Bryants’ Minstrels

Three separate notes.  Bryant’s season opened the last week of August.  “Large audiences were in attendance [at Bryants’ and Winter Garden] on the opening night and the performers and performances met with a favorable reception.”

Next column: “There is quite a lively competition among the minstrels, there being no less than three troupes on Broadway in active operation at the present time, viz.: Wood’s, Bryants’, and Geo. Christy’s: The two former are doing a fine business, but Christy’s business is not good.”

Further down: “Since the Bryants have commenced their fall season again . . . the patronage of the public is a complete certifier, confirmer, and consolidator of all their previous triumphs. ‘Welcome!’ seems to be shouted in all the applause, and ‘Welcome home again!’ may be read on every regular Yorker’s countenance. The new end man, Nelson Seymour, begins to get the hang of things, by public favor, and now the company presents just about as harmonious a set of fun-loving performers as Dan and Neil could possibly have ‘scattered up’ this side of Jerusalem. . . . As for ‘The Black Brigade,’ all doubts upon that subject may be set at rest as soon as seeing the comical sketch of that name, performed as the Bryants can do it.  However, as both the end men seem to have all the big dictionaries at their fingers’ ends, the whole party is chock full of musical merriment or sentiment.  As our up-town friends now continue to ‘drop in’ – especially the ladies – the convenience and elegance of the new alterations win more and more approbation.”