Mephisto

Roster

Roster

Roster.

Roster

Complete cast listing. 

Brief; no mention of music. 

“Miss Ada Beaumont is new to this stage. She is understood to be a Miss Tremaine of the London Gaiety Theater. Her person is large; her carriage free; and her action that of an experienced trifler in the domain of farce. The strangest blending of expressions makes her countenance interesting to the student of character. Latent physical ferocity and buxom rural good nature are herein commingled with mischief, sentiment, and defiant arrogance. Her voice is brilliant, metallic, and of wide compass, and she knows how to use it; but there is no feeling in her vocalism, and no sweetness in any attribute of her character or of her demeanor—so far as could be perceived through this performance. Her massive physical physique and bold behavior, though, captured the sympathies of a very noisy and unrefined audience, and she was recalled after each song.”

“But Mr. Rowe’s play is only the usual succession of pretexts for songs and dances, and the new-comers, except Miss Ada Beaumont, who has a fine voice and has acquired skill in its use, might be merely the bearers of new names, with little danger of a mutiny on the part of the spectators…The music in ‘Mephisto,’ we must not neglect to say, is very pretty, for it is taken from ‘La Fille de Mme. Angot.’ It is, too, nicely rendered.” 

“The unaffected grace of Miss Ada Beaumont as Proserpine, and her pleasing singing and pretty face and ways, won for her repeated applause. Her voice is exceedingly sweet and full…One of the most agreeable features in the play was its well selected ballads.” 

“Miss Ada B[ea]umont, who takes Miss Weathersby’s place, has a fresh voice, pleasant in spite of a tendency to thrilliness and thinness. She made a decided success last night as Proserpine, sharing the honors with the fair Lydia…The music of ‘La Fille de Mme. Angot’ is copiously sprinkled throughout the piece, and some of the songs and choruses are made very effective. The house was a large one and the success of the piece seems assured.”  

Cast listing. “The music was arranged and selected from the latest opera bouffes by W. E. Mallandaine of the Opera Comique, London, Eng., and was well rendered by the orchestra under the direction of William Withers, Jr., the musical director of Miss Thompson’s troupe. The burlesque may be pronounced to be better than a majority of those hitherto performed by this troupe, and achieved a marked success. Two tableaux representing shepherds and shepherdesses, a la Wateau, were very beautiful, and elicited much applause. Miss Lydia Thompson as Pluto presented a charming appearance, and acted in her customary piquant and vivacious manner. Miss Ada Beaumont made her American debut, acting Proserpine in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. She has a tall, well-proportioned figure, a pleasing face, and is one of the best vocalists that have ever appeared here in burlesque. We believe she has hitherto had some considerable experience upon the operatic stage in England. She possesses all the chic and mercuriality of a successful opera-bouffe artist. Her voice is sweet, powerful, well-cultivated and thoroughly under control. Many of the songs sung by her were vociferously redemanded several times…Miss Camille Dubois acted Sacharissa in an ingenious manner, and won much applause for her admirable singing of a ‘kissing song,’ being recalled some half a dozen times. The vocal efforts of the quartet were excellent. The attendance was very large during the week.”