Olympic Theatre

“Moses W. Fiske, at Wood’s Museum, terminates his engagement at that house next week, and joins Mrs. James Oates’ burlesque troupe on May 12th [sic].”

“The Olympic is closed this week to prepare for the burlesque company of Mrs. James Oates, one of the best in that line that has ever appeared in this country.”

Brief. “…Mrs. Oates is a vocalist of rare ability.”

Full cast list.

Full cast list. The new burlesque company will “appear in the most varied entertainment ever witnessed in this metropolis, combining selected gems from all the popular operas, together with a [illeg.] admixture of broad burlesque, all of which has been incorporated in the racy satire, entitled ‘THE FAIR ONE WITH BLONDE WIG.’”

“…Besides the excellent burlesque company, the management have Japanese, bell-ringers and acrobats to fill up interludes. Mrs. Oates is an accomplished soprano as well as a fascinating actress.”

“…The burlesque is really one of the finest we ever saw upon the American stage….Of [Mrs. Oates’s] singing we can speak in the highest praise. The range of her voice is extraordinary. She gives the lower notes with extreme ease and cleanness and the higher ones—even the high C with extraordinary force. It is truly gratifying to be able to speak of a burlesque in such high terms, when so many of late have acquired fictitious reputations by mere subterfuge. Mr. J. H. Chaterson [sic], the tenor of the troupe, is also possessed of a fine voice, and as he is yet a young man, we trust he will study hard to relieve himself of many defects in the management of his voice, and thus become what it is capable of making him—an artist of first class ability. Mr. M. W. Fiske performed a prominent part in his usual careful manner....we congratulate the manager of the Olympic theatre [sic] on having produced the best burlesque and the finest troupe of performers ever seen upon the metropolitan stage.”

Mrs. Oates “…possesses a capital voice, and dances with spirit…Mr. Chaterson has a fair tenor voice, and, although lacking cultivation, manages to use it to good effect…Mr. O’Reardon last night exhibited wonderful skill in playing on musical glasses with one hand and accompanying himself on the piano forte with the other. A medley performed by him was so well rendered as to be redemanded by the audience…” 

“…Mrs. Oates is a bright, vivacious, and really handsome little brunette, who sings and acts most bewitchingly…She is supported by Mr. Ailen, who is an excellent singer... [and] by Mr. Chaterson, whose fine tenor voice needs only a little more cultivation to render him a thorough artist….Mr. O’Reordon exhibited his wonderful skill in playing on the musical glasses with one hand and accompanying himself on the piano forte with the other.”

The Oates’s troupe performance is “more genuinely successful than have been any representations [of burlesque] since those of ‘Humpty Dumpty.’ They are in effect fascinating by the spectacular circumstances surrounding them, agreeable by the careful interpretation of a great deal of tuneful and familiar music, and extremely funny.” Goes on, but no mention of music.

“…What best pleased [Mrs. Oates’s] auditors was her singing, particularly of a medley song…There is a plenty of music and of parade in the piece…”

“…The music is very abundant, very familiar and quite appropriate. Scenery and costumes are new. The singing of Mrs. Oates is very good, albeit the voice is somewhat harsh. The efforts of the chorus, too, are remarkable for unanimity of purpose and energy…But the real charm of the performance, and that which constitutes a novelty to which puns, and local hits, and songs, and dances would give it no claim, is the contribution of Mr. Hernandez [acrobat] to what might be designated as a side-show…”

The burlesque “lays under contribution pun, song, break-down, merry music, and has some pretty stage groupings. The music is light, pretty and catching, and most of it has been rendered familiar through opera bouffe and other means….Mrs. Oates, in a handsome dress, acted her best and sang with her exceeding good taste…She has an excellent voice, and sings with great taste and feeling. Her piquant and unaffected manner made her at once a great favorite, while the purity with which she rendered several ballads, and the duets with Mr. Chatterson, and the trio from ‘Attille,’ proved her to be an accomplished artists. She made a great hit in her acting as well as her singing, and brought something fresh and sparkling into the burlesque arena…J. H. Chatterson is a clever young man, dressing the role of Leander very handsomely, singing with judgment and acting discriminately. This gentleman used to travel with the Holman Opera Troupe, since which time he has made rapid progress in the profession. He gives promise of becoming a very good vocalist and actor. Moses W. Fiske as the Prince was ludicrous in the extreme, indulging in puns and wild as any of his rivals. Like them he parodies popular music and introduces common break-downs. He sang a new song, introducing James Fisk and ‘the gallant Ninth,’ which was received with such tumultuous applause that he was compelled to answer four encores, and even then the audience did not appear satisfied.” No further mention of music.