Winter Garden

Event Information

Venue(s):
Winter Garden

Event Type:
Play With Music

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
7 August 2011

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

23 May 1864, 7:45 PM
24 May 1864, 7:45 PM
25 May 1864, 7:45 PM
26 May 1864, 7:45 PM
27 May 1864, 7:45 PM
28 May 1864, 7:45 PM

Program Details

Bartholomew, scenery; Mrs. Bohannon, costumes; T. Morgan, machinery; Sylvester, property.

[Paul]: Thrice married, farce
Includes: [Comer]: “Captain with his whiskers” (Mrs. Florence as Carlotta, a bel masque costumer)
[Kücken]: “Young recruit,” song (Mrs. Florence as Carlotta, a bel masque costumer)
French song: “Yeux, Les” (Mrs. Florence as Victorine Le Page, an opera singer)

Byron: Fra diavolo (burlesque) –
Music by John P. Cooke
P: Mrs. W. J. Florence (Fra Diavolo); W. J. Florence (Beppo); Bowers; Davenport; Morris; Eberie; Riley; Dennison; Chanfrau; Mrs. Floyd
Includes: Opening chorus: [Gounod]: “Faust” [use for Fra diavolo burlesque] [arr. by Cooke]
Descriptive song and chorus: [Cooke]: “There’s a monster who lives”
Duet: [Cooke]: “Don’t annoy me, oh!”
Aria: [Cooke]: “I’m in a dreadful state of mind”
Romanza: “Daylight love” (Mrs. Florence)
[Balfe]: Drinking song from Puritan’s daughter, The (Mrs. Florence)
Duet: [Auber]: “On yonder rock, reclining” [Fra Diavolo, “Voyez sur cette roche” (Mrs. Florence)
Duet: “‘Tis hard to put the hand” (Mr. Florence)
Concerted piece: “Do not jingle” (All Hands)
Song: “Key lay, A”
Song: “Pop goes his weasen” (Mr. Florence)
Song: “Gentle Zerlina”
Concerted piece: “Hooped de dooden do” (Mr. & Mrs. Florence and “Zerlina”)
Concerted piece: “Nelly Bly”
Duet: “Let us leave Italy”
[Gounod]: “Kermesse, La” grand chorus from Faust [arr. Cooke]
“Clothers chorus” (Mr. Florence and three others)
Song: [Pastor]: “Dark girl dressed in blue” (Mrs. Florence)
Song: “Let me kiss him Yankee Doodle”
Finale: “U. S. G.” (everybody)

German song: “Federn am hoot, Die” (Mrs. Florence as Victorine Le Page, an opera singer)
“Saquadillo, La” Spanish dance (Mrs. Florence as Señora Perea Nena, a Spanish dancer





French music.

Performers and/or Works Performed

2)
Text Author: Paul
3)
Composer(s): Florence
Text Author: Florence
Participants:  Mrs. William Jermyn Florence (role: Carlotta, a bel masque costumer)
4)
Composer(s): Kücken
Participants:  Mrs. William Jermyn Florence (role: Carlotta, a bel masque costumer)
5)
Participants:  Mrs. William Jermyn Florence (role: Victorine Le Page, an opera singer)
6)
Participants:  Mrs. William Jermyn Florence (role: Victorine Le Page, an opera singer)
7)
Composer(s): Unidentified
Participants:  Mrs. William Jermyn Florence (role: Señora Perea Nena, a Spanish dancer)
10)
Composer(s): Cooke [cond.-comp.-vocal]
11)
Composer(s): Cooke [cond.-comp.-vocal]
12)
Composer(s): Cooke [cond.-comp.-vocal]
15)
aka On yonder rock reclining
Composer(s): Auber
16)
Composer(s): Cooke [cond.-comp.-vocal]
Participants:  William Jermyn Florence
17)
Composer(s): Cooke [cond.-comp.-vocal]
18)
Composer(s): Cooke [cond.-comp.-vocal]
19)
Composer(s): Cooke [cond.-comp.-vocal]
20)
aka Gentle Zetella; Gentle Zerlina
Composer(s): Cooke [cond.-comp.-vocal]
Text Author: Planché
21)
Composer(s): Cooke [cond.-comp.-vocal]
22)
Composer(s): Foster
23)
Composer(s): Cooke [cond.-comp.-vocal]
24)
aka Grand chorus; Fair; Vin ou bière
Composer(s): Gounod
25)
Composer(s): Cooke [cond.-comp.-vocal]
26)
Composer(s): Pastor
27)
Composer(s): Cooke [cond.-comp.-vocal]
28)
aka U. S. Grant; USG; plantation festival scene; US Grant; Ulysses S. Grant
Composer(s): Emmett
Text Author: Emmett

Citations

1)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 23 May 1864.

2)
Advertisement: New-York Times, 23 May 1864, 7.
Descriptions of the characters, and scene-by-scene plot synopsis.
3)
Advertisement: New-York Times, 24 May 1864, 7.
Song list.
4)
Advertisement: New-York Daily Tribune, 24 May 1864.
Full program.
5)
Review: New-York Daily Tribune, 24 May 1864, 4.
“The burlesque of ‘Fra Diavolo’ is not new, but it is one of the best ever written, and always welcome on that account.  Especially welcome when the principal character is so well represented as by Mr. W.J. Florence.  Better burlesque acting than Mr. Florence’s is not often seen, and the grotesqueness of his various scenes, that of the sword combat above all, excited last evening the greatest possible merriment.  ‘Fra Diavolo’ was in all respects very fairly played, but Mr. Florence is, of course, in pieces of this kind, the particular attraction.  There will be no change for the present in the bill at the Winter Garden.”
6)
Announcement: New-York Times, 26 May 1864, 4.

7)
Review: New-York Times, 30 May 1864, 5.
“We have spoken already of the comic version of ‘Fra Diavolo,’ now playing at the Winter Garden.  It will surprise no one to hear that it has proved an unmistakable success.  The house is crowded every night to its greatest capacity, and such roars of laughter are seldom heard anywhere. . . . Still it must be confessed that the success of the extravaganza is due mainly to the admirable way in which it is put upon the stage, and acted.  Mrs. Florence, as Fra Diavolo, has perhaps the least interesting rôle of her extensive repertoire.  She dresses it, however, very nicely, and sings a great many songs—not quite so nicely.  The character is Beppo, a brigand, of a large Italian pattern—played with enormous breath of humor by Mr. J.W. Florence, whose specialty seems to be burlesque acting, instead of Irish buffoonery. His “make up” alone is convulsive, and all his entrances and exits overwhelm their audience by their sheer fun. There is no other actor in the country whose drollery is so peculiar and original. Fortunately, Mr. Florence finds an excellent companion in Mr. Davenport,   who, in this and everything else, does his best, and does it well. The general distribution of parts could hardly be better. Mrs. Chanfrau is a charming Zerlina, and Mr. Vining  Bowers sings and acts well as the military policeman. The burlesque has suited the public, and will doubtless run for several weeks.”