Bryants' Minstrels

“Bryants’ have a tight ‘holt’ on New York, as is evidenced by the large audiences that attend their performances. Other companies may establish themselves, and do a large business, and yet the Bryants are never affected. They are giving some clever programmes nowadays.”

Good description of who is doing what in Bryants’ Minstrels.  “We went early, and got a pretty good seat, and expected to enjoy the performance in comfort; but in this we were disappointed, the usher crowding in more people than the law allows. This is not right.  People do not go to a place of amusement to be squeezed; they are entitled to comfortable seats. . . . The company has been re-organized, of late, and several new faces introduced. Nelse Seymour takes the place formerly occupied by Eph Horn, and before him by poor Jerry Bryant, one of the best performers that ever ‘blacked up.’ Nelse Seymour gets along very well, and is gradually coming into favor. He must bide his time.  Poor Jerry worked his way up to the head of the heap, but was a long time in doing it. Dan Bryant is on the other end, and he is as good as ever. Mr. Griffin is now middleman, in place of Neil Bryant, and this is an improvement. Mr. Griffin not only makes a capital interlocutor, but he is a useful man generally, and can be ‘worked in’ in sundry acts, both ‘tragic’ and ‘comic.’ Rollin Howard is also a fresh hand with the Bryants. We do not like his singing in the first part, but in his special wench acts, and burlesque operas, he is very clever; we know of none in the business that can surpass him in his imitations of celebrated opera singers.  ‘Little Mac’ is also new here. He is a sort of dwarf, and dances and cuts capers in a very comical manner; but these ‘nondescripts’ are not lasting; they play out sooner than the ‘legitimates.’ Sher Campbell and Frank Leslie do ballads. The former is a very good singer, the compass of whose voice ranges from low G to high izzard. His articulation, however, is not at all times clear and distinct.  He is, nevertheless, a valuable acquisition to any company.  Leslie is a fair singer in some pieces, and in other songs he is bad. The instrumentalists are good, and the band, as a whole, has few superiors. No time is lost between acts, at this house.  The curtain is no sooner down than it is up again, and everything goes off like Train’s sensation speeches. Notwithstanding the Bryants have enlarged their hall, it is still found impossible to accommodate their patrons comfortably.”