Niblo’s Garden

Complete cast

“Perhaps it is well to add that the piece is little changed from what it was when it was last given in New York. The ‘Broadway Swell’ and a few new songs have been imported into it, but the dialogue has a familiar sound."

 “Mr. Anson, as Captain John Smith, acts well, sings badly, skips the rope inimitably, and only needs to ‘skip’ his singing to make his performance entirely acceptable.” 

“Her singing is agreeable [Mrs. Wood’s], and sometimes as in the declaration of her affection for [illegible] very rich in character.”

Brougham’s Pocahontas rearranged and rechristened as La Belle sauvage.

“Clever use of the Offenbach melodies was made at various points in the performance.”

 “G. W. Anson, who made his American debut in the character of Captain John Smith, cannot conscientiously be said to have achieved success. The representative of that character should be a tenor vocalist of merit, as upon the music of the role, rather than the acting, does success depend. Mr. Anson has a baritone voice, and the effect produced may be likened unto the performance of an opera with a baritone singing the tenor role, with the music transposed to suit his voice.” ”Many changes had been made in the music, which, we think were not for the better, as they consisted of selections from Offenbach and music hall songs, long since made very familiar to our public. The introduction of a Can-can at the close of the first act, in which some vulgar movements were introduced, failed to give satisfaction, and after a night or two the objectionable features were dispensed with. The trombone accompaniment, while Mr. Anson is pretending to play a solo upon a toy violin placed behind his back, which is turned to the audience, ought to have been omitted. The musical performances with the exception of those of Mr. Mark Smith and Mrs. Wood, were not up to the mark, the quartets and concerted pieces lacking harmony and precision in time.”