The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-11 00:00:00

ITALIAN OPERA.—The chief feature of the season,
so far as it has progressed, has been the debilt of
Mdlle. Grossi, a young artist who must be set down
as a most valuable addition to M. Bagier's troupe.
She made her first appearance as Maffio Orsini, in
" Lucrezia Borgia," and at once established her
claims to public favour. Her voice is one of won-
derful compass, reaching from the deepest contralto
notes to the extreme soprano register ; to which we
may add that she wields this magnificent organ with
a power, skill, and entrain we have rarely found
surpassed. Mdlle. Grossi has since appeared as
Azucena, in the " Trovatore ;" in " Lucrezia" she
proved herself a first-rate musician ; in the " Tro-
vatore " she revealed gifts as an actress not often to
be found on the lyric stage. Mme. Pence, Sterbini,
and Nicolini acquitted themselves in the other parts
with their usual artistic finish, and the ensemble was
altogether most satisfactory.
VARIETES.—This theatre has produced two smart
little vaudevilles, " tin Homme qui Manque le
Coche," by MM. Labiche and Delacour, and
" M'me. Maclou," by M. Dupin. Both these pieces
are exceedingly amusing, but legrement risquees ;
in the first Frigolin is always too late ; he puts off
his marriage with Clementine, and Clementine
marries another. Clementine becomes a widow,
and writes to Frigolin, who only turns up 18 months
after, and finds that the inconsolable has again con-
soled herself ; and Frigolin, after two honest as-
saults, in which, thanks to his own dilatory conduct,
he has been foiled, makes a third and dishonest
attempt, in which he is also unsuccessful. The fun
of " M'me Maclou" turns on the adventures of a
young man who, in order to gain admittance into
the house of his sweetheart, engages himself as a
wet nurse in the family. It may be readily con-
ceived that an intrusion under such pretences, how-
ever amusing, could not be of long duration. Both
the vaudevilles met with decided success. Guyon's
get-up and rendering of a nurse elicited shouts of
laughter.
VAUDEVILLE.—" La Famine Banoiton" of M.
Victorien Sardou, so long and anxiously awaited,
was played here for the first time on Saturday, and
met with a success equal to that of " Nos Intimes,"
or " Les Vieux Garcons." "La Famille Benoiton"
is a family in which are concentrated all the ridi-
culous and criminal passions in vogue, and severe
indeed is the flagellation which the fashions of the
hour have received at the hands of the popular
dramatist. M. Benoiton is rich, proud of his for-
tune, and has a profound belief in the divinity of
the dollar. Mine. Benoiton is always a way from
home neglecting her duty ; the three demoiselles
Benoiton think of nothing but toilette and talk
nothing but slang, and the Benoiton lads are vicious
after the manner of very vicious young men. The
first acts in which the foibles of this monstrous
social agglomeration are exposed are comedy, but
the comedy changes into drama ; the eldest daughter
is married to M. Didier, who entertains grave
suspicions as to the legitimacy of his child. Didier
finds out that letters have passed between his wife
and a M. Champrose, but thoseletters,which would
have exculpated both parties, have been burned.
Happily the good fairy of the piece hits on a plan
(which M. Sardou appears to us to have borrowed
from Solomon) of convincing the husband his fears
are groundless. M. Champrose is suddenly told
that the child is dead, and taking the news very
quietly his indifference is held by M. Didier as con-
clusive proof that his doubts were devoid of founda-
tion. Joined to the principal action of the piece
are numerous amusing incidents, some of which,
however, are carried rather too far, and are more
likely to shock than correct an enlightened audience.
We may add that "La Famille Benoiton " is ad-
mirably played throughout by a very strong cast,
in which appear the names of Mlle. Fargueil and
Messrs. Felix, Febvre, Parade, Delannoy, and St.
Germain.

AMBIGU.—This theatre has brought out a drama
in five acts with a prologue entitled " La Meuniere."
The scene is laid in Normandy in the time of the
Regency, when plots were the order of the day.
The hero of M. Anieet Burgeois' drama was deeply
engaged in a movement which was to introduce the
King of Spain into France. Captured and on the
point of being condemned, he is saved by a miller's
daughter, who swears to an alibi of a compromis-
ing character for her honour. The count rewards
the miller's daughter by marrying her first and ne-
glecting her afterwards in favor of a governess whose
brother is the villain of the tale, and tries to murder
the countess that his sister may reign in her stead.
In the end the count repents, the countess recovers
her supremacy, the governess is discharged, and
the wicked brother is shot as a caution. We cannot
say much in favour of this lengthy production ; we
are familiar with all the characters, and instead of
meeting in the depths of Normandy with the Nor-
man nobleman we encounter the French gentleman
of the Regent school with his fine Versailles man-
ners and red-heeled shoes.
GAlTE.—After having produced several pieces in
quick succession, this theatre has now fallen back
on the celebrated old drama of M.M. Dennery and
Bresil, entitled " l'Escamoteur." The success of
this piecc.,, when first played, about six years ago,
was in a great measure owing to the manner in
which the principal role was filled by M. Paulin
Menier, " whose Escamoteur" was justly considered
as a triumph of art. The Gaite has done well again
to secure the services of this talented actor, who
appears to have lost none of his prestige vigour,
and who retains the power of making the audience
roar with laughter or sob with emotion. M.
Menier, or rather Beaujolais, appears in the second
act as a conjuror at a country fair, cracking jokes,
playing tricks, and telling fortunes ; a well-bred
villain then catches hold of him and persuades him
to claim as his daughter a young lady who had
been adopted, when an infant, by Comte de Va-
rennes. Furnished with forged papers Beaujolais
presents himself to the Count, and after several
pathetic scenes carries eiff Helene, whom the Count
had made his heiress. Just as he was about to
hand her over to the tender mercies of the villain

d'Armentiere the conjuror discovers that the girl is

really his daughter, and the whole nature of the
man becomes changed at once, and he sets to work
to repair the wrong he has committed, and even
goes to the length of disowning his child in order

that she may regain her previous position. The
way in which M. Paulin Menier goes through the
transitions of his role (which we have briefly sketched)
is perfectly marvellous : the light-hearted conjuror,
the ready knave, the impatient dupe, the man in a
false position, his anger, his love, and resigna-
tion, are phases of character all played with equal
facility and power; and, besides this, M. Menier
has the nark of never losing sight of his original
Character, and no matter under what feeling he is
labouring, the shuffler and passer of cards is con-

stantly peeping out. M. Menier was ably seconded
by MM. Latouche, Manuel, and Alexandre, and
_ _ _

Mdmes. Lacroix and Clarence. M. Lacroix as

jeune-prellier was simply absurd.
BOUFFES-PARISIENS.—Awaiting the appearance
of "Le Berger," the Buffes gives us " Jeanne

qui rit and Jean qui pieure," by MM. Nuiter
and Treffen, music by Offenbach, and " Les

Douze Innocentes," by M. de Najac, music by M.
Albert Grisar. The first-named operetta gives
Mlle. Bouffar the opportunity of playing a double
role, for Jean is merely Jeanne in disguise. The
music is now melancholy, now living, suiting the
action of the piece, and amongst other charming
morceaux we may mention the couplets "Jeanne
pleure ! ah ! ah ! C'est Jean qui rit !" and " Je suis
la gentille meuniere." Desire is capital as a Norman
peasant. " Les Douze Innocentes" is a pleasant
little fantasy sung by the twelve nieces of M. Gigon
and their intended husbands. Some couplets by
Mae. Garait and a military song by Berthelier were
much admired.

DEJAZET.--Madame Dejazet has reappeared at
her theatre, disguised in masculine attire, in a piece
entitled "Monsieur de Belle-Isle," which has been

evidently written expressly for this charming actress,
who, in spite of her age, still sings and plays as if

time forgot to deprive her of those graces which

were first exhibited on the stage in the days of the
First Empire.
FOLIES DRAMATIQUES.—A piece of rank inde-
cency, in five acts, called " Les Orpbeonistes en