Tibb

Announces premiere for Thursday, April 30.

Announced for April 30.

Announced for May 2.

“Compiled from the German of the illustrious Ludwig Tieck’s ‘Der Gestlefelte Kater,’ with an introduction from an unpublished and unacted tragedy by the great Fench dramatist Johannes Crosseau, entitled ‘Einette;’ and also Auber’s opera of ‘La Chatte Sage,’ Mozart’s alteration of the same, and Dion Boucicault’s amalgamation of the whole of the above, and also expanded from the primitive and delightful cosmopolitan fairy tale, known as ‘Puss in Boots,’ and also enriched with occasional selections from the ‘Sokoontala’ of the Sanscrit dramatist, and also containing selected fragments of the lost ‘Pompholugopephiasmata’ of Aristophanes, and a small amount of original matter, being the joint production of those mammoth brains that conceived those classic dramas, ‘The Seven Sisters’ and ‘Uncle Sam’s Magic Lantern. . . . Some loud caterwalling (sic) and tender mewic (sic) will be given by our own Thomas Baker.”

“Last Week of the Season. . . . New music by Thos. Baker.”

“We reserve what we have to say of Laura Keene’s new burlesque . . . until to-morrow.”

“’Tib, the Cat in Crinoline’ died a natural death on Monday evening.  It was decided yesterday not to play the burlesque again, and our ‘American Cousin’ was substituted for last evening.  Miss Keene is said to be the authoress of ‘Tib.’  We hope the report is unfounded.”

“[W]e were promised a cat spectacle for the 30^th but it didn’t come to pass; then it was announced for May 2d; and again the cat drama failed to come to time, and it is again promised for this evening, May 4^th, and it is to be hoped that Laura may forthwith bring it before us.  This new monstrosity is called ‘Tib, or the Cat in Crinoline,’ Ms. Keene taking the part of Tib, because, we presume, she understands how to scratch, being of the female persuasion.  We presume all the critics in town will expend the full power of their wit and humor on this new extravaganza.  In the awful pause which must ensue before we hear from the critics on the catalogue of catastrophes which the ‘Cat in Crinoline’ is destined to bring to light, we calmly await the coming shock.”

“The ‘Cat in Crinoline’—about which the advertisements and puffs had so many funny things to say—made its first, last, and only appearance, at Laura Keene’s, on the 4^th.  It was one of the most decided fizzles, or catastrophes, of the season.  We have referred to the thing, more at length, in another paragraph.  No wonder Laura Keene was reported as ‘indisposed’ on the following evening; it seriously damaged that lady’s reputation in the estimation of the few hundreds who were so unfortunate as to be present on the painful occasion.  It is well nigh time that the theatre passed into the hands of another management. . . .

[Much later in the City Summary] ‘Tibb, the Cat in Crinoline,’ was produced . . . before an audience numbering perhaps some three hundred persons, about fifty of whom were in the boxes.  Sister Laura stated, in a note on the programme, that the drama would be produced in a manner worthy of the reputation she had attained since she had been directress of the establishment.  In reply to which, we have to say that if she staked her reputation on the success of the hodge podge called ‘Tibb,’ she is content with a remarkably small share of public approbation.  One would suppose that the author of the piece had been requested to put together a series of acts and scenes, and clothe them with language, calculated to use up the remnants of the stage appointments and scenic effects of the last two of three spectacular pieces that Laura has presented as the sensation plays of her season; and no doubt, this was the case.  Be that as it may, the result was a sad failure, for beyond the fact of the presentation of two or three very pretty scenes—a lake scene especially being noticeable—the drama, spectacle, or burlesque, or whatever you are pleased to call it, of ‘The Cat in Crinoline’ was about the veriest mass of Tom Foolery that we have ever seen presented.”