Fifth Avenue Theatre

“SUMMER SEASON COMMENCING MONDAY, JUNE 21…Particulars in future advertisement.”

No mention of music.

“‘Dora’ and ‘Black Eyed Susan’ are to be brought out at the Fifth Avenue Theatre on the 21st. We adore a blue-eyed Susan most.”

Announces Selwyn’s company.

“From a theatrical stand-point the week that has just terminated has been one of remarkable dullness. No new pieces have been enacted, no new players have appeared, no change of performance of any moment has been made. The season when men’s amusement, like their bread, is earned by the sweat of their brow, is evidently commenced. As the mercury rises, the receipts of play-houses fall…It will hardly be lessened this week, spite of the freshness of a few announcements now at hand. For at some of the City theatres an effort is to be made—and in this weather an effort is certainly deserving of praise, for its own sake at least—to secure attention…At the Fifth-Avenue Theatre, ‘Dora,’ and the burlesque of ‘Black Eyed Susan,’ will be represented by the principal artistes of Selwyn’s Theatre, in Boston, who for a few weeks occupy the recent abode of the representatives of opera. [Lists members of the company.]”

No mention of music.

Positive review; no mention of music.

Positive review; no mention of music. “…Such burlesque as these Boston ladies and gentlemen show us is not only tolerable, but is in a high degree enjoyable. There is more drollery, more grotesque fancy, more real humorous meaning in it than in all the other exhibitions of this class that have been given in New-York this season put together…”

“The new dramatic season at the Fifth Avenue theatre [sic], under the direction of Flash-of-Lightning-Locomotive-Daly, will not take place on the 15th of July, as previously stated—in fact, it may possibly be postponed until about the 1st of September. When it does commence, however, we may exepct something good.” Makes some positive remarks about Daly.

“Our Yankee cousins from the ‘Hub’ have achieved a brilliant success at the Fifth avenue theatre [sic]. Though the rain poured down in torrents on Monday evening—the night of their opening in this city—they literally succeeded in taking the town by storm, and will doubtless continue to hold our citizens captive by the force of their excellent and artistic acting during their short sojourn in the metropolis…[t]hey have treated us to one of the drollest, most enjoyable and really humorous burlesque performances that has been given in this city for years…In the burlesque, particularly, they demonstrated the important fact that to be funny and enjoyable burlesque needs neither the nauseating flavor of stale and hackneyed sayings, jokes that have to be explained before they can be understood, vulgarity in dialogue, nor an exhibition of semi-nude female figures decorated in all the dazzling glories of golden hair and fringe.” Negatively reviews scenery; no mention of music.

Long review, mostly positive. Discusses problematic advertising of authorship: “The most important feature of the entertainment at the Fifth-avenue [sic] is the charming drama of ‘Dora,’ by Charles Reade, whose name, by the by, appears in none of the printed announcements. We have been long accustomed to the theatrical practice of robbing English authors of their literary property, but the notion of denying them the right of popular recognition by suppressing their names is new. Let us hope that it will not become general. Mr. Tennyson’s name, to be sure, is given with full formatlity, and his poem receives the graceful tribute of a flattering adjective, in three syllables, but as there probably was never an adapted drama which owed less to the original sketch than this, it is hard to see why Mr. Reade should be entirely cast away in the cold.”

Only mention of music: “Miss Kittie Blanchard shines quite luminously in this travestie [Black-eyed Susan]. She dances neatly, sings carelessly, but pretty well, and differs from the heroines of the Broadway theatres in being the owner of a few original ideas.”

Positive review; no mention of music. Criticizes the scenery as do other reviews.

States that Satudray is the last appearance of Selwyn’s troupe, but they performed the following week, too.

“Mr. Jennings, Mr. George Holland, Mr. James Lewis and Mr. J. H. Clarke, have been engaged by Mr. Daly for the Fifth-avenue [sic] Theatre next season.”

Long review, little mention of music: “Mary Cary is a pleasing soubrette, with a pretty face and a good figure, but her voice is hardly strong enough to sing.”