Pike's Opera House

Event Information

Venue(s):
Pike's Opera House

Price: $.75

Event Type:
Play With Music

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
16 August 2017

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

20 Mar 1868, Evening
21 Mar 1868, Matinee
21 Mar 1868, Evening

Program Details

Friday: Lotta Crabtree benefit.

Performers and/or Works Performed

2)
Composer(s): Barnett [composer]
Text Author: Buckstone
Participants:  Lotta Crabtree (role: Paul the Pet)
3)
aka Nan, the good for nothing; Nan the good for nothing ; Crazy Nan
Text Author: Buckstone
Participants:  Lotta Crabtree (role: Nan)

Citations

1)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 20 March 1868.
2)
Review: New-York Times, 22 March 1868, 5.

“Miss Lotta's brief engagement at Pike’s Opera House ended last evening. The ‘Pet of the Petticoats’ and ‘The Good for Nothing’ are not new pieces, nor does Lotta invest them with much new interest, although she has acted them before very large audiences. Nevertheless, Miss Lotta has many vclaims to polite attention.  She works very hard to deserve it, and she looks very lovely. ‘Where did beauty ever,’ &c. Every night she dances a breakdown and plays upon the banjo, and sings comic songs. All these require hard work, and these are the prime features in her performances. They are not novel things to do, to be sure, nor does Miss Lotta do them better than other young ladies who have taken lessons for her style of performances from masters of the negro business, but then they were unusual performances for a first-class theatre. All Miss Lotta's critics agree that she is ‘very pretty,’ and ‘very spritely,’ and the actress, we fear, takes these praises to heart as the highest compliments attainable in her art. The truth is that such qualities are never anything but the ornaments of sterling worth, and are by no means worth itself. There is such a thing as satiety of sweets, and there may be a monotony of of beauty and spriteliness, unless the expressions of both are varied through the instincts of art. It is to be confessed against Miss Lotta that there is a deal of sameness in all her performances, and a word of warningmay not be lost upon her. If she be careful and painstaking, her beauty and sprightliness will set off her better qualities; but if she relies on them to get into the temple of fame as an actress, the doorkeepers of that temple will refuse her admission. She goes there with the envelope without the ticket it should enclose. And those stern doorkeepers have no free list. Present impressions are that Lotta has talent, but that she does not imagine its cultivation necessary to success in the profession of actress. Neither do her admirers, if one may judge from their unstinted praise. But we would hint that the matter is debatable at least, and would repay examination.”