Midsummer Night’s Dream

Event Information

Venue(s):
Olympic Theatre

Conductor(s):
Anthony, Jr. Reiff

Event Type:
Play With Music

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
22 July 2016

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

07 Nov 1866, Evening
04 Nov 1867, Evening
05 Nov 1867, Evening
06 Nov 1867, Evening
08 Nov 1867, Evening
09 Nov 1867, Matinee
09 Nov 1867, Evening

Performers and/or Works Performed

1)
Text Author: Shakespeare
Participants:  Willy Young (role: Puck);  William Davidge, unidentifiable;  Cornelia Jefferson (role: Titania);  Louisa Hawthorne (role: Helena);  Fanny Stockton (role: Oberon);  George Washington Lafayette Fox (role: Bottom)
2)
aka Midsummer night's dream
Composer(s): Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

Citations

1)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 04 November 1867.
2)
Review: New York Herald, 05 November 1867, 3.

“Midsummer Night’s Dream entered upon its second week last night. We spoke of the scenery on the opening night and can only repeat here that each of the principal scenes, the palace of Theseus, the forest, the ascent of Puck on a brilliant serpent entwined around a globe of pearl (by the way, pearl is not green or blue as it is represented in this scene), Felbin’s panorama, a marvel of art, and the principal attraction in the entire piece and the transformation scene are deserving of the highest praise. Titania’s bower is, however, the weakest and most unsatisfactory of the scenery. Regarding the characters, they have had a week to perfect themselves in their respective parts and may now be spoken of impartially. Miss Fanny Stockton’s Oberon has been greatly improved since the first night, and is perhaps one of the most attractive pieces of acting and singing at present on the Metropolitan stage. A fit companion picture is the Titania of the spirituelle Miss Jefferson. Miss Hawthorne is the only one of the other ladies that, as Helena, fitly sustains a Shakespearean rôle. The rivals and the other Greeks are very mediocre; Puck’s lines ought to be curtailed for Willie Young, for although he displays much precocity of talent in the part, yet his voice is too indistinct to be understood beyond the footlights. Miss Fisher should not sing one of Arditi’s waltzes among the fairies, as her voice is too weak for such a brilliant solo. It is singular that Mr. Davidge, the best actor in the entire cast, was not selected for Bottom, as the part is one exactly suited to his irresistible humor and drollery. Fox pantomimes it very well and draws many a laugh, but he mars it in the players’ scene with a degree of coarseness, smacking strongly of the east side. The rest of the hard-handed men of Athens are very weak. The music of Mendelssohn cannot be played on a dozen and a half instruments, and consequently Mr. Reiff’s leadership could not make this important feature a success. In fine, the scenery is the principal attraction in the play, and it, together with Oberon and Titania, will draw crowded houses for many nights to come.”

3)
Review: New York Herald, 07 November 1867, 7.

"Shakespeare’s wild and anachronistic—if we may coin a word—conception, Midsummer Night’s Dream, with all its weird poetic fancy, extraordinary situations, rare humor and illimitable opportunity for scenic effect, does not flag for want of sympathy at the hands of the public. Probably at none of our theatres just now is there a cast so well adapted to the piece upon the stage. Certainly we could not desire to see a more enchanting Oberon than Fanny Stockton, or a more inimitable impersonation of Bottom than Mr. Fox, while the other characters are equally well distributed among ladies and gentlemen who seem to comprehend entirely the spirit of the play. As a spectacle we need not add, what we have before expressed, that it wants nothing which good taste and fidelity to the quaint, fairy atmosphere of the scene and truthful reproduction of the old Greek architecture, costumes and surroundings can lend to make the representation perfect. Midsummer Night’s Dream is ‘booked’ for a long and successful run.”

4)
Review: New York Clipper, 16 November 1867, 254.

“During our theatre-going experience we have seen crowded houses, heard immense applause, seen successful first performances of pieces, and also seen, as the term is, the house rise at a piece; but nothing that we have ever seen before in the way of all these things could come up to the scene witnessed every night last week at the Olympic Theatre, where Shakespeare’s play of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is attracting such crowded houses that it is an impossibility to obtain even standing room by the time the performance has commenced. The cheering, applauding and general excitement of all on witnessing the splendid scenes, magnificent costumes and armor, are loud and prolonged. As far as popular applause and the delight of the audience can go to make a play successful, the ‘Dream’ is unquestionably one of the most successful pieces that has ever been presented on the boards of a Broadway theatre. It will no doubt have, as it richly deserves, a very lengthened run.”