The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-22 00:00:00

NEW SURREY.

This large and handsome theatre was opened
last night for a season of English opera, under the manage-
ment of Madame Jenny Bauer. After the disastrous
collapse of the " Royal English Opera (Limited)," we
feared that our national musical stage, which has struggled
so long with adverse fortune, had received its death-
blow ; but we are glad to find that it still survives and
still holds up its head. This new enterprise has been un-
dertaken with great spirit and no small share of capacity,
and, in so far as it can be said to have been tested by the
result of a single night, it promises to be attended with
success. Madame Jenny Bauer has formed a well-ap-
pointed and sufficient establishment—an effective dra-
matic and vocal company, several of whom were members
of the company at Covent-garden, with a good orchestra
and chorus, and an ample supply of all things requisite
for the exigences of the stage. The opera chosen for last
night was Balfe's well-known Satanella, which was not
only well got up and performed, but showed the possession
of resources sufficient to meet every demand upon the
pecuniary means of the establishment. And, above all,
the e,dreprenruse has obtained the services of an able and
experienced musical director, Herr Meyer Lutz.
The house was a bumper—crammed from floor to
ceiling ; and the immense audience (though it was Whit-
Monday) were quiet and attentive, breaking their silence
only by warm and discriminating applause. In short, the
whole performance and its reception were satisfactory, as
giving good promise of the future.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—The attractions of the Crystal
Palace as a place of winter resort are no doubt unique
but it is, after all, Whitsuntide—" that lovely feast," as
Goethe has it—when it is to be seen in all its glory. Yes-
terday, notwithstanding the north-east wind, the weather
must be pronounced to have been almost everything that
could be wished, and the holiday-makers flocked down to
Sydenham in absolute myriads. To judge from their de-
meanour, however, it may be doubted whether the gigantic
proportions of the courteous Chang, the clever feat—we
bad almost written "feet"—of the gifted Ethardo, the
drolleries of Mr. Nelson Lee, or the numerous other special
items in the bill had more than a very limited influence
in drawing them thither. At all events nothing could ex-
ceed the zest with which they appeared to enjoy the urdi.
nary sights and amusements of the Palace and park. It
may, perhaps, not be inappropriate to add, that though
people have been found to accuse the London, Chatham,
turd Dover, of a certain fastness, not to say recklessness, in
the matter of finance, there is no fear that such criticisms
will be extended to its management so long as the calm
deliber►teness of its high level line can be quoted as the
norm and type of its traffic arrangements.

7.00L1 L SOCIETY'S GARDENS, REGENT'S-
PARK. —The Zoological Society's Gardens in the Regent's-
park were opened to the publieyesterday at the usual hour
of vine a.m. Shortly after that time a large number of
holiday-makers applied for admission at the usual rate of
sixpence each person, that being the charge made for
entrance on all Mondays in the year, and throughout the i
week during the festiveseasonsof Easter, Whitsuntide, and
Christmas. As the day advanced the crowd at both the
itntrance gates became very greet, and in spite of the ex-
cellent arrangements made to prevent confusion, the
society's officers and the attendant policemen had no little
difficulty in keeping order among the throngs of applicants
for admission. Inside the gardens appeared a perfect sea
of heads, and round the enclosures of all the more favourite
'minutia such large bodies of sightseers ware congregated
that the walks in the neighbourhood of these spots became
quite impassable. It became evident, in fact, that
the ground allotted to the society for the exhibition of
their large series of animals is no longer sufficient on these
crowded days, and that the grant of additional space (for
which, we understand, the society would willingly pay the
required rent) would be very useful in the interests of the
visitors. At the close of the gates at sunset it was ascer-
tained that the total number of entrances had been 36,573,
being the largest number ever admitted in any one day
since the gardens were opened to the public. We are glad
to be able to add that in this vast concourse of persons,
many of whom evidently belonged to the ranks of those
who labour hardest for their daily bread, no case of mis-
behaviour occurred, nor was any injury done to the society's
valuable collection of animals.

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.—The Whitsuntide
entertainment here again suggests and warrants the
assertion that it is the cheapest shilling's worth of the
kind to be had in London. The day and evening per
were crowded yesterday, and smiling and gra-
tified were the audiences at the close of the eight or ten
entertainments provided. For r 27 years the directors of
the institution have aimed to instruct as well as amuse the
public, and they never more happily blended the two ele-
ments than now. Geographical, geological, botanical, me-
chanical, and scientific wonders are, of course, always to
be seen, with apt teachers at hand to discourse upon
them. The specialties are Dugwar, a clever illustrator of
jugglery ; an amusing ventriloquist entertainment by Mr.
G. W. Jester ; Mr. and Mrs. Drayton's charmingly and
by this time well-known musical and dioramic intre-
pretation of " The Lady of the Lake ;" and Professor
Pepper's optical lecture with startling illustrations.
The " Cherubs floating in the air," introduced at
Christmas, have been so popular, that the ma-
nager has felt compelled to retain them ; and
amongst other new optical illusions is one entitled
"Shakespeare and his creations." The curtain rises upon
a fell length figure of Shakespeare, leaning against a
salamis, with thoughtful countenance. The face and head
am so like the accepted portraits of the " divine William "
that the audience are completely surprised when they find
Gat the figure is a human being—not Mr. W. Shake-