Dryane French Opera:Robert le Diable CANCELLED

“The season of “Grand Historical and Romantic French Opera,” at the Academy of Music, has come to a full stop. Owing to ‘unavoidable circumstances’ the management have been compelled to suspend the performances for the ensuing week. It is proposed, however, to recommence operations at an early day with Ambroise Thomas’ ‘Songe d’une Nuit d’Été.’”

“The French Opera Company appears to have come to temporary grief. Last night, when a goodly audience came to witness a promised performance of ‘Robert le Diable,’ the house was found closed, and a notice appended to the door stating that there would be no performance that evening, and that tickets could be redeemed the next day. M. Dryane’s company contains several artists of genuine talent, and we hope that under judicious management they may still be heard here. The operas already produced have been given with conscientious care, and, especially in the case of ‘Lucie de Lammermoor,’ were creditably sung. As several new and interesting works were in rehearsal, it is to be hoped that the management will be enabled to resume performances. An announcement is made to-day to the effect that, when resumed, they will begin with Ambroise Thomas’s ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream.’”

Further performances to be discontinued for the present until a new work is ready in about a week.

“At Paris during periods of revolutionary excitement the theatres have been more fully thronged than usual. In New York the financial revolutions of Wall Street have not interrupted the prosperous fall season on which our theatres have entered. The management of the grand historical and romantic French opera has indeed been compelled to suspend performances at the Academy of Music; but this is owing to ‘unavoidable circumstances’ altogether independent of the disastrous conflict between bulls and bears on ‘Change [the stock exchange]. Mr. Drynne is not the only manager who has suffered from the mysterious fatality that seems to cling like a curse to ‘the Catacombs.’ We are glad to learn that in the course of the week two benefits will be extended to this unlucky opera company, who find themselves in a strange company without employment. One of these benefits has been generously proposed by Mr. Grau, at the French theatre in Fourteenth street, and the other will be given at the Academy of Music.”

“M. Dryne’s [Dryane] French Opera Troupe, after giving a few performances at the Academy of Music during the past week, suddenly collapsed, and now the members “want to go home,” but can’t, owing to a lack of the filthy lucre.”