Grand English Opera Combination: Fra Diavolo

Includes cast list.

“Auber’s romantic opera of ‘Fra Diavolo,’ with its weird, sentimental mountain music, was given by the excellent English opera combinations at this house last evening, to a large audience, notwithstanding the rain and the universal outside commotion raised by the mighty turnout of the Tammany democracy. The distribution of the principal characters embraced Rose Hersee as Zerlina, and a most delightful little Zerlina it was, too, in every essential of person, voice and action; Mrs. Bowler as Lady Allcash, an admirable rendering of the character and the music; Brookhouse Bowler as Fra Diavolo the bold, handsome, accomplished and insinuating dare devil of a brigand chief only to be found in romances; Howell as Mateo, a nice young gallant; and, the rough diamonds of the party, Campbell as Beppo and Drayton as Giacomo, a pair of the roughest, dirtiest, raggedest and most irresistibly comical of mountain savages ever seen at any wayside house west of the Apennines. The incidental ‘introduction’ of Campbell, and Shields’ grand scena of ‘The Wolf,’ by Drayton, are crowning additions to this opera in its free English rendering, and never fail to arouse the enthusiasm of the house. The whole performance, in dramatic, vocal and instrumental requirements, was exceedingly graphic, spirited and harmonious. Indeed, this powerful combination is so far superior in its capabilities to anything in English opera we have ever had before in a single troupe that in every opera of its extensive list it excels almost any cast in the English we can remember, even in the gloss of its first appearance in New York.”

“Last night, at Niblo’s, a good performance of ‘Fra Diavolo,’ with Miss Hersee as Zerlina, delighted an appreciative audience. Mr. Drayton made a marked impression in the interpolated song, ‘The Wolf.’”