Aim�e Opera Bouffe : La Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein

“Grand chorus and orchestra.”

Brief. 

“A large and respectable audience assembled at this house last night to witness the performance of ‘La Grande Duchesse’ by Aimée and her excellent troupe. It was quite evident that the pulpit denunciation of the stage had exercised very little influence on the public, as the attendance was unusually large. Very many ladies were present and the more well-to-do class evidently composed the bulk of the audience. It may have been the result of curiosity. It certainly was strange to have Mlle. Aimée advertised to appear as the high priestess in a ‘sacred concert.’ We were not able to discover any very marked difference between the sacred concert Grand Duchess and the profane Grand Duchess of the opéra bouffe. Toilets, songs, grimaces and caperings were the same, and truth compels us to record that if the public came to pray they remained to enjoy the fun and the naughtiness, and they did enjoy it evidently, oblivious of Talmadge and the Puritan fathers. We have fallen on evil days, and if the Sabbath theatre, going be [sic] as bad as the parsons say it is the moral atmosphere of New York must be very badly in need of purification. Aimée was in good voice, and sang and acted with her usual dash. The acoustic properties of the building are somewhat trying, and took away from the general effect of the solo singing. Dubouchet, as General Boum, was excessively funny. He was also in excellent voice. Kolletz, as Fritz, was also very good. He sings fairly, acts in a way which shows he understands the nature of his rôle, but he does not succeed in getting into it all the grotesque humor with which it is capable of being invested. It was pleasant to meet again the real opéra bouffists. Quite a number of the Soldene company were present, and they could not be at a better school on this side of the water.”