Venue(s):
New-York Theatre (1866-69)
Event Type:
Play With Music
Status:
Published
Last Updated:
30 November 2015
Arrival of Lady Don on the California steamer.
Reprint of an article from the London Times regarding Lady Don.
“ …She [Lady Don] dresses splendidly, but does not swagger; sings often and well without throwing herself into the arms of the parquette.”
“The announcement that Lady Don, a soubreux and burlesque actress of trans-Atlantic fame, would make her debut last evening before a New York audience, had the effect of crowding the house in every part with an audience of respectability and keen critical taste.”
...“The first piece was given now only for the purpose of giving the lady [Lady Don] an opportunity to display her vocal abilities, as she sang ‘Meet Me by Moonlight,’ ‘Home, Sweet Home’ and ‘Cherry Ripe,’ all of which were beautifully rendered and heartily encored…Lady Don is accorded remarkable natural grace, and rare cultivation; intellectuality, and ladylike refinement; a clear and musical voice, with exquisitely pure and beautiful enunciation and intonation…Mrs. Gomersall looked, acted and sang charmingly as Amy. This lady is a great favorite in this city, and her vocalization is always hailed with great applause. A little incident occurred the first night of the piece that probably very few noticed. Mrs. Gomersall was encored for her singing, and instead of repeating the song, gracefully bowed and retired. This is such a rare occurrence that we cannot let the opportunity pass without mentioning it. It is seldom that a lady in any theatre will sacrifice her own little ‘recep’ for the interest of a sister artist. Mrs. Gomersall acknowledged Lady Don as the star of the evening and generously refused to do anything to create a jealous feeling…”