The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-12 00:00:00

"THE TIMES" ON THE NEW YORK STAGE.

Tho "London Playgoer" continues his notices " On the
Stage of New York." He informs us that the old Park
Theatre, taking its name from the City Park, was once the
national theatre of New York. This has ceased to exist,
and the chief now open are the Broadway, Barnum's New
Museum, Niblo's Gardens, the Olympic, the New York,
and Wallack's; the Winter Garden was burnt down a
short time ago. At the Broadway the production of
" Caste " has caused litigation. Mr. Lester Wallack had
purchased the right of acting it from the author, Mr.
Robertson, but found himself anticipated by Mr. Florence.
He therefore moved for an injunction to stop him. After
much discussion the case was decided in favour of the Broad-
way, Mr. Florence deposing that he did ❑ot surreptitiously
obtain a copy of the work but that during a visit to
London he had attended the Prince of Wales' Theatre on
several successive occasions; and had taken notes with
sufficient accuracy to enable him to bring out the comedy
at his own house; but the decision of the Court was based
less on this deposition than on the difficulty of so ii.ter-
preting the international law of copyright as to confer an
exclusive privilege on Mr. Wallack. The piece is highly
praised by the " playgoer" as a perfect reproduction of the
performance at the Prince of Wales' Theatre in London.
Ile remarks that the decision of the law courts, nullifying
the copyright, as bitween England and America, of an
English drama, which, though not printed, has been
acted on a public English stage, must be mortifying
enough to Mr. Robertson and the British dramatists,
whose interests are identical with his own ; but if artisti-
cal pleasure can be accepted as a compensation for material
loss, such an exhibition as the one referred to might afford
comfort even to Ur. Robertson.

Mr. Ira Aldridge, the negro tragedian, who recently
died in Poland, was to have appeared next month in one
of the principal theatres. Barnum's New Museum is de-
scribed as conspicuous from an enormous picture of an
alligator, extending from one side of the road to another.
This is not only a museum, but a comic theatre for the per-
formance of pantomimes. Niblo's Gardens is not devoted
to any particular class of drama, but is the "starring"
theatre of New York, where actors of every school ensconce
themselves for a while before a tour through other great
cities. It is compared to the Adelphi in London,
which completely changed the character of its performances
as Mr. and Mrs. Dion Bouiconit, Miss Bateman, and Mr.
Jefferson successively became the ruling stars. At pre-
sent dancing reigns supreme at Niblo's, with no other in-
tervals than that which separates the acts of the " Black
Crook." Ho gives the following amusing answer to his
own question, What is "Black Crook ?" "Some half-
dozen words are uttered before a picture placed in the
front grooves, and when this is drawn aside the serious
work of dancing begins, to be interrupted by similar infini-
tesimal gaps. All this the New Yorkers consider not only
delightful, but astounding, as, indeed, it is. They have never
seen a big ballet before, and now they have begun looking
at one they seem determined not to leave off. The most
extensive memory declines to recall the date when "Black
Crook" first began, and the most far-seeing prophet ven-
tures not to foretell when it will leave off." Another great
attraction, in addition to the dancing, is a " transformation
tableau from one of the London theatres, and a picture,
rendered marvellous by a real cascade, purchased from the
Alhambra." The third notice of the "London Playgoer"
is chiefly devoted to "Lotto," who is described as " a very
young lady, diminutive for her age," whose avowed
peculiarity is her versatility, there being scarcely
limit to her range of characters. The principal attraction
of the favourite piece, the " Pet in Petticoats," is said to
be the unhesitating manner in which Miss Lotto swears ;
and of "Family Jars"—the elaborate performance of that
lady on the banjo. It is surmised that after a tour on the
American continent she will probably visit London. At
present the principal actor at tho Olympic, New York, 10
Mr. John Brougham, who represented O'Grady in " Arrah-
na-Pogue" during the successful run of that piece in Lou
don. Mr. E. Coleman is described as an excellent actor
lately arrived from Liverpool, and now acting " Urnih
Heap" at the Olympic. The remarks in this paper con-
clude with the following words :
" There is one fact with respect to which the English
ought to be thoroughly disabused. When a London
actor visits America, and after a sojourn of two or three
years, comes back to the old country, and is not so much
liked as he was before, it is commonly assorted that he bps
been 'vulgarised' in the United States. Now, there 10
nothing 'vulgarising' in an American audience; on
.1117
contrary, its fault lies in the opposite direction, and if I
were an actor just from London, I should feel that there
was not enough 'go' in my patrons, and that if 114
showed rather less decorum their plaudits would be 131.
more inspiriting."