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416. On this night was produced a novel entertainment which was adapted to local salutations and compliments by Mons. Axel Voght premiere maitre de ballet of Paris and appeared as Roland in the "Tableaux Romantiques" known upon the English and American boards as the "Queen of the Flower Fairies ; or Roland intoxicated by Love"-- Roland (first appearance in America) Mons. A. Voght ; Panzacola Mr. W. H. Reed ; Flora (the Queen of Flowers) Miss De Vries ; Amor (the God of Love) Mad'lle Appoline. A new Sicilian dance by Mad'lles Ludwig and Wells and Messrs. Voght and Reed.
November 23d Thursday Thanksgiving day two dramas and the Tableaux Romantiques. To conclude with the nautical drama of "The Lonely Man of the Ocean." As a last resource "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was reproduced with many other novelties and minor rushlights.
December 1st first night of Maggie Mitchell "Pet in Petticoats."
December 4th Miss Maggie Mitchell was announced as "the original American fairy star" in two characters and sing and dance a sailor hornpipe. "Middy Ashore"--Harry Halcyon with song and dance Miss Maggie Mitchell.
Fifth night Miss Mitchel's last night "Nature and Philosophy." Miss Maggie Mitchell made quite a favorable impression.
December 6th a complimentary benefit to Mrs. F. N. Drew. Some of the performers now took benefits.
December 9th Mr. Donaldson's night when a young lady of Philadelphia appeared as Bianca in "Fazio."
December 12th benefit of Mr. Charles Petitt when Miss Tyson appeared in "Woman's Love;" and a Mr. A. Lemuel appeared as Gloster in the fifth act of "Richard III."
December 14th the Rousset sisters appeared again producing a new French ballet spectacle entitled "Sathaniel; or The Triumph of Virtue."
The fate of "Old Drury" now became a fixed fact. Its final destruction was fully shown in the handwriting on the walls within and without. The novelty of the Rousset sisters had been woven and worn in every possible shape threadbare. The exigencies of the theatre could no longer be sustained and the curtain of oblivion fell forever on the Quinlan management on the evening of the 9th December 1854 he not being able to reach the Christmas holidays. The lease by arrangement passed into the hands of Mr. Harris the noted comedian of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" fame who opened "Old Drury" on the 28th of December with the original Wood and Christy's band of Ethiopian Minstrels from the city of New York. They commenced on New Year's eve and sung and danced for nearly the whole of January giving afternoon performances (tickets 25 cents). Messrs. Birch and Brower were the chief vocalists.
CHAPTER CXXXV. Chesnut Street Theatre--Season of 1855--S. E. Harris Manager--The Wood & Christy Minstrels--Birch and Brower--Opening of a theatrical season--J. Lewis Baker--Alexina Fisher Baker as the Corsican Brothers --Silsbee--Couldock--Estelle Potter--Isaac Wayne Olwine--Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" --End of Harris management--Griffiths & Olwine Managers--The beginning of the end--Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Conner--S. W. Glenn--Julia Daly.
The Chesnut Street Theatre was reopened on the 28th of December 1854 by S. E. Harris with the Wood & Christy Negro Minstrels deemed at that day the ne plus ultra of Ethiopian singers. The airs they sung were very popular and their voices harmonized to a critical nicety. At all events they were very Attractive. The managers of these vocalists having subsequently realized fortunes some of the singers being fine showydressed men of handsome personal aspect with excellent natural tenor baritone and basso voices and with imitative talents sustained the reputation of first-rate comedy in black. They drew crowds to listen to their vocalizations. This is a species of amusement which seems to be as attractive at the present day as it was fifteen years ago as if "increase of appetite did grow by what it fed upon."
January 5, 1855 Birch and F. Brower appeared as stars being announced as negro comedians of great unctuous qualities. A number of new songs glees &c. were announced. The "Robert Ridley festival" was a feature. This exhibition went on with various success till it seemingly dwindled away. The troupe we believe took a aloon wherein their patronage proved more advantageous in every respect. The Chesnut Street Theatre seemed in bad odor even for their sable melodies. After two or three weeks performances they concluded their engagement.
During the interim Mr. Harris organized a new dramatic company consisting of the following persons to whom were added others as the season progressed. Some became "secessionists" as often occur in theatres while their vacancies were filled with new faces. The following were the artists: Messrs. Lewis Baker Reynolds Edwards Griffiths Studley Bangs Stone May C. Mestayer Macarthy Hennessy Prior Lingard ; Mesdames Bannister Alexina Fisher Baker Lingard Griffiths Prior Macfiddle Mad'lles A. Wells De Merlin Rose May &c. &c.
January 15th this dramatic corps appeared it was supposed under some flattering hopes but that soon proved as evanescent as those of the previous managements for the past ten years.
The top of the bills was thus headed : CHESTNUT STREET THEATRE. S. E. Harris Sole Lessee and Manager : W. Vanstavoren Treasurer : Leader of Orchestra Charles Mueller.
Admission 25 cents. To Dress Circle (reserved expressly for gentlemen accompanied by ladies) Parquet Family Circle and Upper Range (seats secured during the day) 37 1/2 cents; places in Orchestra and Private Boxes 50 cents ; Stage Boxes $5. No half prices.
The opening play was "London Assurance" --Sir Harcourt Courtly Mr. Lewis Baker ; Max Harkaway Mr. Lingard ; Mr. Spanker Mr. H. Lewis ; Charles Courtly Mr. Charles Mestayer ; Dazzle Mr. Reynolds ; Meddle Mr. Griffiths ; Lady Gay Spanker Mrs. Lewis Baer ; Grace Harkaway Mrs. Prior. The faarce was "Cool as a Cucumber."
The bill was repeated to poor receipts. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Baker were here as stars for a limited period.
January 17th "The Foundling of Paris"-- Madeleine Mrs. A. F. Baker.
January 18th "The Pet in Petticoats."
Monday January 22d Mrs. A. F. Baker appeared in the drama of "The Corsican Brothers" with the following queer heading to the bill :
The Circe of the age is Mrs. Alexina Fisher Baker. Her rendition of Fabian and Louis received the enthusiastic plaudits of the crowded house last night."
The following was the cast : Fabian dei Franchi and Louis dei Franchi Mrs. A. F. Baker ; Mr. Alfred Maynard Mr. Reynolds ; Baron Montgiron Mr. Studley ; Baron Martelli Mr. Stone ; Griffe Mr. Bangs ; Gaetano Mr. Lingard ; Marco Colonna Mr. Griffiths ; Antonio Sauola Mr Edwards ; Boissee Mr. Macarthy Surgeon Mr. May ; Madame Sairlia dei Franchi Mrs. Bannister ; Emilie de Lesparte Mrs. Prior ; Coralie Mad'lle De Merlin ; Estelle Miss Wells ; Marie Mrs. Griffiths ; Celestine Mrs. Lingard ; Julie Rose May.
January 25th "Romeo and Juliet" was performed--Romeo Mr. Lewis Baker ; Mercutio Mr. Charles Mestayer ; Nurse Mrs. Bannister.
Poor Mrs. Bannister the widow of N. Bannister the author was once the prettiest woman on our stage. She was now a shriveledup old woman her features hardly discernibe for wrinkles and the sunken outlines of the face. She played the Nurse however with much spirit and affectionate humor.
Saturday evening January 27th the farewell benefit and last appearance in Philadelphia of Mrs. Alexina Fisher Baker and Mr. Lewis Baker when the mysterious French drama of "Satan in Paris" was given. With "David Copperfield" dramatized from Dickens. Mr. Baker retired to enter into his Western theatrical speculations in Ohio and Kentucky wherein we learn that he was not very fortunate--sinking a large sum of money.
Monday January 29th Mr. Josh Silsbee the great Yankee delineator with a new bundle of eccentricities and Down East drolleries made his first bow in Nathan Tucker "In a Wife for a Day" and "Jed Homebred" one of Hill's old pieces altered in title to "Love and Larnin" with a new side-splitting story of "Nance Cummings."
A new musical melo-dramatic terpsichorean spectacle was now brought out full of new scenery and incidents called "The Fairy of The Lake." The scenery painted by John R. Smith a fine artist quite original in his scenic arrangements and we may aver a man of genius. His painting of one of the Lakes of Killarney where the scene lay was truly Nature's self. The rocks hills trees and waters were most beautifully colored in natural tints and was not like the bright varnished Swiss landscape glazing. His scenic effects were most skillfully managed in this Lake scene. We have heard much of this scenery and being personally acquainted with the artists we stepped in to the old house one night to see these lauded things by those who could judge rightly. We were repaid for our trouble. Kate Kearney the pride of Killarney was performed by Mrs. Prior who was a very clever actress and a pretty looking lady ; Mrs. Griffiths as Rose Kearney was a nice and lady-like actress to our view au fait in her line of business ; and Mrs. Macfiddle as Prudence an alderly patrician was very characteristic and played it with broad but not exaggerated humor. The characters seemed very well performed by the entire cast.
During the run of the fairly spectacle Mr. Silsbee played his round of characters as usual which it would be supererogotary for us here to record. It was the old Yankee
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[Mr. Coulddock As Iago. Iago. O, you are well tuned now! But I'll set down the pegs that make this music. As honest as I am. Othello. Act 2. Sc 1.]
[Engraved by T. Sherratt, from a Daguerreotype by McClees & Germon, Philadelphia.]
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