Grau French Opera Bouffe: Desclauzas Benefit

“At the Théâtre Français, Mlle. Desclauzas takes her benefit this evening, and Mme. Rose-Bell’s is announced for Friday. These two performances will finish the opéra bouffe season at this theatre.”

“This evening, for the benefit of Desclauzas, two acts of ‘Chilpéric’ will be given, and the entertainment will conclude with a travesty of the gens d’arme scene in ‘Genevieve,’ Desclauzas and Rose Bell taking the parts of the two famous soldiers.”

“The large and fashionable attendance at the French Theatre last night was a handsome tribute to the popularity of Desclauzas, the fascinating soprano of Mr. Grau’s opera troupe. Two acts of ‘Chilpéric’ were given, the salient melodies winning encores, while the entire performance was plentifully enlivened with genuine applause. A long intermission ensued, which awakened a noisy though good-natured remonstrance from the galleries, obliging M. Juignet to appear before the curtain and beg a slight indulgence. The main feature of the evening was not long delayed after this, for in a few minutes the curtain rose on that act of ‘Genevieve de Brabant’ which contains the celebrated duet of the gensdarmes. Rose Bell took Bourgoin’s part of Grabage and Desclauzas, whose ‘make up’ was in every way a triumph, gave a wonderfully clever imitation of Gabel’s notable ‘creation’ of Pitou. The gestures, the attitudes and the tones of voice were reproduced with amusing faithfulness, keeping the audience in a continual ripple of laughter, to which the disarrangement of a portion of Pitou’s armor, demanding the aid of the prompter, as well as Grabage, greatly added. The whole affair was an uproarious frolic, funny in the extreme. Among the audience was Irma, who warmly applauded the feminine Pitou.”

“The last performance given for the benefit of Mlle Desclauzas attracted a solid crowd. Independently of the name of the charming beneficiary [who is] well-liked here, and deservedly so, the construction of the performance had a lot to do with its success. They played the act of the gendarmes from Geneviève. Mme Rose Bell was Grabuge and Mlle Desclauzas Pitou. These women who imitated wonderfully well, the one Bourgoin, the other Gabel, were peppered, bombarded, with applause. It was truly original, but you couldn’t even try to describe it: you had to be there.

“Through circumstances completely unknown to us, Mme Rose Bell revoked the performance that should have taken place for her benefit the day before yesterday. We regret this for ourselves and above all for her: we are persuaded that the excellent artist would have received palpable and sonorous proof that the audience holds the graceful Drogan and Madame la Colonelle in high esteem. . . .” 

“Opera Bouffe came to an untimely end at the French Theatre on the 7th inst., with the benefit to Mlle. Desclauzas, and, with the exception of Rose Bell, the company sailed for France by the steamer of the 12th inst. Rose Bell was to have had a farewell benefit, but, fearing to risk it, gave it up. It is this lady’s intention to remain here for the present.”