Articles previewing the fall 1869 musical and dramatic seasons

“The musical prospects for the winter are very uncertain. French grand opera and Italian opera have been talked of, but even the rumors of them seem to have finally died away. Of English opera, however, we have a double prospect. The Parepa-Rosa-Seguin troupe is to open at the French Theatre on the 11th of September with Balfe’s ‘Puritan’s Daughter.’ On the 18th the ‘Sonnambula’ will be brought out, with Miss Rose Hersee as Amina.

“About the 20th of that month Mlle. Carlotta Patti, with some efficient assistants, will commence a concert season at Steinway Hall.”

“The cool winds of September have begun to blow, and the blue skies of September have begun to smile. In this delightful weather the city is as pleasant as the country—and, in some respects, surpasses its rural rival. Accordingly the great army of metropolitan excursionists has struck its tents, and is marching on the capital. Familiar faces are once more seen in familiar haunts. Enterprise arouses itself from its sluggish Summer [sic] sleep. Fashion prepares to resume its sway. Business runs in its old channels. And in the theatrical world a busy hum of preparation, mingling with the loud note of action, indicates that we are gliding into the regular season. Melting, perhaps, would be the better word; for the transition proceeds gradually, as Summer is merged into Autumn. Of the dozen places of amusement that are now open, half, at east, are avowedly started upon the regular season.

The promise of that season is unmistakably good. Decency, it is evident, will prevail at most of the theatres; and this, after what we have experienced, is a very important consideration. At a few places, of course—where the unquenchable spirit of mercenary greed is rampant, and would do anything, however filthy, for the sake of money—the usual dirty appeal will be made to the lowest instincts of the sensual multitude. Of course, too, we shall once more encounter the usual doctrine in defense of this abuse—that the public want muck, and will have it, and therefore it is right for theatrical managers to give it to them. These blotches are to be expected. We are not living in Utopia, but in a world wherein most persons are selfish, many are unprincipled, and ignorance, vanity, and sensuality abound. Nevertheless, there is a bright side of the picture; and the promise of a new season, as we have said, is unmistakably good. Past excess in the direction of frivolity and coarseness has promoted a reaction in favor of the legitimate drama; and this, if it be not allowed to go too far, will manifestly lead to wholesome results. Wherever the legitimate drama prevails, the theater takes a high intellectual tone; for the legitimate drama requires acting, and acting is a matter of ability and not of legs. Moreover, where there is ability there is usually taste, refinement, self-respect, and moral principle. To get away from ignorance and weakness is also to get away from depravity. People of talent, at any rate, know how to assume a virtue if they have it not; and the theatres in which able and cultivated players are assembled will, we may safely presume, be beneficial in their influence, and therefore worthy of public esteem and support. Such, next season, will be the character of the chief theaters in New-York.

“With decent and intellectual effort on the stage, let us hope that there will also come a ready and ample response of the best public intelligence and sympathy. If we would have a pure stage we must encourage those who strive to uphold it in purity. If we would enjoy acting, we must cheer those who cultivate that high and difficult art, by thoughtful consideration of their efforts and judicious praise of their merits. If ever the drama needed fostering care, it needs it now. If ever there was a time when slight defects and trivial blemishes ought to be overlooked in favor of worthy purposes earnestly pursued, it is this present moment [sic, no period] Questions as to the propriety of Brown’s whiskers or Robinson’s boots, Miss Smith’s waterfall or Mrs. Jones’s Grecian Bend, may be important in their place. But their place is altogether subsidiary to that of the great question, whether the stage is administered in such a way as to exert,—concurrently with all other agencies of education,—a cheering, refining, and elevating influence upon the age. If it be so administered, it deserves the sympathy and the active, practical support of all who have at heart the welfare of their families, the honor of their country, and the good of mankind. Nothing is trivial which affects the minds of the young. Nothing is idle which sways the popular heart. And the stage is both dazzling to youth and dear to the people. Those who have it in charge rest under the burden of a very grave responsibility. They not only keep a shop, but they keep a school; and the schoolmaster, in this age, is greater than the emperor. But their responsibility is not theirs alone. It rests, in some sense, also, upon the intellectual and refined classes in every community, whose high duty and whose wise policy it is, to sustain in dignity and honor every institution and every influence which can advance human civilization.”

“The fall dramatic season, though scarcely yet fairly under way, already exhibits symptoms of strong vitality and prosperity. Novelty, variety and sensation are the order of the day, with a prospect of a continuance of the same throughout the entire season. Judicious and liberal management on the part of our amusement caters is fully recognized and appreciated by our amusement-loving citizens. Up to the present time the efforts of our theatrical managers to please the public have met with an encouraging support from the playgoers of the metropolis, and during the past two weeks our leading theatres, without any such inducement as ‘an extra splurge,’ have been exceedingly well attended. The success of the past argues favorably for that of the future. The present week opens auspiciously in a musical as well as in a dramatic sense, and the chances are that our citizens will have as much variety and novelty to pick from in the way of amusement as is good for them to be dosed with at one time. The slight fillip which will be given this week to theatrical affairs in this vicinity will in all probability carry the season well into the fall. The new sensations for this evening may be summed up as follows:—‘Formosa; or, the Railroad to Ruin,’ at Niblo’s, ‘Dreams’ at the Fifth Avenue, ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ at the Olympic, ‘The Live Indian’ at Wallack’s, ‘Blow for Blow’ at the Comique and ‘The Scottish Chiefs’ at the Bowery. On Friday evening a grand Shakspearian entertainment will be given at the Academy of Music in aid of the family of the late Joseph G. Hanley, and Saturday evening the Théâtre Françiase [sic] reopens for a short season of grand English opera under the direction of Mme. Parepa-Rosa.”

“Another German opera company will endeavor to beguile our citizens with the strains of classical harmony at the Théâtre Français during the entire month of November. All the available artists of ability in this vicinity have already been secured for this tuneful enterprise, but the company will be principally composed of such new faces as have achieved success at the leading theatres in Europe.”

“The Theatre Comique has again changed hands, and with the change the present season of legitimate drama at that establishment comes to an abrupt end, and the stock company seeks other fields and pastures new. Thus ends the glorious legitimate Comique, which closes its doors on Saturday evening next, to reopen them again in a week or two as a varieties show. Manager White, it is understood, retires from the business in favor of Messrs. Butler & Spencer.”

“We are not positive as to the financial success of all our theatrical speculations so far this season; some are doing remarkably well, while others find it extremely difficult to stand alone; Booth’s Theatre, Wallack’s, Niblo’s and one or two others, keep their treasures moving very lively in exchanging pasteboard for greenbacks. The Waverley did not answer expectations, and the managers went back on themselves, and the house closed. The Theatre Comique got into a streak of ill luck, and all that was comic about the place began to assume a tragic hue, and you will not be astonished to learn that the managers shut up the house, because no White [likely a play on manager White] man cares to take up less than he puts down. When a person Spends [likely a play on manager Spencer] a small fortune to build a place on a Sandy foundation he had better get out before he sinks with the house he has endeavored to rear. So the Comique passes into the hands of a Butler, not a Picayune Butler, by the way, but one of a liberal heart and stable mind. We don’t believe the Parepa-Rosa Opera Troupe are turning the French Theatre into a mint; on the contrary, it seems more like a mint ‘stick.’ We shall be glad to learn that Parepa rose a winner by the speculation; for the company is certainly a splendid one, but it looks as if the troupe were putting out more ntoes than they are taking in; which notes are the most valuable, however, or would pass best on Change, we are not prepared to say. Carl Rosa can see sharp enough to know when to git, and he will not be such a flat as to stop longer than he is wanted. The educated reader may be able to pick out the sparkling little bits we have incorporated into our budget.”

““The public will rejoice to know that there is soon to be an Italian Opera established in New-York, and that arrangements already made and others are pending give promise of results of a high order. Mr. Max Maretzek is to be the conductor, and among the artists who are engaged and are already in this country are, we learn, Mlle. Carlotta Patti, Miss Kellogg, Antonucci and others, while Tombesi, Fanschetti [sic], Faure and others are spoken of as either certain or possible importations. It is said that great efforts will be made to give Italian opera on a really first-class scale, and we are confident that the public are disposed liberally to sustain just such an entertainment.”