Kelly and Leon’s Minstrels

Fifteenth night of Patti in Paris. “Kellefanti, Seymourgali, Allenalini.”

Mentions Price and Oberist. “Demon Dance at 9:30. 60th Night.”

“Amusements. Kelly & Leon’s Minstrels. Notwithstanding the unpleasantness of the atmosphere and the disagreeable condition of the streets a large and fashionable audience visited Kelly & Leon’s hall of minstrelsy last evening. The programme for the week is most entertaining and attractive, and, as regards quality or quantity, there is nothing left for either the most fastidious or exacting to desire. The straight triple clog dance, by Gardner and George and Willie Guy, met with a most enthusiastic encore, and the grand operatic and instrumental burlesque was received with well merited applause.”

“[T]he new style of advertising they have adopted has in a great measure been a loadstone for attracting crowds to their hall. Not following in the old stereotyped style of letting the public know that they ‘still live,’ they adopt almost every style imaginable in the way of printers’ ink of keeping themselves before the public. Their style of advertisements in the papers is new and original with them, and the many kinds of posters that are placarded on the walls are among the most attractive put out.”

“The ONLY LEON will SING THE ARDITA WALTZES . . .In PATTI IN PARIS the ONLY LEON WILL WEAR a Superb dress, A LA EUGENIA, imported exclusively for him.”

It’s hard to tell in the NYC and NYT ads exactly what is being performed. Some pieces may be included within other pieces.

“[Last] week, the houses [were] crowded every evening but one, when the weather was very stormy.”