Black Crook

This event has been filled with enormous masses of people every night. With its grandiose set design and excellent ballet, it is quite a sensation on the dramatic scene. Everything in it is meant to tantalize and excite the senses of weak human nature.

Since the “Black Crook” has been playing at Niblo’s, the box office revenue is between $2,500 and $2,600 daily. Certainly this was much to the disadvantage of other English-speaking theaters.

“A New Disease has just made its appearance in this city, and thus early it has attacked all classes, not even the abstemious, the fastidious, or the meek and lowly being exempt from its influence; it will spread, too, now that it has obtained a lodgment here, for it is certainly contagious, as we have every reason to know. This disease is called the ‘Black Crook’ fever; it was first introduced among us by one C.M. Barrass, through the aid and connivance of Wm. Wheatley, a play actor at Niblo’s. Scarcely two weeks have elapsed since the first cases were reported, and now it rages with astonishing virulence. Managers are effected [sic] by it, stars are thrown into a state of collapse at its very mention, while the public at large become its nightly victims for it is at night that the ‘Black Crook’ fever rages most fearfully. But badinage apart, dear reader, have you been able yet to crowd in at Niblo’s to see the latest theatrical sensation, the ‘Black Crook?’ This new spectacle is the town talk. Ristori, Bogumil, Dawison, Joe Jefferson, Hackett, Italian opera, etc., are all overshadowed by the ‘Black Crook.’ Niblo’s is a perfect jam every night, and if you wish to secure any kind of seat in the lower part of the house you must purchase the same several days in advance. Ticket speculators extort almost fabulous prices from verdant gentleman who have not taken the precaution to apply early at the ticket office; and this reminds us that Manager Wheatley has stationed men in front of his theatre, with transparencies cautioning the public against speculators in tickets. Manager Wheatley has also published a ‘time table,’ showing at what time [remainder of sentence illegible]…It used to be said that Menken’s undress uniform ‘took the rag off;’ but these demons at Niblo’s have scarcely a rag left upon them to take off. [Funny conceit, and admissible of much laughter.—Ed. Clip.] We gave a synopsis of the scenery, dancing, mechanical effects, etc., introduced in the ‘Black Crook,’ in our last issue, and therefore do not mean to go over the ground this week; it may be interesting to the public to know how many people are required to run this piece nightly, independent of the regular dramatic company attached to the theatre. The last scene requires the services of all the forces of the house, for it is the most complicated piece of scenic and mechanical work ever represented upon any stage in America. There are seventy-one night men employed to move and arrange the scenes, work the traps, etc.; eight day men, whose business it is to clear the stage; one head property man and five assistants; two pyrotechnists [sic]; nine gas men; six calcium-light men; wardrobe master and five assistants; costumer; two armorers; thirty-five children; corps de ballet of thirty American and twenty-three English girls; three premiere and nine solo dancers; a ballet master and six scenic artists. In all, a total of two hundred and eighteen persons are engaged in the representation, besides the dramatic people, whom we have not enumerated. The nightly receipts are nearly $2,500, and the expenditures we don’t know. The matinee on Saturday was as crowded as the evening performances. Notwithstanding the reputation for morality enjoyed by the city of New York, its love for the arts and beauties of nature is far greater, as may be seen by the manner we enjoy the symmetrical legs and alabaster bosoms so lavishly presented to our view through the liberality of the ‘Black Crook.’ Bonfanti is airy, Sangalli luscious, and Betty Regi [sic] is hypercoon [sic]. Beautiful as the day are the contents of the ‘Black Crook.’”