English Opera Company: Fra Diavolo

Lists complete cast.  “First night of Auber’s Grand Opera.”

“The singers at the Olympic theater make a rapid transition to-night from English opera to opera in English.  Instead of ‘Maritana,’ which was played last week, we are to have ‘Fra Diavolo.’  The work contains some of Auber’s most charming music.”

“This, the most charming work in the English repertoire, is admirably given by this troupe.”

“The opera was well mounted [and] the performance was in every respect satisfactory. . . . Madame Borchard and Mr. Campbell carried away the honors of the evening.”

“Auber’s popular comic opera, Fra Diavolo, was produced last night to an excellent house. Of the Zerlina of Madame Borchard we have already had occasion to speak in favorable terms. She sings the music of the role charmingly and plays it with a spirit and animation that contributes much of the success of the piece. Mr. Castle’s Diavolo is vocally good, but his acting would be all the better for a little more dash.  Campbell’s Beppo affords him but scant opportunity for the display of his fine organ, but is a capable piece of acting.”

“Auber’s opera of ‘Fra Diavola’ [sic] was revived here on Monday evening, and attracted a good and fashionable audience.  It has evidently been put on the stage in great haste, and without that regard to preparatory rehearsal, which the light but delicate music of the French composer demanded.  Some of the principal singers were at fault, and the concerted music generally hobbled rather than moved.  ‘Fra Diavolo’ makes a rather serious demand on the limited resources of the company.  The caste [sic] involves not only good leading artists, but very good secondary ones, and these in the present state of the musical market are difficult to supply.  At the Olympic they are exceedingly bad.  The gentleman who played the part of Lord Allcash must have been selected by mistake, and under the impression that the burlesque and not the opera was to be performed.  The Lorenzo, too, was tender to a degree of absolute softness. Mr. Castle’s Fra Diavolo was less angular than his Don Caesar, and his dress, if possible, more absurd. The music of the role does not lie in the best part of his voice, and hence in the concerted pieces the latter was not heard to advantage. Still the performance indicates improvement. Mr. Campbell’s Beppo was the best sustained in the opera. His make-up was excellent. The Zerlina of Made. [sic] Borchard was good, but a little too mature for the ‘Innkeeper’s lovely daughter.’ The graceful vivacity which characterizes this lady’s acting whilst at the Park Theatre, Brooklyn, seems to have deserted her now that she is on a somewhat larger stage. Miss Louisa Myers, as Lady Allcash, acted very prettily, but is scarcely equal to the musical requirements of the part.

The opera has been placed upon the stage in a neat and acceptable manner. The scenery and costumes are both good.  Mr. Reiff’s orchestra played with its usual vigor, and the chorus exerted itself unsparingly. . . . French music requires tact, taste and style, three qualities which we have not remarked in any of the members of the Olympic company.”

Cast. “Full and Fashionable audiences.”

Last day.

Just a mention.  “The English opera season at the Olympic Theatre is meeting with a success which does not always attend these enterprises.  ‘Maritana’ and ‘Fra Diavolo’ have each had a run of a week.”

“The company now operating at the Olumpic is ‘pronounced by the press and public’ fully equal to any English company that has ever appeared here.”