New-Yorker Stadt-Theater Opera: Durchgegangene Weiber

“On Tuesday, Fräulein Lina Mayr will appear for the first time in a new farce, which should be of special intereste to lovers of the German theater, because it has been localized—that is to say, adapted for New York, specifically. Herr C. Stürenburg and Dr. M. Lortzing have undertaken the task of adapting this original Viennese farce with songs, ‘Durchgegangene Weiber,’ by Alois Verla, for the New York German stage. The reworked piece now takes place on Staten Island, in the Artist Hotel Bellevue, in a private New York residence, and in a station house. The farce, which has been carefully planned, will be offered next Tuesday with entirely new scenery.”

Full cast list with roles.

Much like the Stadt-Zeitung announcement of 12/05/74.

“A new posse with the promising title ‘Durchgegangene Weiber’ was given yesterday before a pretty good house at the Stadt-Theater and was well received. The original posee ‘Duchgeganene Weiber’ was written a year and a half ago by Aloys Verla. The Herren Jacobson and Wilken adapted it for Berlin; Mr. C. Stürenburg, a capable journalist, has made this adaptation for the New York stage. Even if Stürenburg’s version lacks a plot (especially compared to Verla’s original), his New York setting compensates for it with a large number of witty and piquant allusions to current situations and well-known personalities here, and a fresh dialog completely free of hackneyed lines. There are also no concessions made to the gallery audience’s need for dirty jokes at the expense of good taste or the sensitivity of the rest of the audience. [Goes on in this manner; no mention of music.]

The performance of this amusing farce was quite good and contained only a few disturbances [mistakes/errors] typical of first performances. Fräulein Lina Mayr as the ‘Linzer Stubenmadel’ was equally excellent in her acting and singing. From the first to the last she was full of mischief, humor, and teasing; sometimes a little frivolous, and even a little ‘evolikerich’ [might be evolilerich], as Herr Witt says, in the scene at the station house, but always also charming and droll. She sang her yodels with such power, and yet knew how to use it so economically, that many a prima donna could learn something from the Viennese-farce-soubrette style. Fräulein Mayr had the satisfaction of being asked to repeat each of her main numbers, and also received numerous flower bouquets. Next to Fräulein Mayr, Herr Rohbeck II deserves special mention. He acted the president of a fools’ meeting [Narrensitzung], evidently a parody of the longtime Fools-President [Narren-Präsidenten] of the ‘Arion,’ Herrn Buccheister, with an uncanniness bordering on the unbelievable—downright virtuous [geradezu virtuous]. Herr Rohbeck reproduced the posture, the gesticulations, the characteristic inflections of voice so faithfully. Every detail was taken into account—for instance, the dazzling white Buccheister linen—one assumes that the jovial old man instructed his Doppelganger Rohbeck himself. Mr. Witt looked unspeakably comical in his role and [complicted clause here; basically, Witt earned a lot of laughs]. The ladies Witt and Raler, as well as Herren Schönwolff and Lauber, did very well in their somewhat thankless roles, und auch das übrige Personal, sowie die Ausstattung der Posse genilgten billigen Anforderungen völlig.”

Brief; no mention of music. Notes a small audience, but one that seemed pleased with the performance. The fifth act was the best.