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205.

Fanny Elssler. It is a very complicated pantomime ballet, full of properties and changing machinery, which often give cues to the lealder of the orchestra to change the music to adagio or quick music, appropriate to the action. The following incident took place, which might have done for a rehearsal but not for a correc-tion before an audience. Monsieur Ambroise, the well-known tutor to Master Burke, a fine, rotund, fashionable looking man, with huge curly whiskers, was the leader on this night, and a very talented one he was; but he was a great stickler to receive the exact cues, which puts the band in motion at the right time. Miss Lee, in one scene, enters wheeling a fan-ciful barrow full of faggots to music expressive of this action. A fiend, in the shape of a Sala-mander, torments the Sylph. In this the music was to change. The Salamander gives the cue, (that is, the signal to change music,) but no music responded. The Sylph stands still. The Salamander repeated the words. No music. But he gave the wrong words. The fiend was not perfect. Ambroise, looking crotchets and demi-semi quavers at the fiend, did not go on. A pause in the action of the ballet--whispers-- hisses began to rumble forth in trembling, sub-dued tones. Ambroise, with uplifted bow and furious looks, muttered inaudible words in bass tones. At length the manager, from behind, cries out, in a thundering voice, "Why don't you play?"
Ambroise--"I shall tank you for ze cue."
Here the gentlemen of the orchestra became angry being thus insulted before the public. The great bass performer, Cassolani, who, with his fine figure, stood like a heathen music god over the double bass instrument, threw his bow away, and vanished under the stage. Jose Duggan, the musician par excellenece, follows the great basso to the nether regions, and the remainder of the band follow with similar in-dignation. But in this furious passage of mu-sical flight, the dignified Ambrois set in calm and quiet state, with upraised bow to strike the chords.
The manager, then in rage, steps forth, and with the "whiff and wind" of his voluble tongue, addresses the leader, "What is the rea-son you do not proceed with the music?"
Leader--"I have played him over tree time!",
Manager--"Sir, your are wrong; and by Ju-piter! I will make you repend this! You have had the cue over and over again."
Leader--"I have no hear him, sare, at all."
Manager--"You have had the cuse, sir twenty times! Attend to your business, and perform your duty."
Leader--"When I shall hear ze cue."
Here the manager seized the MS. from the prompter, came down the stage--"Now, sir, take the cue from me!"
And the manager gave the cue from the MS. for the first time correctly.
Leader--(With bow ready, as the manager read off the cue)--"Ah! ah! dat is him; I hear him now for ze first time."
On went Ambroise with his violin, solus, as all but the second fiddle had vamosed. The musicians, however, returned to their seats, somewhat ashamed, and gradually took up their parts as they resumed their instruments, when the harmonies of the orchestra and the stage were once more restored, and the mistake of the salamander was apologised for by the manager, and Ambroise's wounded feelings were re-dressed for he was strictly in time. But he might as well have fiddles on like another Nero.
F. C. Wemyes, now theatrically dethroned, sought a livelihood in another sphere of life, in the sale of pills, periodical journals and news-papers, in a cellar at the northeast corner of Fourth and Chesnut streets, where his lack of means to puff his pills and nostrums, medicinal and literary, caused another failure in his newly-adopted vocation. People won't swallow pills without they are are well puffed and sugared.
Chapter Sixty-Sixth
Season of 1842-'3 at the Chesnut Street Theatre--Miss M. E. Maywood, manager--Poor business--Dr. Lardner brought in--Engagement of Celeste--Celeste abandons her husband--First ap-ppearance of John Brougham and Mrs. Brougham--The Seguin English Opera Troupe-Shrivaland Archer--A long and successful run--Close of the theatre--Gen. Welsh's Olympic Theatre opened by Charles Thorne--Sudden close.
We have now to record a new era in theatrical [Institutions?], the establishment of a precedent whereby females might reign supreme on the theatric throne as well as the lordly sex. We do not know a profession or business where fe-males have more autocratic sway and influential power than in the cabinet councils of theatrical management. They stand before the public as the enchanting representatives of the softer sex, whose influences rule one-half the world. Their incomes in the dramatic vocation average those of the best male actors. No important drama can be produced without their aid, while the charms of the actress crowns and enriches every play that the stage produces. The powers of the female stage artiste is co-extensive and co-ordinate with those of the male in every de-parment. Nor do we know one other profes-sion that so eminently assigns to women such high duties.
The Chesnut Street Theatre was now without a tenant. It had bankrupted the managers. The stockholders had attributed the managers. "The stockholders had attributed the failures and reverses to Mr. Maywood's mismanagement and unpoplar course. But of this conclusion they seemed to have repented, and they returned to their first love by inviting Mayword to ranew his management over the future career of the theatre. This recantation of hostility towards him must have acted as a palliative to his wounded feelings. He however, wisely declined all responsibility, and proposed his daughter, Miss Mary E. Maywood, who had been in Lon-don with him, to be placed as its manageress and sole governess, he only assuming the "act-ing management," or the duty which is now called, we presume, the "business agent." What else this new official means we can not guess. Mr. Peter Richings was appointed the state manager.
The Chesnut Street Theatre opened its season of 1842 and ' 43 on September 17th, under the lesseeship of Miss Mary Elizabeth Maywood, with Macklin's comedy, (not acted for seven years here,) called "The Man of the World." The heading of the bill was as follows:
"Boxes 50 cents; pit 25 cents. There will be no free list--the Press excepted. Leader of Orchestra, F. Cline; Artist, Charles Lehr; Treasurer, Mr. James Toomer; Machinist, Cad. Griffiths."
The corps consisted of the following names: Messrs. Maywood, W. B. Wood, Peter Richings, Geo. H. Andrews (from the Tremont Theatre, Boston,) Mr. Faulkner, Mr. T. Mathews, (from Drury Lane,) T. Placide, Charles, Kelly, Stanley, C. Watson, Eberle, Jervis, Bowers, Goddin, Honri, Harris, Perring, &c. Mesdames May-wood, J. G. Porter, (formerly Mary Duff,) Charles, Thoman, Rogers; Miss Ayres, Miss Mathews, Miss Steele, Miss Jones, Miss Thompson, Miss Norman, and a corps of regular supernumerary ladies.
The cast of "The Man of the World" was thus--Sir Pertinax McSycophant, Mr. R. C. May-wood, (who recently acted the part at the Hay-market theatre, London, for a series of nights, with the most enthustiastic applause;) Egerton, Mr. Richings; Lord Lumbercourt, Mr. Geo. An-drews; Melville, Mr. W. B. Wood; Lady Mc-Sycophant, Mrs. Thoman; Betty Hint, Miss Ayres; Lady Rodolpho Lumbercourt, Mrs. May-wood. The orchestra played an overture, and the performances concluded with a new vaude-ville called "Borrowed Feathers"-- Sir Frank Millbank, Mr. Charles; Tom Tray, T. Placide; Lucy Lavendar, Mrs. Maywood.
It was announced on the top of the bills that "the performances would close uniformly at eleven o'clovk precisely." A mest excellent regulation.
Semptember 24th, a new piece was produced called " Belford Castle, or the Scottish Gold Mine." Mr. Muckle, Mr. Maywood; Earl Belford, W. B. Wood; Chevalier Murry, Mr. Rich-ings; Lady Grace Lorimer, Mrs. J. G. Porter; with the "New Footman." Bobby Breakwin-dow, T. Placide.
Semptember 28th, "Peter and Paul." Paul Britton, G. H. Andrews; Peter Britton, Mr. May-wood; Mr. Schemer, Mr. Wood; Loord Dande-lion, Mr. Richings; Mrs. Emma Britton, Mrs. J. G. Porter. The houses were thin, neither the company nor the pieces seemed to make an excitement. The Maywood stock declined in the theatrical market very rapidly. Extremes be-get extremes, and resort had to be made to ex-traneous talent, or that which was not dramatic. The celebrated Dr. Lardner who, during the last season, had caused much excitement and curiousity to behold his philosophical apparatus, and to listen to his very instructive lectures thereupon, was again enlisted to adorn old Drury's boards' with his scientific discourses. If the public did not relish the drama, as served up here at this time, they clearly feasted in myriads at the Lardner larder.
Monday, October 3d, first night of Dr. Lard-ner's historical sketches of the French revolution. The lectures were delivered on every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings, and were to continue for a period of twelve nights.
These lecture exhibitions were partly of a dramatic character, consisting of emblematical and historical tableauz vivant, which were exe-cuted by the entire theatrical corps. These ta-bleaux being well illustrated by the perform-ers in proper and exact costumes, with their well practised and professional knowledge of groupings, made the exhibition very interest-ing. The Doctor had arranged these things extremely well, nothing ludicrous or outre was introduced. They were beautiful pictures. These illustrations were given in parts. One part consisted of portraits of French character. These were effectively shown through the means of optical illusions. There were also scientific and astronomial illustrations given as--First, Halley's comet; Second, Espy's Theory of Storms; Third, the Eye, etc. The Doctor in these lectures went the entire round of the sciences, and really was very instructive and entertaining.
Madame Celeste now again appeared as re-cently from London, where she had been very