Wood’s Museum and Metropolitan Theatre

“The burlesque troupe of Lydia Thompson still hold possession of the stage at Wood’s Museum, and such a firm hold have they taken of the public that they are even greater favorites to-day than when they first made their appearance in this city. ‘Ixion,’ with its entire original cast remains upon the bills, prefaced with ‘The Water Witches,’ which in itself is sufficient to insure crowded houses during the week.”

“Saucy ‘Ixion’ and the stupid ‘Water Witches’ are continued on the bills at Wood’s Museum. These pieces are given on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons also.”

“Burlesque seems to have taken the amusement loving public of New York by storm, judging from the favor with which it has been received during the past year and the length of time a good piece well cast and mounted holds the boards. This establishment, as is well known, up to the era of the present management sunk more money than was ever taken in at the box office, but the presentation of ‘Ixion,’ with the galaxy of handsome favorites from ‘over the sea’ has been stamped as a great success, financially and artistically. It is a curious medley of ideas, ingeniously wrought into a plot and interspersed, latterly, with a number of capital local hits. Lydia Thompson, ‘fair one with the golden locks,’ is, leaving out of the question her personal attractions, which are many, a first rate burlesque artist, and is ably supported throughout. Miss Ada Harland is also an actress of great merit, and cannot but prove a favorite everywhere, as she unquestionably is here. Pauline Markham, as Venus, is excellent both as regards her playing and costume, and being a lady of fine presence and physique is, of course, very popular. Miss Lisa Weber, in her character of Mercury, is very pleasing, and her artistic ability and natural charms have already won a large share of approbation from the patrons of this theatre. Conceding, however, that all of these ladies merit some token of approbation from their audience, there is a custom in vogue to an extent fearful to contemplate among a coterie of ‘nice young men’ of boring the patience of an audience sorely by the swinging of any amount of bouquets to their favorites. A neat nosegay is always a pretty mark of appreciation; but when two or three young ninnies in a private box undertake to bestow fifteen or twenty tributes of this description in one evening, in volleys of three or four at a time, it is accepted by the common sense public as an evidence that fortune has made up in money what nature failed to supply in brains and average taste. Some of these fiori-maniacs should be well ’fiored’ themselves to see how they would like it. A capital farce, ‘Did You Ever Send Your Wife to Jersey?’ preceds the burlesque every evening.”