Barbe-bleue burlesque

“The return of the Worrell Sisters to this house is always a hit, but this time, with the blended attractions of these favorite sisters and an English version of ‘Blue Beard,’ literally made a jam, here were many present who had heard so much about ‘Barbe Bleue’ that they had resolved to see it and hear the thing itself some time only it was all Greek to them in the French; there were others who had heard and seen the ‘Blue Barber’ in the French with the aid of a book who were waiting a chance to enjoy it in the English, and both these classes of Offenbach’s admirers hugely enjoyed the Worrell rendering in mother tongue last night. The three sisters—Sophie as Blue Beard, Irene as Fleurette, and Jennie as Boulotte—were gotten up gorgeously, and, though with a somewhat broader accent than the Bateman style, they were irresistibly funny and fascinating withal. Mr. Charles Morton, as Popolani, stood perhaps a little too much on his dignity for the occasion, and the same may be said of M. Viela. Miss Fanny Prestige as the Prince is entitled to the prestige of being a mighty nice little man. Mr. Chapman as Alvarez was a good confidence man as Courtier. Mrs. Wright as Queen Clementine filled the character to admiration—the very thing; but the quaintest, queerest and most astonishingly gotten up, and most ludicrously personated bit of royalty ever seen, or heard, or imagined on any stage was Lingard as King Bobeche. It is the absurdist and most triumphant monarch of the town. The piece is well mounted and some of the dresses are perfectly stunning. It went off with great éclat, including the encores and bouquets, and may be pronounced a positive success. It will be repeated every night this week, and we dare say that at the end the merits of this free English translation and rendering will be the talk of the town. It is ‘Barbe Bleue,’ but, as done by the Worrell Sisters, it is almost as good as a new opera from Offenbach with an old name.”

“The third performance of an English version of Offenbach’s ‘Barbe Bleue’ took place at the New York Theatre before a damp, chilly little audience. The production is rather below the mark. It is not nearly as good as the ‘Grand Duchess,’ as brought out some months ago at the same establishment. The Worrell sisters monopolize all the best parts, the fairest and most beautifully feminine of the three taking the part of Blue Beard and seeming—as she is—very much out of place in it. The representation of Boulotte gives an amusing imitation of Irma, but her voice would better fit her for the hero rather than the heroine of the opera. Of the minor parts, Mr. Lingard’s Bobeche is the most noticeable. The orchestra is, for its numbers, pretty good, and the chorus passable; but the piece is shabbily mounted, and the whole affair scarcely worthy of the undoubted talent of the deservedly popular Worrell sisters.”

“A filtration of OFFENBACH’S enlivening bouffe, ‘Barbe-Bleue,’ has been produced here, and in the leading characters that trio of familiar young ladies, the WORRELL Sisters, have reappeared, to the manifest delight of their local admirers.  No alteration has been made in the story of the burlesque, and the piece varies from the French original only in its entire freedom from that gracefulness and vivacity which marked the latter for success.  The translation is uncouth, and the performance is boisterous. The character of the ‘Gentleman with the Azure Chin’ would seem to be the very last that would fit a lady—and it is. Miss SOPHIA WORRELL appears less advantage in this part than either the Grand Duchesse or Belle Helene, and the rôles of Boulotte and Henrette are divided between her sisters. A company of noisy mediocrities fill up the other characters, and a weak chorus help the rest, like Dr. HOLMES’ ‘music grinders,’ to—‘Crack the voice of Melody and break the legs of Time.’”

“The WORRELL Sisters, after an absence of several months, returned to the boards of their bijou theatre on the 14th, when a large audience attended to welcome them back. We noticed in the two front rows of seats in the orchestra the same brainless young men, who part their hair in the middle, wear kids, twirl their moustachios, and every time that either one of the sisters winks at them, swears that he was the favored one. There is quite a party of these overgrown boys who occupy the same seats almost every night the sisters appear, even though it may be for months. They delight in annoying every one that sits any where near them by their remarks, which have no sensible meaning, and ‘chuck’ boquets to the sisters just when they ought not, thereby marring the scene. These youngsters should be provided with seats in a remote part of the house, so that they will not mar every one’s enjoyment. An English version of ‘Barbe Bleue’ served to reintroduce the sisters. It was placed on the stage in good style, very well costumed, and the music and choruses were exceedingly well rendered. Sophie looked and acted charmingly as Bluebeard. She dressed the part all right and understood the business very well, but she made a wretched attempt to sing the music. Her voice is too coarse for the difficult music of Offenbach. George Lingard was excellent as King Bobeche. In fact it is the best thing we ever saw him do. Charles Morton as Popolani and S. B. Villa were good in their respective roles. Fanny Prestige was on the bills for the Prince, but Mrs. Villa attempted to play it, and made the weakest performance of the evening. Mrs. Villa dressed the part in rather a slovenly manner and failed to invest the role with a particle of life. All the original music was capitally rendered by Mr. Tissington and his orchestra.”