French Theatre Juignet Benefit

“Mr. P. Juignet, the stage manager of the Theatre Francais, has certainly hit upon an excellent idea for his benefit. He proposes to turn the tables upon Offenbach, who laughs at every one, and ought to be laughed at in due succession. Briefly, he intends to travesty the first act of ‘La Grande Duchesse.’ The thing is more shocking than it seems in this naked statement. We can anticipate with pleasure the Fritz of Mme. Rose-Bell, and the General Boum of Mlle. Desclauzas, but what can be said of the Majesty of Gerolstein when it falls to the hands of that gay chanticleer, Monsieur Carrier? Even little Wanda is bequeathed to Monsieur Deligne. Nepomuc and the conspirators, Prince Paul and Baron Puck, are intrusted [sic] to the ladies of the company, which is, at all events, a consolation. In addition to this funny speciality, Mr. Juignet will produce, for the first time in America, a new opera-seria-Franco-Italiano, by Herve, called ‘Gargoullade, or La Forza del Destino;’ also a chansonette called ‘Jades et Aujourd’hui,’ and the amusing comedietta, ‘Libre 3, chapitre 1er.’ In the latter piece, Mr. Juignet appears. There is certainly sufficient to attract an overflowing audience.”

“On Wednesday evening the Juignet benefit takes place, when a burlesque of Italian opera will be performed, with a comedy, and an amusing burlesque of ‘The Grand Duchess’ in which all the female parts will be taken by men and the male parts by women. Thus Carrier will be the Duchess, Rose Bell the Fritz, and Declauzas the General Boum. The performance must needs be [sic] exceedingly funny.”

“At the French Theatre the feature of the week will be Mr. Juignet’s benefit on Wednesday evening, when the strange spectacle will be presented of the gentlemen taking the ladies’ parts in ‘La Grande Duchesse,’ and the ladies those of the gentlemen. This turning of the opera inside out as it were, will certainly have a most extraordinary and ludicrous effect. Carrier has proved himself in ‘La Vie Parisienne’ a first-class comedian, and doubtless will infuse into the character of the amorous Duchess a vim that neither Tostée nor Rose Bell have dared or cared to give it.”

“Two features combined to render the benefit of Mr. Paul Juignet last night a substantial success—the man himself and the tempting bill of fare. The bénéficiare has proved himself a most efficient stage manager, while a more enticing programme could not have been presented. Inclement as was the weather the house was crowded to the doors, and rarely has any theatre in this city presented a more brilliant array of fashion or exhibited a more pleasant looking congregation. The curtain rose on an interesting comedy in one act, ‘Livre III., Chapter 1st,’ in which M. Juignet himself took a very prominent part and displayed the sterling qualities of an experienced actor. This, after a chansonette executed by M. Burgoin, by Gargouillada, the exact point of which nobody understood, unless it was intended as a travestie on ‘Punch and Judy,’ and even at that not exciting much visibility. It was even a very wretched attempt at negro minstrelsy, because it was totally devoid of harmony, screaming and grimace being its chief characteristics. The principal artists who appearaed in that awful conglomeration of sound were M. Carrier, M. Gueretti and M. Beckers, the latter gentleman, however, being the only redeeming feature of the outre grotesque production. Then came the grand attraction of the evening, ‘La Grande Duchesse,’ the entire order of characters being completely reversed, both in a male and female point of view. Just before the scene rose, just as the familiar strains of Le Sabre burst grandly forth, the theatre was crammed to excess. The attraction was immense, and all, especially those who had not seats, were truly on the tiptoe of expectation. The cast was as follows:—[lists casts and roles]. Positively nothing short of enthusiasm prevailed. Desclauzas, not by any means a slender representative of a military man, was simply perfection, while the evidences of a truly finished actress were displayed by Mme. Bell. Both were the recipients of the most unbounded approbation, of which Mlle. Clementine also enjoyed a deserved portion. Carrier did his best, as did likewise M. Delique [sic], who is a capital burlesque artist. The scene fell amid a round of applause, and the benefit of M. Juignet was a grand success.”

"M. Juignet, stage-manager of the French Theater, presented last night for his benefit-performance a bill of a very peculiar and mirthful kind. The exercises began with the sprightly one-act comedy, by MM. Pierron and Laferriere, entitled ‘Livre III., Chapitre tre,’ the characters in which were taken by MM. Juignet and Mussay and Mlle. Maurice. The piece is well known in New-York by its English name of ‘Two Can Play at that Game,’ and was acted many times at Wallack’s in the beginning of the present season. The translation, we honestly think, is superior to the original, and the performance at Wallack’s was certainly more spirited and more careful than at the French Theater. The comedy was followed by a pleasant chansonnette, ‘Jadis et Aujourd’hui,’ sung by M. Bourgoin in the character of an old man; and to this succeeded ‘Gargouillada, or La Forza del Desinto, an opera-seria Franco-Italiano’ by Herve, in which the principal parts were assumed by ‘Signori Carrierini and Beckersoli, and Signora Gueretti.’ Here was a broad burlesque upon the lyric tragedy, and every point of it told. Carrier, as the amorous and persecuted tenor, Beckers as the bellowing and belligerent bass, and Madame Gueretti as the lovelorn and distracted prima donna were all admirable; nor should we omit to mention the coredi guerrieri, composed of two awkward warriors, one in the modern costume of the French line and the other as an ancient Roman. It was the ‘Essence of Opera’ translated into action. In the front row of the parquet sat M. Genot, skillfully made-up as that famous bourgeois, M. Prudhomme. He enlivened the representation with numerous comical criticisms, explanations, outcries, and gestures, addressed now to the audiences and now to the stage, and at the conclusion of one grand scena perpetrated a capital travestie of the bouquet business. The principal attraction of the evening, however, was the first act of ‘La Grande Duchesse’ in which the ladies and gentlemen were made to change parts. The idea of burlesquing opera bouffe and turning Offenbach into ridicule was a bold one, and in a certain measure was successful; but a very little of this sort of fun is quite enough. The first entrance of the principal artists was hailed with shouts of laughter; after that the liveliness of the performance rapidly disappeared, and before it was over the action reminded us of a glass of soda-water which had been standing half an hour in a warm sun. Madame Rose Bell was the Fritz. She achieved exactly the same sort of success that she wins in every part, either male or female: to wit, she looked pretty, she sang well, and she went through the stage business like a thorough adept. But she has no fun; she did not look much out of place in her military dress; and we missed the incongruity which constitutes the humor of this sort of performance. The General Boum of Desclauzas was vastly more amusing, albeit the lady laughed at herself so much that she could hardly sing. She displayed a fine capacity for nonsense, and gave the famous ‘Piff, paff, pouff,’ with great feeling and unction. She could not keep her hat on, and that was very funny; she could hardly keep her moustaches on, and that was funnier still. In a word, she developed a fund of humor for which we had not given her credit, and placed herself from the first on the most intimate and agreeable terms with her audience. The Wanda of M. Deligne was inimitably ridiculous; the Nepomuc of Madame Gueretti the best we have seen for a year, the Baron Puck of Mlle. Clementine respectable; and the Prince Paul of Mlle. Maurice a most symmetrical exhibition. The gem of the evening, however, was Carrier’s Grande Duchesse. The true spirit of burlesque inspired it, and he went to the length (which nobody else ventured) of burlesquing the music as well as the action. His rendering of the ‘Ah! que j’aime les militaires,’ which began with something between a sneeze and a shriek, is not to be spoken of without laughter, but cannot be described. During the performance tittering chorus-singers and sceneshifters overflowed from the wings, and the characters in the play were almost as much affected by the absurdity of the situation as the spectators themselves. Still the fun, as we have already said, was evanescent; the inversion of parts robbed the music of its charm; and even one act was rather too much.”