The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-27 00:00:00

THE ADELPHI.

The holyday entertainments at this favourite
place of public amusement were the new farce by
Mr. Thomas J. Williams, called " An Ugly Custo-
mer ;" a new and original drama by Mr. Dion
Boucicault, " The Colleen Bawn ;" and a new and
original burlesque extravaganza by Mr. H. J. Byron,
entitled " Blue Beard from a New Point of Hue.''
Of the first two pieces now represented, the former
for the 17th and the latter for the 92d time, it wore
idle to express commendation. The hearty laughter
with which the " Ugly Customer" was received by
a very full house and the intense interest sustained
during the three acts of " Colleen Bawn" was as
fresh and absorbing as on their first production.
The water care scene at the end of the second act
was so admirably rendered that Mrs. Dion B ouci-
cault, as Eily O'Connor, and her deliver& were
called before the curtain, amid great applause. The
characters throughout were admirably sustained,
and the scenic and mechanical contrivances were
often novel and always effective. But the great
attraction of the evening was the burlesque extra-
vaganza of " Blue Beard," the "new point of hue"
in which he appears arising from his action under
the influence of the green-eyed monster—a kind of
Oriental Othello as well as tyrant. The bashaw
Abomelique, alias Blue Beard, Mr. J. L. Toole, has
persuaded Fatima, Miss Woolgar, to become his
bride in consideration of his foregoing a bond
he has over her insolvent father Ibrahim's
(Mr. C. J. Smith's) estate, but her sister Anne
(Miss Kate Kelly), whom she has supplanted
in the affections of Selim (Miss Emily
Thorne), a dashing young officer of Spahis,
suspects Fatima after her nuptials of continued at-
tachment to Selim, and plies Abomelique with sus-
picions of her fidelity, to which he lends too ready
lan ear. On the eve of a journey he delivers to
Fatima the keys of all his treasures, but to test her
fidelity charges her as she loves him not to venture
near, above all things not to enter the Blue Cham-
ber, where are his 19 headless wives. Sister Anne
urges Fatima to enter the proscribed Chamber
under the belief that it is a seraglio, from which
her husband wishes to exclude her. She enters,
but drops the key, which receives a stain she can-
not efface. On Abomelique's sudden return, in an
excited state, he demands his keys, and discovering
the proof of his wife's disobedience, he threatens to
despatch her instantly; but a short parley ensues,
and in the meanwhile Selim arrives, wards off the
fatal blow, wounds Abomelique, and a happy re-
conciliation takes place. Some of the rhymes of
which the piece is composed aro rather rugged, but
they have often considerable point and occasionally
some brilliancy. Mr. J. L. Toole was the life and
soul of the representation. The scenery was very
beautiful, the dresses were splendid, and the music
and dancing extremely pleasing and attractive.

LYCEUM.
Madame Celeste's Christmas Extravaganza of
" Chrystibelle, or the Rose without a Thorn," has
turned out a most triumphant success. From first
to last the applause was loud, long, and immense.
The plot has already -appeared at length in The
Sun, so it is unnecessary again to repeat it. The
principal performers Miss Ternan, Miss
Thompson, the Misses Collinson, and charming
corps de ballet, acquitted themselves admirably.
The Amazonian dance by the latter was one of
the most novel compositions witnessed for a long
time. The great feature of the evening, however,
was the grand concluding scene, and with truth,
it may be said, Madame Celeste and her talented
scenic artist, Mr. Calcott, have eclipsed all
their former magnificent efforts. To adequately
describe the grandeur of this refulgent dazzling
scene would be impossible. The stage is lit:-
rally one blaze of golden light, in which
the branches of a magic bower unfold themselves,
and display to the wondering and asto-
nished audience a coup d'eeil of unsurpassed
magnificence. The gorgeous effect when the whole
was lit up with brilliant emerald and ruby coloured
fire cannot be described, it must be witnessed to
be fully admired.
The " Vision of the Rose," as it
is a most is named, original and gorgeous &split'',
and fully sustains the traditions of the Lyceum as
the fairy home of extravaganza.

OLYMPIC.
As the foundation for a burlesque, the venerable
melodrama of " Timour the Tartar" labours under
the disadvantage of being almost forgotten by the