The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-26 00:00:00

MADAME CELESTE AND TIER
THEATRICAL CAREER,

(From the Era.)
At the moment when this lady is about to open
the Royal Lyceum Theatre, it will not be, perhaps,
mal-apropos to give our readers a brief sketch of
her artistic career. But we beg to be allowed a few
introductory observations.
The art dramatipte or dramatic art is a glorious,
but a difiisult one, and to succeed in it is truly a
noble triumph. But the goal can be attained only
by incessant study and continuous practice. The
dramatic artist who is really worthy of that title
may be compared to a soldier while campaigning,
who enjoys neither leissire nor rest, and who is eon-
donned to be always on the qui rive. The life of a
dramatic artist is totally unlike that of other men,
for the reason that he is the slave of the public,
whom he must amuse,move, and excite, nay instruct,
utile dulei, whether or no he be himself "in the
humour," that is, in the mood so to do ! How
often, too, is the dramatic artist compelled by his
public character to smoulder within his breast the
holiest of family emotions, and to have behind him
at 116 sorrowing home some dear member of his own
family stretched upon a sick bed, while public duty
calls him to the theatre, "to fret and strut his hour
upon the stage," in order to amuse and instinct his
many-headed master, the public ! Honour, then,
to those who become great and illustrious in a pro-
fession which is attended by so much caprice, by so
many dangers, and which, if it brings with it joys
and rejoicings, also brines with it tears and la-
mcntings ! But, into mcedias res.
Madame Celeste was born in Paris, in the year
1814, en the 6th of August. From a very early
age she seemed to predict by her precocity what she
would one day become. While still very young she
was 'admitted as a pupil into the Royal Aca-
demy of Music, where she attained such rapid
proficiency that when she had only completed her fif-
teenth summer she was offered an engagement in
America, which she accepted, and where she met with
the greatest success. During her stay in that country
she married an American gentleman, named Elliot,
now dead, and by whom she had only one child, a
daughter, who is married to Mr. Johnson, of Balti-
more, one of the partners in the banking-house of
Lee and Johnson.
In 1830 Madame Celeste bid farewell to the New
World, embarked for Europe at New Orleans, and
arrived at Liverpool, where she played Fenella, in
"Masaniello," then in great vogue, at the Theatre
Royal. The play-going public of England soon
applauded her for her grace, her gentillesse, her
vivacity, and her artistic shrewdness, and, finally,
for the innate talent which was then, as it were, in
its bud, but which was to bloom forth so
remarkably in after years ; yet, strange to say,
she was at that time totally ignorant of the
English language! From Liverpool she was en-
gaged at .the Theatres Royal, Glasgow, Edinburgh,
and Dublin (the latter being the stepping-stone to
London), and at which theatre she accepted an en-
gagement for Drury-lane where she appeared in the
ballet; but although her peculiar style of talent was
fully appreciated, her appearance at " Old Drury"
was not a decided "hit," and she accepted an en-
gagement at the Queen's Theatre, where she made
her first appearance in "The French Spy,": and
from whence her fame speedily blew loud and far,
so that at the end of the season she took rank
amongst the first-class actresses of the day. She
now became the " star." of the minor theatres, her
specialite being drama, melodrama, and pantomime.
Who that remembers the.-Surrey, the Cobourg, and
the Strand, as those theatres were then, cannot
haVe forgotten the lengthened accounts which ap-
peared in the public press all the year round of the
crowded audiences" (no puff) who besieged the
doors of those theatres on cacti night when Madame
Celeste was to appear in any one of her special
roles. To poor old Dappidge, of the Cobourg, now the
Royal Victoria, she was a " god-send" "Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer" each time she played for
him, thus making up for the deficit in his " trea-
sury" on her "of nights." Now it was that, in
consideration of herself-earned reputation, the mane-
gers, the " potent signors" of the metropolitan
Theatres Royal, cnrolled Madame Celeste as a mem-
ber of the regular dramatic corps, despite her
French origin and her imperfect knowledge of the
English language. Gracias Domines ! Yet, hold,
one moment, s'il rota-plait, you could not do other-
wise, for that election was the general desire of the
gros bonnets or big wigs of the profession and of
the public in general. In 1832 Madame Celeste
re-visited her native country, and from Paris she
started on a tour through Germany. On her return
to England her first engagement was at Dublin,
when the critics of all shades unanimously declared
her to be inimitable in her peculiar characters..
From Dublin she was invited to Edinburgh, where
sh© completed a long engagement under the late
Mr. Murray ; but such a popular favourite had she
become, that, at the request. of the public, he was
obliged to renew her engagement for a still longer
term. In March, 1833, Madame Celeste appeared
again at Drury-lane in a grand ballet entitled " The
Maid of Cashmere," and the same public whose
reception of her some three years before had so
nearly proved fatal to her, now received her with
cheering approbation. Her engagement at Old
Drury being ended, she paid a second visit to Ame-
rica, and such was the enthusiasm she excited that
in the short space of three years she realised forty
thousand pounds ! We cannot form an idea of the
reception she met with from our Transatlantic re-
latives. Everywhere she passed the troops pre-
sented arms, the people hurrahed and cheered
lustily and lengthily, particularly so on the day
she was proclaimed within and without the Senate
House " a Free Citizen of the United States of
America." For more than a week before her arrival
at Kentucky every place and corner in the large
theatre were booked for at competitive prices ; and
at Washington the late General Jackson presented
her to the ministry for her to receive the congra-
tulations of his colleagues, the members of
the Government, on her election as an
American citizen. Feted, idollsed, covered with
lanrels and presents, loaded with dollars, and,
a
we scarce need say, universally regretted, Madame
Celeste returned to this, her adopted country, and
on Oct: 7, 1837, she made a third grand appearance
at Drury Lane in " The Child of the Wreck," and,
although she only played a dumb character in the
piece, she so fascinated the audience by her acting,
so easy, so natural, and so full of grace, that her
success was at once decided, and the piece had a run
of nearly forty nights, which at that time of mush-
room-growth novelties was considered to be a very
long and prosperous run.

Since that time Madame Celeste has occupied on
the British stage the high rank due to her merit.
She may be justly classed amongst those privileged
artists who triumph in every role committed to their
delineating. It was from that time, at the HlT-
market and the Adelphi, that the public used to go
and applaud her truthful pourtrayinqs, when pro-
vincial managers allowed her a stay in the metro-
polis. In one of her provincial tours she joined Mr.
Benjamin Webster in the management of the
Theatre Royal, Liverpool ; and in the autumn o
1844 she returned to the Adelphi, where she re-
mained as the leading star and efficient directress,
till that theatre's days being numbered it was taken
down and rebuilt. " Green Bushes" brought out
Madame Celeste in a class of character till then
unknown on the English stage, and the poor Indian
girl Miami, as played by her, has left an impres-
sion on the public mind which will not be effaced
for a long time to come.
When the old Adelphi closed, Madame Celeste,
accompanied by Mr. B. Webster and others of the
Adelphi company, went upon a prolonged provin-
cial tour, during which laurels and golden honours
were awarded her for her labours ; while admira-
tion and applause followed in her wake from place
to place. When the new Adelphi opened she was
not, for particular reasons, one of the company, so
she repaired to her native country, there to recruit
a good stock of health, to enable her to enter alone
upon a second campaign throughout a great part
of the kingdom, which she has just completed,
leaving everywhere behind her lasting impressions
and pleasing souvenirs of her fine matured talent.

Ainongstthe many roles created by this lady we
have Janet Pride, Miami, Marie Dugange, Eulalie,
Elmire, in " Tartuffe"—and, reader, would you
believe it ? Harlequin ! Aye, aye, Harlequin !
She was the first actress who ever personified Har-
lequin on the British stage, and all who saw her in
that motley-costumed character admit that they
never saw so gracieux, so gentil, and so nimble a
Harlequin as the versatile Parisienne.
In drawing this brief biographical sketch to a
close, we must inform our r( aiers who know ALA= e
Celeste only on the stage, that off it she is one of
the most amiable, the most generous of ladies, and
an ornament to her profession. May success attend
her new enterprise at the Royal Lyceum is our sin-
cere wish!

AMATEUR PERFORMANCES AT WINDSOR.—On
Wednesday and yesterday evening the officers of the House-
hold Brigade performed at the 'Windsor Theatre, in aid of
the Windsor Royal Dispensary. The pieces selected were,
" Not a Bad Judge," " Anything for a Change," and
" Poor Pillicoddy." The orchestra was composed entirely
of amateurs, under the direction of the Hon. Seythour
Egerton, and both actors and musicians acquitted them.
selves in a highly creditable manner. The able assistance
rendered by the Misses Marston, Ternan, aad Batson was
duly appreciated, and at the conclusion of ea tch piece there
was well-merited and gratifying applause. Among the
company present yesterday evening- were Co'amel Seymour,
Colonel Biddulpb, Sir Charles Phipps, Mr. William Van-
sittart, M.P., Sir William Wallace, Lord idabon, Colonel
Vyse and family, Sir Thomas Wiltshire, Sir Win.,Fraser,
Captain Gordon, Captain Bulkeley, Captain Peyton, Cap-
tain Hall, Madame Van de Weyer, Lady :oay•y hood, &c.