Tammany Alhambra

For March 19.

Two paragraphs (in different columns): the first on Josh Hart and his future as manager of the Tammany; no fixed date yet for opening; the second on the upcoming season and whether or not it will be profitable.

“The motto of the new management is NO WAITS… NO OVERTURES… THE CURTAIN NEVER FALLS… LADIES’ MAINTEE EVERY SATURDAY.”

Still no fixed date for the re-opening.

“…The interior of the house has been refreshed, and the company wholly renewed…”

“Tammany will be reopened, to-night under the management of Josh Hart, with Professor Risley’s immense variety combination. The new Spanish ballet troupe will be the feature of the performance.”

“…The elite of the profession in all its branches; a complete reformation under the new management, who purpose making this performance the sensation of the age… And bear in mind, there will be no tedious waits, no dropping of the curtain, Musical Interlude, or Overtures to distress or tire the auditor. Each artist will follow one another in their different specialties in rapid succession…

“THE GRAND SPANISH BALLET TROUPE, secured by Professor Risley, who takes this opportunity to announce that the Troupe, under the direction of Mons. JOSE ROUSE, is the first company of Andalusian Dancers that have ever quitted Spain. Great opposition and legal proceedings were tried by the frequenters of the Grand Teatro in Malaga to prevent their departure…” Lists all members.

Brief.

“Tammany Alhambra.—This place of amusement was opened last evening under the new management by what was termed in the bills Professor Risley’s Combination. The house has not undergone any alterations since it was closed, and the most noticeable change in the management was the introduction of smoking and drinking during the progress of the performance. The theatre was crowded in every part by a peculiarly mixed audience, the ‘rough’ element being well represented. The members of this fraternity found their chief pleasure in conducting themselves in a noisy and boisterous manner… The negro part of the performance, in which Cool Burgess, William Carter and Charles Howard appear, was above the average. The remainder of the programme consisted principally of singing and dancing, principally by ladies.”

“The crowd of men which filled Tammany Hall last night, on the reopening of the establishment under the new management, was considerably disappointed at the absurd weakness of the entertainment. The singers were so poor that they were ‘guyed’ unmercifully; that is, they were greeted with ironical applause and rewarded with satirical cheers. The Spanish ballet, as far as regards novelty and grace, was a failure.” No further mention of music. Notes “[s]moking was allowed, and the audience took full advantage of the privilege.”

Brief; praises new manager Josh Hart.

“…Learned dogs and monkeys are exhibited, comic singers and singers of sentimentalities are heard, acrobats are whirled about, negro minstrels are introduced and ballet dancers are marshaled in succession during the three hours and a half its review demands…” No further mention of music.

Long announcement with thorough list of all performers. Also notes private preview performance given to the press: “…The sisters Lelia and Florence opened the entertainment in an operetta. The sisters are quite young, one of them not being more than six or seven years of age, the other fifteen, probably. Both display a good knowledge of stage business, have plenty of confidence, sing fairly, and are full of vivacity, the younger one, especially, showing great proficiency in the lyric dramatic art… Serio comic and sentimental ballad singing by two young English girls formed a part of the entertainment—they are fresh looking, dress showily, and one possesses a powerful voice, but their singing is not of a high order. The Spanish ballet troupe disappointed us… One of the male dancers gives a wild and fearful exhibition with one and then two tambourines, keeping time to the music by striking them against his head, feet, knees, and in fact all parts of him, completely prostrating himself by the violent effort he makes…”

Opening night “was during a heavy snow storm, yet nothwithstanding the unfavorable condition of the weather there was a very large audience in attendance; but the elements inside gave early evidence of being almost as turbulent as those without, the result evidently of drinking and smoking in the auditorium, the liquor, ‘Our Jim’ informs us, being very quarrelsome and ill-natured, and the segars of a deleterious compound. Amid this assemblage of men, whisky and tobacco, might have been seen six females who probably were not aware of the change, or they would not have been there.” Goes on extensively; notes that “Miss Alford’s dancing is far better than her singing. Sidney Frank, the comic singer, has had up hill work of it; on the opening night the gods were rather rough on Sidney, hissing him unmercifully; he is striving to win his way to public favor, and we sincerely hope he may succeed… On the second nice attendance fell off, and at no time during the week has the house been full…”