The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-09 00:00:00

DBU.RY-LAIVE THEATRE.

Last evening Mr. E. T. Smith began a new series of
Italian operatic performances at the above theatre with
"Il Trovatore." The cast, with Madlle. Titiens,
Madame Borchardt, Signor Aldighieri, Signor Mercuriali,
and Signor Giuglini in the chief characters, offered no
novelty whatever for criticism. Everything went exceed-
ingly well until near the end of the opera, when Giuglini
was struck suddenly hoarse and became unable to continue
his part. He has been singing night after night for many
months past, and had travelled from Liverpool yesterday
morning to fulfil his engagement at Drury-lane. Under
such circumstances his indisposition may be easily accounted
for. An apology was made fur the celebrated tenor by Mr.
E. T. Smith, but not very graciously received by the
who were unreasonable enough to expect that a man should
sing when he could not. All opera-goers ought to know
that Giuglini is quite incapable of causing disappointment
to his numerous admirers unless absolutely compelled to do
so. The " Miserere" was very creditably sung by a Signor
Corti. After this the opm a was allowed to proceed without
further interruption to the end.
The house was very crowded.

CAMPBELL'S AMERICAN MINSTRELS

A new troupe of sable minstrels have taken possession of
the smaller concert-room at the St. James's Hall, and bid
fair successfully to fill up the void created by the departure
of the long popular " Christy's." It consists of some
thirteen performers of various kinds, vocal and instru-
mental, and the leadership is efficiently divided between
Messrs. Fox and Warden, themselves men of high
ability in special departments. Mr. Fox is a most suc-
cessful imitator of negro peculiarities as we are to
suppose them to be exhibited at the plantation, and Mr.
Warden takes the role of the " coloured gentleman"
of musical tendency, who gives ludicrous imitations of the
Italian-opera. Amongst the solo singers, Messrs. Farren-
berg and Drummond are especially deserving of complimen-
tary mention, the former as a highly-finished tenor, and the
latter as a most effective baritone singer. They are both
nightly encored, and are fully deserving of the compliment.
The dancing is extremely good, the " Old Virginny dense"
of Mr. M. Sexton being a most extraordinary specimen of
negro flexibility and power of contortion, and the
" Lousiana Belle Dance" quite a novelty, being a sort of
Kentucky version of the celebrated coquette dance df
Perea Nena. The "belle" is admirably, dressed, played,
and danced by a member of the company whose
name is not given, and the support given to the perform-
ance by the other members of the troupe gave it the cha-
racter of a divertissement in ebony. The instrumental
music is first-rate, including a brilliant violin and an effec-
tive violoncello-player, so that, taken altogether, this new
company may be accepted as a considerable advance on all
previous minstrelsy from the other side of the Atlantic.
Mr. Fox, one of the managers, is certainly the most genuine
" Nigger " we yet have seen, and his partner, Mr. Warden,
is quite as successful in his Italian extravaganza. The con-
cert is, in short, far more attractive, even as a mere musical
entertainment, than many which affect a much higher
position in the world of art.