SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1376, 7 September 1916, Page 34

SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES.

(By

“Lorgnette.”)

WELLINGTON, September 4. The Horace Goldin season at the Grand Opera House, which closes on Thursday evening next, is proving a phenomenal success. Goldin has made a great and genuine success that is solely attributable to his skill as an illusionist and his merit as a showman. He makes every illusion a triumph of reality. You know it cannot happen, but you are prepared to swear that it does. He has a welldeveloped sense of beauty, and is a true artist in the blending and grouping of colours. Miss Barbara Babington, who is his chief assistant, is

lovely in face and figure, a delightful actiess, and is sure to become a general favourite. Even the tiger is one of the finest specimens of his race that has ever been seen on the Australasian stage. The most unlikely things are happening whilst Mr. Goldin is on the stage, and his performance is worth going a long way to see. fl’he supporting company is a first-class one. Miss Barbara Babington is a nice singer and makes a good impression with her audience. Miss Marie King Scott, a sort of animated gollywog in style, presents a budget of new fun which is greatly relished. The Misses Hay and Crawford more than establish their claim to dance. Mennetti and Sidelli, acrobatic comedians, know how to “deliver the goods” and soon established themselves as favourites with the audience. Gosward is an eccentric French comedian who has the audience in a continual simmer of laughter during a 20 minutes’ turn. Bill Pruitt, the “Cowboy Caruso,” delivers his songs in a pleasing manner. This is one of the finest vaudeville combinations that has ever toured the Dominion. The nine nights’ season of “The Birth of a Nation” at the Town Hall has been an unqualified success, packed houses being the rule at each exhibition. The picture presents a series of gigantic scenes in which over 18,000 men, women, and children, and 3000 horses appear. It also shows why Abraham Lincoln is the one great

outstanding figure in American history, and how he became the dominating personality in one of the greatest crises a country every endured. Had Lincoln not been assassinated all might have gone well, but when he was so tragically murdered the Southern States of the Union became the prey of political adventurers, who exploited the negro vete. Terrible results followed the sudden accession to power by the negroes. Men and women were openly insulted. Murder was frequent, and there was a terrible orgy of violence. This brought into being the famous Ku Klux Klan, whose wonderful rides are faithfully depicted. All these changing scenes are produced in the film, which is the creation of that renowned producer Mr. D. W. Griffith. A special feature is the music, which is supplied by an operatic orchestra.

Gi oat interest has been aroused amongst local playgoers at the forthcoming season of Shakespeare’s plays which opens at the Grand Opera House on September 9. The combination that has been engaged to interpret the well-known bard’s masterpieces is said to be an excellent one, and is headed by Mr. Allan Wilkie and Miss Frediswyde Hunter-Watts, two artistes who come with high-class English and American credentials. The opening production will be “Hamlet,” with Mr. Wilkie in the name part and Miss Hunter-Watts as Ophelia. It is claimed that no exponent of the character in Australasia received such a demonstration as was accorded Mr. Wilkie and Miss Hunter-Watts in the Melbourne production. “Hamlet” will he staged tor three nights. It has been decided to give three performances each of “The Merchant of Venice,” “Twelfth N.ght,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “As You Like It,” and “Othello,” in the order named. The South Island tour opens at Christchurch on September 30 for twelve nights. Mr. Robert Williamson has been in Wellington for the past ten days completing arrangements for the season.