Black Crook

Notes “Entirely new attractions! La Garde Imperiale, numbering 150 children, forming a regiment of soldiers.  Cavalry, Chasseurs, Sappeurs, Drum Corps, Zuavos, &c, fully equipped in splendid new uniforms from Paris.”

“Some cheerful additions were made to the ‘Black Crook’ last evening. This spectacle, which, like the Summer rose, is refreshed by every dew that touches it, while the dew itself, though glistens but a moment and disappears, is never missed, receives new scenes and new people, and absorbs them or casts them off for others without a fluctuation attractiveness or popularity. Mlle. BILLON, who danced for the first time in the ballet of the ballroom last night is inexpressibly airy. Her bounds are marvelous, and have a grace which is beyond the mere gymnastic merit which secured her the applause of the crowd. She is the most formidable rival Mlle. BONFANTI has yet had, and is really one of the easiest dancers now in this City, which is so well supplied with terpsichorean marvels. M. VON HAMME, who dances with Mlle. BILLOU [sic], resembles a gentleman whom the RAVEL’S introduced here, and name, face and style agreeing, we take him to be the same. His peculiarity is revolution. Mexico alone can equal M. VON HAMME in the number and variety of his revolutions. The most entertaining novelty introduced in the spectacle last evening, however, was the baby ballet—a march of intricate military evolutions performed by over a hundred youngsters, varying in height from 25 to 45 inches.   These military marches are growing to be great bores, and only the precocity of the performers makes the present one interesting--but interesting it certainly is.  The infant RAVEL who leads the little army and dances the “Pas de Militaire,” is a wonder for her inches, and the completeness of this entire performance must add greatly to the attractiveness of the ‘Black Crook.’ After this ‘ballet,’ nothing ought to surprise us, and if next year Messrs. PALMER & WHEATLEY should chance to announce that 150 babies of [illeg.] months old, after undergoing some peculiar process of forcing, are to appear in an original piece composed expressly for them by a brother or sister baby, and that a baby is to take Mr. MOLLENHAUER’S baton, and the whole entertainment is to be produced under the special direction of an infant stage-manager, there will be nothing left to do but to believe the advertisement and rush to see the prodigies. Although a first night, there were few ‘hitches’ last evening, and the children were perfect.”

“They have named a new variety theatre in Virginia City ‘The Black Crook Theatre.’”

“In addition to the first performance in the country of M’lle Louise Billion, danseuse, from the London theatres, and M. Antoine Van Hamme, a male dancer from Europe, the management announces the novelty of one hundred and fifty children, who are to appear in a grand march as cavalry, chasseurs, sappieurs, zouaves, drum corps, etc., going through various military tactics and evolutions.  The children, who have been carefully selected from a large number, have been in ‘training’ for over two months.”