Bryants’ Minstrels

Event Information

Venue(s):
Mechanic's Hall

Proprietor / Lessee:
Dan Bryant
Neil Bryant

Price: $.25; $3 private boxes

Event Type:
Band, Minstrel

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
9 July 2018

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

10 Aug 1863, 8:00 PM
11 Aug 1863, 8:00 PM
12 Aug 1863, 8:00 PM
13 Aug 1863, 8:00 PM
14 Aug 1863, 8:00 PM
15 Aug 1863, 8:00 PM

Program Details

Grand Reopening Night [MON].

Concert in two parts:
Part I – [unidentified overture] “Instrumental overture” (Bryants’ Minstrels)
“Opening chorus, operatic” (Company)
“Ellie, Queen of May” (Howard)
“Farm yard, The” (Reed)
“Darkey’s cheer, The” (Hilton)
“Lanagan’s ball” (D. Bryant)
“Dear Mother, I’ve come home to die” (Leslie)
“Finale – Slumbering motes” (Full Chorus)

Part II – Varieties
“Blacksmith’s jubilee – Introducing Anvil Chorus, Il Trovatore” (Brass Band)
“Sally, come up” (Reed)
“Paddy’s wedding” (Reed, Seymour, Howard, D. Bryant, Little Mac)
“Cornet solo” (Garatagui)
“Challenge dance” (Reed and D. Bryant)
“La Sonnambula – Amina, with Grand Scena and Aria” (Mme. Howard Fabbri-co)
“Ghost, The” (Seymour, D. Bryant)
“Eccentric dance” (Little Mac)
Emmett: Ober in Jarsey (Plantation Festival Scene) (“whole Troupe in their festival dance”)

Performers and/or Works Performed

3)
aka Grand operatic scene
4)
aka Ellie queen of May
Composer(s): Howard
Text Author: Howard
Participants:  Rollin Howard
5)
Composer(s): Kelly
Text Author: Colman Jr.
Participants:  Dave [minstrel] Reed
7)
aka Lanagan's ball; Lannergan's ball; Lannigan's ball; Lynagan’s Ball
Composer(s): Bryant, Glover
Text Author: Pastor
Participants:  Dan Bryant
8)
aka Dear mother I've come home to die
Composer(s): Tucker [comp.-cond.-voc.]
Text Author: Bowers
Participants:  Frank [minstrel] Leslie
9)
aka Finale – Slumbering motes
Participants:  Chorus, unidentified
10)
aka Blacksmith jubilee
11)
aka Sally come up
Participants:  Dave [minstrel] Reed
12)
Composer(s): Dibdin
Text Author: Dibdin
13)
Participants:  James Garatagua
15)
aka Sonambula; Sonnambula Amina; S.o.n.n.a.m.b.u.l.a.; or, The supper, the sleeper, and the merry Swiss boy
Text Author: Unknown playwright
16)
aka That ghost
Participants:  Dan Bryant;  Nelse Seymour
18)
Composer(s): Emmett
Text Author: Emmett

Citations

1)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 19 July 1863, 7.
Small ad.  “Mechanics’ Hall Closed for the Season.  Will Reopen August 10.  Neil and Dan Bryant.”
2)
Announcement: New York Clipper, 25 July 1863, 115.

3)
Advertisement: New York Clipper, 25 July 1863, 118.

4)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 02 August 1863, 7.

“Bryants’ Minstrels.  Mechanics’ Hall Closed for the Season.  Will Reopen August 10.  Neil and Dan Bryant.”

5)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 04 August 1863, 7.
“Look Out for the Ghost!”
6)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 08 August 1863, 7.
List of Company.
7)
Announcement: New York Post, 08 August 1863, 2.

“Bryant’s Minstrels will re-open for the season on Monday evening next.”

8)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 09 August 1863, 7.
Full program, performers, etc.
9)
Announcement: New York Herald, 10 August 1863, 4.
“Bryants’ Minstrel Hall will be reopened this evening.  The programme is excellent, and a burlesque ghost will be introduced.”
10)
Announcement: New York Post, 10 August 1863.

11)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 15 August 1863, 7.

12)
Review: New York Herald, 17 August 1863, 5.

“Despite the high state of the temperature the past week . . . the minstrel halls were crowded every evening.”

13)
Review: New York Clipper, 22 August 1863, 147.

"The reopening of Bryants’ took place on the 10th inst., according to announcement, but we guess the boys would have liked it better if the event had been postponed a week or two, for the weather was too hot for comfort anywhere. Business through the week has not been up to the standard at Bryants. The company is not as strong as it should be, but doubtless additions will be made in due time."