Tony Pastor’s Opera House

“Amusements. Tony’s [sic] Pastor’s Opera House. The performances at this popular place of amusement last evening were greeted with a full house, for whose entertainment a pleasing and highly diversified programme was offered. The performance consisted of a well selected programme of songs, dances acrobatic feats and Ethiopian burlesques. The evening’s entertainment concluded with a local drama entitled A Tour Around the World, introducing many of the more prominent national characteristics of Great Britain, France, Germany and America, in which the pleasing ballads ‘The Dear Little Shamrock’ and ‘Comin’ through the Rye’ were neatly rendered in character by Miss Jennie Engle. The veritable Tony, as usual, delighted the audience with his ‘Portfolio of Fun’ and other specialities.”  

“Tony Pastor is doing a first rate business at his Opera House in the Bowery. He has got a pretty good company, which, taken altogether, gives an arousing and entertaining evening’s programme. We took in this establishment on the evening of the 2d inst., sitting straight through the performance from the overture at a quarter to eight until the curtain fell at nearly eleven o’clock. The night was a very disagreeable one, the rain coming down in torrents, and the walking in some places being ankle deep with water and slush. Notwithstanding these outside drawbacks, it did not prevent the Opera House from being crowded, for the house was literally jammed from gallery to parquet, and when the performance commenced there was not standing room in any part of the auditorium. This we are pleased to see, and trust that it will continue so. The first part of the evening’s amusement consisted of the usual miscellaneous music hall performance, in which the greater portion of the company took part. Among the most noticeable features were Jennie Engel, Billy Sheppard, Mlle. Bertha, Johnny Wild, Master Tommy, Barry O’Neil and Tony Pastor. Jenny Engel, a vocalist of considerable reputation on the east side sang some popular ballads. She was rapturously applauded and called out four times. She is probably the greatest favorite in her line that has appeared in this city for a long time. Her songs are new, just the style to please, and we are pleased to say do not depend upon double entendres for success. She has a pleasing appearance and sings with considerable taste. Mlle. Bertha is a clever dancer, but she would appear to better advantage in the ballet than as a solo dancer. She requires a great deal more practice before she can become a principal dancer. Billy Sheppard will have to learn some new songs for his banjo solos, and his song and dance acts. He should quit doing ‘Sally Come Up,’ for it has been done so much by Dave Reed, who has been identified with it, that Mr. Sheppard suffers in the comparison. He plays the banjo pretty well, but in doing a banjo solo and song he ought to accompany himself on the instrument. He will find it more pleasing to the audience. His banjo imitations of a brass band and the anvil chorus were good. He is a better banjoist than he is a dancer. Barry attempted to please the audience with his Irishisms, but he failed to do it. He is neither a good singer nor a clever dancer, and his songs are as old as the hills. Johnny Wild and Master Tommy did the ‘African Polka’ very well. Johnny Wild is one of the most useful performers to any establishment that puts on burnt cork, being very versatile. Tony Pastor closed the first part of the entertainment with his portfolio of song. He succeeded in pleasing his audience so well that they called him out five times, and then were not satisfied. The panoramic view of a ‘Tour Around the World’ introduced all the company. The panorama represents New York Harbor, Dublin Bay, a Donnybrook Fair, the Rock of Cashel, Liverpool, London, Scotland, Paris, Germany, and back to New York. The different scenes are enlivened by songs and dances characteristic of the different countries. The panorama is about seven feet high, nearly five hundred feet long, and was painted expressly for this establishment by J. W. Collier. The starting of the yachts Henrietta, Vesta and Fleetwing was very cleverly managed, also the battle between the Kearsarge and Alabama. George W. Thompson played the characters of Mose, a New York boy, and Hans Von Diedervanbiegensplufterbergen, a Dutchman with a sweet name, exceedingly well, creating roars of laughter. Tony Pastor as Muggins the Ratter and a Yankee Tar was very good. The rest of the characters were in good hands, and all did well.”