Mrs. James A. Oates’s Comic Opera: Little Faust

“The career of ‘Little Faust’ at the Olympic Theatre is approaching its conclusion. Two weeks more, we fancy, will bring it to an end. Those who only saw the musical burlesque in the first week of its representation, have not seen it at its best. Very little of the music was sung during that week, as several of the performers were ill. Mrs. Oates, in particular, was disabled by sickness. Since then, however, ‘health and youthful jollity’ have beamed upon the warblers, and now the piece is both acted and sung with far more vim and skill, and with far better effect, than at first. Mr. Fox as Martha—with his dry drollery and spontaneous mischief—is a real blessing, and not in disguise. He makes us laugh, and therein he does us good. There is much to enjoy, also, in the vocalism of Mrs. Oates, Mr. W. H. Crane, and Miss Marian Taylor. If the chorus of soldiers would but sing ‘The Watch on the Rhine’—which they might very appropriately do, when they come marching in on their way to the war—we fancy that local German patriotism would richly reward the effort.—One of the subordinate performances in ‘Little Faust’ is worthy of mention here, as showing marked progress on the part of a youthful player. We allude to Miss Lula Prior’s personation of Karl, the ‘gentleman of capers.’ Not very long ago, Miss Prior was playing children—Little Eva, etc., at Barnum’s Museum. We are pleased to note her advancement to more important characters.”