AMUSEMENTS, MEETINGS, ETC

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 13035, 31 March 1910, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS, MEETINGS, ETC

!: ■ HAYWARD’S PICTURES. ! ■'.i fr*xr- ■ LYCEUM THEATRE. " . The Lyceum Theatre was crowded 'in i every part," last evening, - when a magnificent new programme was presented'to a delighted audience. Every picture was re-, ceiwad .with; enthusiastic r applause,' and i high appreciation, of, the. surpassingworthi afithe selection.shown w;as freely express■;d on all -sides. The comics comprised in . the present programme are the best we . have yet seen. “The Romance of an Um--1 brella,” an idyll of American business life, cells a delightful love story in a quaintly humorous, .and wholly charming way. ■‘/‘Under the ; Mistletoe” .shows the nnfqr‘.‘"iririatjs gallant who wagep he will “kiss’” .ill'thje gjfls iq the house _hefore, midnight.” , ''' l FoDlshe%4h ! U^^t < ’thed,” is , an eccentric demands the best and, loudest laugh" ! . f if-the - .and,' its-demands were Httrely more tjian’. , satisfied last night. < ”‘lTie; Doable .'Sii,";''fXto Boy..Hero,” and ('.“in'Mpirie Echo” iegresent the .dramatic | pjirtion’i of the programme, and are " well ■■worthy;to rank wMr-the hest the.management / has yet show tls/ “The Golden and, '( Indian Empire’” are ' coloured " both for the ‘excellence of the subjects and. for : .the : florid beauty dt the 'colouring employed. “Life in the Italian Navy” touches a i theme of intense interest' at present,’and ;is a really'line film of its class. Another ; . extremely ‘interesting film was the one : depicting/ Lord ' Kitchener reviewing the : New South '’Wales "troops.. ■ We have ■ ao hesitation in pronouncing this week’s' programme the best that has- yet been , screened," and would advise everybody to ! give theiiiselves. the pleasure of an evening at the-Lyceum. “ HANS THE BOATMAN.” MONDAY AND - TUESDAY,' APRIL 4th ' AND sth. : The above play is summed up as a delightful'operatic and musical drama. In ■it we Have a combination' of pathos, : humour, - and tuneful'' songs and dances, • i whilst: a strong dramatic interest pervades the piece. It is essentially a human play, dealing with a subject' which is absorbingly interesting throughout, and as the plot unravels itself some intense dramatic situations are presented. The children in the piece form one of the chief attractions, and their songs, “The Daisy Chain,” ■ “Blind-Man's-Buff,” “Gee Op! Gee Whoa!” “The Gliding Seng,” and “Bubbles,”’ will" be sung by a chorus , of 40 juveniles. The first appearance, in Act 1., of “Hans” and the children will be a very pretty, sight, the stage being one mass of beautiful flowers. The “Military Ballet” and the “Dance of the Roses,” specially arranged by Mrs Edwards and danced by little Misses Mitchell' arid Edwards, are particularly attractive, and will serve to-introduce to . Wanganui audiences two of the cleverest dancers in the Dominion. A novel item in the, second act is the “Bubbles” song scena, which gives ample scope for some quaint effects. The scenery, for the play has been specially painted by Mr H. Melville, a well-known Australian artist now : resident in Wanganui. The character of “Hans” is to be played by Mr G. J. Fama. Mr J. G. Swan is to play “Yank Thursby,” Mr E. Purdy “Lieutenant Finch,” Mr Woodley Prouse “Darrell Vincent,” Mr E. Haygarth “Mr Farwell,” Mrs Leon Wilkie (of West Australia) “Jeff,” Miss A. Willis "Gladys Farwell,” ■ little Winnie Carroll , “Fritz,” Alma McGonagle “Baby Coquette,” end Mas- . ter , Clunie Cameron “Little Hans” (“Bubbles”). In addition to the stage management of Mr E. D. Haygarth. the enthusiastic. amateurs have, with characteristic enterprise, secured the services of me of the, highest authorities on histrionic : art in New Zealand—Mr F. B. Sharpe, who. was a prominent member of the. origii nal “Hans the Boatman” Company, and who will journey up from Wellington for the purpose of putting through the final ■ rehearsals of .the piece here. The fact that this geritlemari was for years a inember of the Arnold and Robert Brough companies is sufficient guarantee that the amateurs are getting the best possible reaching. An efficient orchestra, under Mr Ralph O’Hara, will play .the music inrideutal to the piece.

BESSES O’ TH’ BAEN BAND.

Messrs J. and N. Tait direct attention to their announcement respecting the opening of the box plans of the Besses’ season of two evening performances, commencing at the Opera House on Wednesday evening next ; the open air concert is to be given on' the Thursday afternoon. Theatre seats may be reserved for either concert 1 from 8.30 o’clock bn Saturday morning at H. I. Jones and Sons’. The prices fixed are 3s (reserved)- and : is. ~ Fhe Gape Times (South Africa) states that the famous band was accorded a'great reception by an immense audience which had travelled great distances—from the . East had 'West' Coasts—to hear the Besses. They jwere amply repaid, however, for any • inconvenience and trouble they may have experienced. The programme reached the acme.: of perfection, and roused the vast, assemblage to a high pitch of enthusiasm. | The ; beautiful organ-like' tone of the'Tull . band, and the sweetness of , the. solo parts held those present enthrali led. ; With’ h' very kee’fi' appreciation of band music, one could not help remarking the extremely critical manner in which the opening number was heard. The Besses’' auditors expected great things; i they expected music, and, they heard it. Every one of the instrumentalists, even, , the drummers, -were . musicians . to their finger tips‘ and those who went to criticise forgot their object, and were simply carried away by enthusiasm. The pro- 1 gramme was splendidly blended—magnificent massive, pieces,, followed by others . scored in lighter vein. The hall at times throbbed with, sounds and again j.fjnly. It]pj, faintest- intonation was heard, {matterywhether.it was the full Jmnq jop-.a soipisi.Vhp wgs playing a spell ‘ was; tjiirown .dyer the ; : audience, and they j listen ed- enraptured. touching manner. ; 5n wliich , familiar songs were • rentoj every ..one; :and assisted (ip pr^vjdii^.happy-memories of an even-iWgff^hifh.-,would-]fe long remembered.” j^ ; Owen, the far-famed conductor, ; will°a^ain f ,v|iejd/the baton at-Wanganui. ‘

Mr Holmes who, will lecture in St. Paul’s Hall to-morrow evening is a Very popular i figure in Wellington circles more particularly on. . account of His. association with the Wellington T.M.C.A. He has delivered a number of very interesting lectures'in* that, city and it has always been his good:for,tune.to he greeted by crowded houses. In fact some little time ago the Wellington Town Hall was crowded to hear one of his lectures arid this should be the', case at St. Paul’s Hall to-morrow evening when’he wiir deliver what he con-, aiders, his best ' lecture, “Four 'Months: Under the Stars and Stnp^’ ; K^pnR 1 be well for bhf purchased tickets to <lfj so at Once, as there~ has beeh a. good