Winter Garden

Event Information

Venue(s):
Winter Garden

Event Type:
Play With Music

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
13 November 2013

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

13 Jul 1863, 7:45 PM
14 Jul 1863, 7:45 PM

Program Details

Most of the cast for this version of Leah are cross-dressing.

Frank Wood: Leah the forsook
Includes: “New overture”

Dave Reed: Sally, come up” (Davenport) *Encored

“The Winter Garden opened house on Wednesday evening, but, under the deplorable state of affairs, the management concluded to give no performance, and the money was returned to the few who had paid their way.” R: NYC 07/25/63, p.115.

Performers and/or Works Performed

2)
aka Bristol diamonds
Text Author: Oxenford
3)
aka Leah! The Forsook!
Text Author: Wood
Participants:  Daniel Setchell (role: Miss Bateman (Leah));  Emily Thorne (role: Mr, Edwin Adams (Rudolph));  Mark Smith (role: Mrs. Chanfrau (Madelina))
4)
aka Sally come up
5)
aka Weeping, sad and lonely; When the cruel war is over; This cruel war
Composer(s): Tucker [comp.-cond.-voc.]
Text Author: Sawyer
Participants:  Emily Thorne

Citations

1)
Announcement: New York Herald, 22 June 1863, 8.
“Mark Smith will soon open the Winter Garden, with Miss Emily Thorne and a vaudeville company, for a summer season.”
2)
Announcement: New York Herald, 29 June 1863, 2.
“It will be hard to burlesque ‘Leah,’ as recently performed at Niblo’s Gardens, but these are undoubtedly the artists to try.  Our only fear is that by that time the weather will be too warm for people to laugh comfortably.”
3)
Announcement: New York Herald, 06 July 1863, 3.
With “new songs.”
4)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 09 July 1863, 7.

5)
Announcement: New York Clipper, 11 July 1863, 99.
“On Monday evening, 13th, a new burlesque written expressly for this theatre and taken from Miss Bateman’s ‘Leah,’ will be produced here.”
6)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 12 July 1863, 7.
 “[P]roduced with NEW SCENERY, MUSIC, COSTUMES.”
7)
Announcement: New York Herald, 13 July 1863, 2.

8)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 13 July 1863, 7.
Full cast, program, synopsis.
9)
Review: New York Herald, 14 July 1863, 4.

     “There was a remnant of an excellent house at this theatre last evening.  The troubles in the city kept many persons away who would otherwise have been present, but all the private boxes were filled, and the audience in the dress circle and parquet made up in quality what it lacked in quantity.


     The performance began with a new farce, called ‘California Diamonds,’ not exactly a local farce, but a farce nicely localized. . . .

     The new burlesque of ‘Leah,’ by Mr. Frank Wood, followed.  Mr. Wood is not a Planche, or a Brougham, or an H. J. Byron in the burlesque business; but still he has managed to write a very laughable play.  His incidents are better than his dialogue, and his songs are capital. The plot of 'Leah' and the characters of 'Leah' arecarefully travestied, and not a point to hang a smile upon is lost. But the fun of the piece is in the admirable manner in which all the actors caricature the ‘make up’ and peculiarities of the Niblo company. Mr. Setchell and Miss Bateman (leah), Mr. Mark Smith as Mrs. Chanfrau (Madelina), Mr. Pearson as Mr. J. W. Wallack (Nathan), Mr. Davenport as Mr. Lennox (The Doctor), Miss Thorne as Mr. Edwin Adams (Rudolf), Mr. Sol Smith as 'Father Abraham,' and Mr. Paraloe as the 'Infant Child,' were excllently received and appreciated. The dress, the setting, the dancing and singing of each of these artists were beyond all praise; and the laughter, applause and encores were more than deserved.  We have not had anything so good since Mitchell’s Olympic.  This cast ensured the success of the burlesque.”

COMMENT: Good description of an audience on the first night of the riots.
 

10)
Announcement: New York Clipper, 18 July 1863, 107.

11)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 18 July 1863, 7.

12)
Review: New York Herald, 20 July 1863, 4.
 “The capital burlesque of ‘Leah,’ with its admirable cast and delightful music, still holds the stage at the Winter Garden.”
13)
Review: New York Clipper, 25 July 1863, 115.
“That night [WED 07/15/63] was a blank in the history of the drama in the ‘great city of New York.’  Not a single dramatic representation was given here that evening.  Nearly every place of amusement was closed. . . . The Winter Garden opened house on Wednesday evening, but, under the deplorable state of affairs, the management concluded to give no performance, and the money was returned to the few who had paid their way.”

14)
Review: New York Clipper, 25 July 1863, 115.

     “The feature of the week at the Winter Garden was a burlesque on ‘Leah, the Forsaken,’ by Mr. Frank Wood.  It is entitled ‘Leah, the Forsook,’ and was produced for the first time on the evening of the 13th, to a good attendance, and has continued through the week, being very spiritedly performed by Emily Thorne, Dan Setchell, Mark Smith and Dolly Davenport, each excellent in their respective roles. Like many of its predecessors, it has been produced with every accessory to lend it due effect, and has met with success. The language is a succession of puns, ranking the piece in such a point next Brougham's 'Pocahantas.' The numerous gems of music, solos, duetts, and chorusses, interspersed, are of a pleasing character, and have been exceedingly well represented.  The two gems of the piece were Mark Smith’s song and dance with Miss Thorne, and Dolly Davenport’s burlesque song and dance on Dave Reed’s ‘Sally Come Up,’ the latter being one of the best things of the kind we ever saw; it elicited an encore, and a hearty recall, which was well deserved.  Mr. Mark Smith's Madelina was an excellent piece of comicality as the lovely rival of poor Leah.  His make-up was immense, and on his entrance brought down the house.  The wedding dress, and afterwards the very matronly characteristic dress, were excellent, making us for the nonce actually believe that we were gazing upon a sister of Mr. Smith, for it did not seem possible that a man could by the aid of crinoline and long hair so completely disguise himself.  Miss Emily Thorne appears in the male part of Rudolph, the lover of Leah.  Her make-up was excellent.  As the gay deceiver, with moustache and goatee, she was enticing enough for any one to fall in love with.  She gave two or three songs in a very creditable manner.  Her singing of ‘This Cruel War’ was given with much zest and elicited the warmest applause.  Mr. Dan Setchell appeared with all the blushing honors of the Jewish maiden—’Leah’—a character which afforded every opportunity for the display of his wonderful powers of make-up.  As ‘Leah,’ he was really excellent looking the character to the life. There are traits is Setchell's impersonations unlike anything before attempted on the stage, and which gives a flavor of originality to his acting which is really refreshing. He possesses rare and delicate qualities in his humor, which we have not seen on the stage for some time. Taken altogether, the burlesque has made quite a hit.  It has been preceded each evening by a clever little farce called ‘California Diamonds,’ which was well played. . . . The riots interfered with business somewhat.”

COMMENT: Interesting review of cross-dressing roles.

K: Audience; Current Events (Draft riots); Civil War; Ethnicity

15)
Review: New York Clipper, 01 August 1863, 123.
 “At the Winter Garden, which is the coolest theatre in the city—in winter time—business has been remunerative through the week, the new burlesque proving quite an attractive card.  Setchell made a pretty good point the other night.  In the part performed by him, he is chased upon the stage by a furious crowd who seek to do him bodily injury; after a few remarks pertinent to the occasion, by the parties, Setchell turned to the furious crowd, and said—’I do not see a riotous face among you.’  It was a palpable hit, and brought down the house.  We believe the point has since been declared by the management to be ‘not well taken,’ and consequently it has not been repeated.”