Theatre Comique

Event Information

Venue(s):

Proprietor / Lessee:
Robert W. [manager] Butler
E. G. [manager] Gilmore

Manager / Director:
Robert W. [manager] Butler
E. G. [manager] Gilmore

Event Type:
Variety / Vaudeville

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
6 July 2022

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

04 Jul 1870, 2:00 PM
04 Jul 1870, 8:00 PM
05 Jul 1870, 8:00 PM
06 Jul 1870, 8:00 PM
07 Jul 1870, 8:00 PM
08 Jul 1870, 8:00 PM
09 Jul 1870, 2:30 PM
09 Jul 1870, 8:00 PM

Program Details

First appearance of G. W. Jester on Thursday.

Performers and/or Works Performed

2)
aka Bibbs and the Bibbses
Participants:  Add Ryman;  J. C. Stewart (role: Mrs. Bibbs);  Johnny Hart;  Madeline [vocalist] Hardy
6)
aka New songs; Foreign airs by native artists
Composer(s): Unknown composer
Participants:  Lizzie Kelsey
7)
aka Political harangue; Political address; Election speech
Participants:  Add Ryman
10)
aka Amulet; Hamlet burlesque; Am u let; Ham-u-let; Hamulet; Ham u let; Am I let
11)
aka Essence of Moko
12)
aka Hunkey doree
Composer(s): Unknown composer

Citations

1)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 03 July 1870, 12.
2)
Review: New York Herald, 06 July 1870, 3.

“This cosey and popular place of amusement was crowded to its utmost capacity last evening by an audience of ladies and gentlemen, who, judging from the shouts of laughter which rang through the building during the performance, must have enjoyed themselves to their hearts’ content. It is not a usual thing for a theatre to be well patronized the day before the ever “Glorious Fourth,” for certain festive reasons which are obvious, but the managers of this theatre know so well how to cater for the popular hankering for real, genuine fun and enjoyment in hot weather, that the Comique is, this season at least, an exception to the general rule. The programme last evening was a very varied one, cram full of good things; in fact, bristling, as an Irishman would say, with those kind of relishable jacosities that make a melancholy man feel good natured despite himself. It would be altogether too lengthy a task to give in detail an account of what was played and done and said and laughed at during the performance; but suffice it to say that nobody went away discontented. In the first place ‘Bibbs and Bibbs’ opened the evening’s hilarity in good style, with Hart, Stuart, Ryman and Miss Hardy as the dramatis personae; and then came in regular order, among other things, the ‘Babes in the Wood,’ with J. C. Stewart and Billy West as the dear little infants. We would advise any dyspeptic despairing of a cure to see Stewart in these terrible ‘woods,’ where he fools the echoes so badly, and we guarantee him a perfect cure in ten minutes. The ‘Shoo Fly cancan’ was given in magnificent style and added to the general effect of the really excellent ballet performance with which the night’s entertainment was profusely illustrated, so to speak. The laughable negro burlesque of ‘Am-u-let,’ with Johnny Hart, Ryman and Myers, was immense, and the ever-to-be-remembered ‘Hunky Doree’ closed the evening’s most excellent performance. The Comique is evidently, hot weather or cool weather, bound to please the multitude; and, judging from the audience present last evening, it is destined to be during the summer the great resort for families who prefer to spend an evening pleasantly in a theatre to sweltering in close apartments at home.”    

3)
Review: New York Clipper, 16 July 1870, 118.

“An attractive programme, combined with the reduced temperature of the atmosphere on a majority of the evenings of the past week, filled the Theatre Comique nightly. All the acts were fresh, and embraced an Ethiopian version of the farce entitled ‘A Quiet Family,’ under the title of ‘Bibbs and Bibbs,’ in which John Hart, Add Ryman, Madelaine Hardy and J. C. Stewart in the female character of Mrs. Bibbs, convulsed the audience with laughter. Johnny Queen followed in ‘The Dancing Master,’ in which he appears in a white face, and illustrated, in a masterly manner, the various styles of dancing. Then the Schrotter Sisters executed a double Irish jig, with the approbation of the audience. In the laughable interlude, ‘Babes in the Wood,’ which followed, J. C. Stewart and Billy West were exceedingly funny, and Stewart’s practical joke upon an ‘echo’ was enthusiastically received. Miss Lizzie Kelsey sang the same songs of last week—a little more variety in this department would prove acceptable. A new rustic ballet divertissement, arranged by Mons. Grossi, entitled ‘The Village Festival,’ in which Mlle. Josephine Lusuardi was the principal feature, gave an agreeable variety to the entertainment. Add Ryman delivered a very funny burlesque Fourth of July oration, containing many political hits [bits?], which were highly relished by the audience. The ‘Shoo Fly Can-can,’ by Rose Lucille, Ida Greenfield, Fanny Lucille and Emily Herbert, by its boldness, dash and abandon, sent the blood tingling through the veins and was rapturously encored. Master Barney, in his illustrations of the idiosyncracies [sic] of the Teutonic citizen, attempting to illustrate his ideas in pure Saxon, still holds a wonderful sympathetic power over his auditors, and nightly receives half a dozen encores. He is very quiet and unassuming, and his greatest effects are achieved without apparent effort. A burlesque of ‘Hamlet,’ which might have had its origin contemporaneously with the tragedy itself, followed, after which Johnny Queen and Billy West danced the ‘Real Essence of Moco,’ and the performance concluded with Charles Abbott’s trick pantomime of ‘Hunky Doree.’ On Thursday, July 7th, G. W. Jester, the great ventriloquist, who rejoices in the sobriquet of ‘The Man with the Talking Hand,’ made his first appearance at this house and was enthusiastically received. It will be remembered he was brought to this country by Prof. Risley, and had hitherto appeared at the Tammany. His performances are really wonderful, his changes of voice are rapid and entirely distinct from each other and his impersonation of character is artistic. If he can be made to stick and fulfill his contract, this Jester may do very well, but he is one of those performers of whose presence you are never certain."