Broadway Theatre: Williams’ Farewell Benefit

Only citation to list songs and dances on program.

“The days of the Broadway Theater are numbered. Half a dozen performances more will be given in it, and then it must pay its debt—which everything pays sooner or later—to Terminus, ‘the god of bounds, who sets to rear ashore.’ This evening’s performance will be for the benefit of Mr. and Mrs. Barney Williams. ‘Born To Good Luck,’ ‘Customs of the Country,’ and ‘Ireland As It Was,’ are the pieces selected for this interesting occasion. In many years of active professional life, Mr. and Mrs. Barney Williams have very largely contributed to the innocent enjoyment of the people. In this Broadway Theater, for upward of three years under the management of Mr. Williams, they have dispensed a great deal of mirth, confirmed old friends, and won new ones. It seems proper that they should appeal for a farewell benefit at this time, and we cannot doubt that they will receive one, in the full meaning of the word. The Green Harp sounds, and ‘the boys’ willy rally around it, bringing prosperity and cheer to Mr. and Mrs. Barney Williams.”

“‘Some men are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.’ We might be pardoned for paraphrasing this somewhat, and say some are born to good luck and some achieve good luck. Last evening Mr. Barney Williams opened the performance with Power’s charming comedy ‘Born to Good Luck,’ appearing in the leading character. While the rollicking Barney was born to good luck last evening—and many times before, by the way—he has during his artistic career, by industry and enterprise, achieved the good luck which appears to have been showered so lavishly upon him. The Broadway theatre [sic] in a few days will be numbered among the things that have been, and last evening being the last time that Mr. Williams and his charning wife were to appear at the Braodway as claimants for popular patronage their friends and admirers assembled in large numbers to show the ‘Irish Boy’ and ‘Yankee Gal’ that they have secured a place in the public heart which is read at all times to pour forth a flood of hearty friendship that cannot be mistaken…” No mention of music. Goes on to quote Mr. Williams’s farewell speech and to describe a golden medal presented to Williams on stage