting. Later, when I became a -concert singer, the identical spirit of simplicity, sincerity and wealth of originality that I discovered 'in design, composition and colouring of drawings, paintings, embroideries, etc., likewise fascinated me in folk music. When I decided to tour with Laszlo Schwartz, the eminent Hungarian violinist-com-poser and authority on folk music, I visited musical lands all over the world. Everywhere I sought to catch the folk spirit and add the most artistic costume I could find. Like all truly worth-while accomplishments in art, ■ mine, too, was a result of sincere devo-

tion, plus endless and painstaking •work.” Dawn Assheton and Laszlo Selnvartz will be heard at the Opera House on Tuesday, May 29th.