AMUSEMENTS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIII, Issue II, 14 July 1894, Page 31

AMUSEMENTS.

MONTAGUE TURNER OPERA COMPANY. DURING the past week the opera season in Auckland has attracted the almost undivided atten

tion of musical people. The performances of the various operas presented have been attended by excellent and enthusiastic houses. ‘ Giroflfi-Girofl;i,’ in which Miss Colley made her first appearance, was so popular that it had to be reproduced this week, when it again met with an enthusiastic reception. Miss Annis Montague appeared as Arline in the production of * The Bohemian Girl,’ which was twice given to large and appreciative houses. In this r<sZc Miss Montague is seen at her best, and met a series of successes, the audience repeatedly demanding encores, to which Miss Montague bowed her acknowledgments. Mr Farley’s fine voice was heaid to great advantage as Count Arnheim, and Mr Fred England’s Devilshoof is a fine and remarkably clever bit of character acting, and is unquestionably the best thing he does. Miss Montague wore some splendid dresses in * The Bohemian Girl,’ notably a very handsome trained gown of rich rose-coloured watered silk draped with rich lace and embroidered with pearls. This was, of course, in the third act. In the first the usual gipsy dress was worn, but Miss Montague’s gitana dresses are a veritable creation. The gipsy who wore one of them in real life would be a tolerably allluent person. They are liberally coveted with sequins, and huge ropes of what were presumably pearls of a very large and fine order. THE SKATING RINK. The first club night of the present season at the Columbia Rink, in Auckland, was held on Thursday last. A very smart gathering assembled in the gaily decorated rink, which is certainly excellently managed. The floor, which was rather rough on the occasion of the opening carnival a week beforehand, was greatly improved, being indeed in excellent order. The evening was fine, but frosty, and the soupcon of sharpness in the air appeared to have an excellent effect on the spirits of the skaters who enjoyed themselves immensely Professor Janies was unremitting in his attention to bis duties, and the arrangements were in all particulars, excellent. Amongst those present were Mrs Hitchcock, Mrs Humphrey Haines, Mrs Rathbone, Mrs Smith (Remuera), Mrs Massey Baker, Miss Churton, Miss M. Churton, the Misses Scherff (two), Miss Noakes, Miss Forbes, Miss R. Rookes, Misses Lusk (two), Miss Buddle, Miss M. Firth, Miss C. Firth, Miss Snell, Miss Kilgour. Miss George, Miss Bursell, Miss Power, Miss Buckland, Miss M. Buckland, Miss Gorrie, and many others whose names I forget. Amongst the gentlemen were Messrs Withers. Churton, Gordon, Forbes, Gorrie, Ware, Dargaville, M'Cormick, Lockhart, Anderson, Lawford, O’Sullivan, and a whole host of others. The observed of all observers were Mdlle. Genbt and her friend in the reformed drees, which is certainly admirably adapted for rinking.