Olympic Theatre

Event Information

Venue(s):
Olympic Theatre

Manager / Director:
John F. [1833-93] Poole

Event Type:
Variety / Vaudeville

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
2 August 2025

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

15 Feb 1875, 7:45 PM
16 Feb 1875, 7:45 PM
17 Feb 1875, 2:00 PM
17 Feb 1875, 7:45 PM
18 Feb 1875, 7:45 PM
19 Feb 1875, 7:45 PM
20 Feb 1875, 2:00 PM
20 Feb 1875, 7:45 PM

Performers and/or Works Performed

1)
LIST OF PERFORMER(S)/ORGANIZATION(S)
Participants:  Courtright and Gilbert [dancers];  Sanford and Wilson;  Birdue and Cotton [song and dance];  Garnella Brothers;  Gus [comic singer] Williams;  Johnny Hart;  William B. Cahill;  Sol Smith [comedian] Russell;  Sam [minstrel tenor] Holdsworth;  Samuel S. Sanford;  E. D. Gooding;  James [song and dance] Vincent;  Billy Courtright;  G. W. Reed [actor];  Cora [vocalist] Cushman;  Petite Pauline, La ;  Billy Gray;  Alice M. Harrison [vocal-actor];  Jennie Engel
2)
Shakespeare and Bacon illustrated
3)
Songs and dances
Participants:  Birdue and Cotton [song and dance]
4)
Hampton Institute students burlesque
aka Colored Hamtown students, The
Participants:  Sanford and Wilson;  E. D. Gooding;  Billy Gray
5)
Power of music, The
Participants:  Samuel S. Sanford;  Johnny Hart;  Billy Courtright
6)
Pretty Dick Turpin
aka Little Dick Turpin
Text Author: Poole
7)
Night at the Olympic, A
Participants:  Alice M. Harrison [vocal-actor]
8)
"Flewy, flewy"
Composer(s): Unknown composer
Participants:  Billy Courtright
9)
Modocs, The, [sketch]
aka Border life on the frontier; Last of the Modocs
10)
Comic songs
Participants:  Jennie Engel
11)
Dutch songs
Participants:  Gus [comic singer] Williams

Citations

1)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 14 February 1875, 16.

Cast listing for Little Dick Turpin. 

2)
Review: New-York Daily Tribune, 16 February 1875, 6.

“…and the performance concludes with a new musical travestie, ‘Little Dick Turpin,' in which all the company are represented. This piece, which pleases by its extravagance and defiance of stage traditions, was cordially received…” 

3)
Review: New-York Times, 16 February 1875, 6.

“…Mr. Gus Williams kept the audience in continual good humor with some of his dialect sketches and songs. Messrs. Sandford, Grey, Wilson, and Gooding, as the Jubilee Singers were heartily applauded, and ‘little Pauline’ had to repeat her performance to please the audience. Messrs. Courtright, Hart, and Sandford, in their new sketch, ‘The Power of Music, were also very acceptable. ‘A Little Dick Turpin,’ a burlesque in which the whole company took part, ended the evening’s entertainment. The theatre was completely filled with a large and respectable assemblage.” 

4)
Review: New York Herald, 16 February 1875, 10.

“…The feature of the evening was the musical burlesque mentioned, ‘Little Dick Turpin.’ Full of lyric hits and quaint dresses, it took at once, and will be likely to establish itself for some time at this popular place of amusement.”

5)
Review: New York Clipper, 27 February 1875, 382.

Program changes since last week; “Business fair.”