The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-29 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

Old Drury opened, en Saturday, and if the state of affairs
on the opening night May be taken as an omen, the ensuing
season will be distinguished by the same untiring enterprise
on the part of the management, and by the same liberal pa-
tronage, on the part of the public, which have been the pe-
culiar characteristics of the last two seasons. The per-
formances were Balfe's last new opera The Enchantress, and
a new ballet, in three acts, entitled The Marble Maiden, the
boint production of MM. St. George and Albert, the music
eing composed by Adolphe Adam, the prince of ballet com-
posers, expressly for this theatre. The cast of the opera was
the same as last season, except that on the present occasion
Miss Romer appeared for the first time as Stella. It was a
bold attempt on the part of Miss Romer to appear in this, the
character par excellence, of Anna Thillon, but the result
preyed that she had not miscalculated her strength. Her
conception of the character is perfectly different from that of
Thillon. We had none of that espieolerie which is the pecu-
liar and delightful characteristic of Thillon in this character,
but instead we had more intensity of feeling. The Stella of
Thillon is a girl who revels and delights in the mystery and
romance—aye, somewhat mischievous romance, too, with
which she invests the character—she is a creature of the
light and the sunshine, who loves Don Paul from pure flake
de cceur. The Stella of Miss Romer, on the contrary,
is a creature of the affections, an ardent and im-
passioned being, who loves intensely, and will sacrifice
everything, even life and love itself, to the interests of the
adored object of her affections. Such was the view Miss
Romer took of the character of Stella, and beautifully did she
carry it out. She was in excellent voice, and sang the music
deliciously. The exquisite song of " Woman's love" was de-
servedly honoured with a double encore, and her scena in the
last act, where the senators are waiting to be assured that
Don Paul is the rightful heir to the throne, was a perfect tri-
umph. Never have we heard anything more brilliant than
her, fioriture in this scena. She was called for at the conclu-
sion of the opera, and received with the enthusiastic ap.
plause of one of the most crowded houses ever assembled within
the walls of old Drury. This well deserved tribute to the
talents of this admirable artiste, must have been the more
gratifying to her, because she could not but be sensible that it
had been fairly earned. The new ballet of the Marble Maiden
is the most poetical and fanciful, and, at the same time, the
most gorgeous and splendid ballet, that has been produced for
a long time. It is really deserving the title given to it in the
bills of a Ballet Fantastique. It is a new version of the old
story of Pygmalion and the statue. The scene is laid at
Florence, during the palmy days of art, when Lorenzo the
Magnificent reigned supreme. The first scene is laid in the
studio of Massachio (M. Albert), the sculptor. His students
are at work on various statues, and young girls are
standing around in every variety of attitude and
costume as studies. The hour of relaxation arrives,
the groups break up, and the students and the girls,
at the suggestion of Ascunio (Mademoiselle Louise),
indulge in a dance. Ascunio intimates to them that the chef
d'oeuvre of Massachio, a statue of Hebe, is concealed in an
inner apartment. Massachio is heard approaching; all con-
ceal themselves behind various statues—Massachio enters—
throws open the curtains at the end of the room, and dis-
covers the beautiful statue of Hebe ; the students advance
and surprise him with cries of bravo I Enraged, he dismisses
them forth from his studio. At that moment the Duke of
Florence (M. Pichler) and his nephew, Prince Cosmo (M.
Petipa), with their attendants, enter the studio, and Ascunio
mischievously discovers to them this statue of Hebe. The
Prince, delighted, offers an immense sum for this chef d'ceuvre ;
but all his overtures are indignantly rejected by the maestro.
The princes quit the studio, followed by the students ; and
Massachio, contemplating his statue, becomes so enamoured
of it, that he prostrates himself at the feet of the figure
of the Genius of Evil, demanding that his statue
may become animated. Slowly the Evil Genius unfolds
a scroll, on which is written, in characters of fire, " The statue
shall be animated by day for thy destruction." Horrified at
the prediction, he casts:himself in an attitude of humility and
supplication at the feet of the image of the Angel of Good,
whose hand unrolls a scroll, with the words, " The statue shall
be marble by night, for thy safety." Gradually the Hebe
(Mdlle. Adele Dumilatre) thaws, as it were, into life. The
slightest possible tremor indicates the first glow of animation,
until, at length, life thrills through all its being—perception
and sense are awakened—and the statue descends from its
pedestal a beautiful living girl. Exquisitely, delicately,
artistically, was this gradual animation of the statue—this
wakening of the marble into life—given by Mdlle. Dumilatre.
It was true poetry, and poetry of the' very highest order—
it was, indeed, to use the words of the programme of the
ballet, the creation of beauty—beautifully, too, did she ex-
hibit the action of the senses. without experience in endea-
vouring to grasp at distant objects. Fascinated by the smell
of flowers, she seizes a vase filled with roses—she is de-
lighted—drawn off by some other object, she lets the vase
fall from her hands—it breaks—she is lost in astonishment—
she kicks it—a thorn hurts her foot, and she flies back with
alarm—Massachio approaches her—sfie shrinks from him—
he holds out to her a mirror—delighted at the reflection of
her own charms, she follows the mirror wherever it leads her,
and this is made the occasion of introducing a most
original and poetical pas de deux, which was exquisitely
given by Adele Dumilatre and Albert. She, however, flies
from the pursuit of Massachio to her old niche, which she
had occupied as a statue. Persona are heard approaching;
he draws the curtains to hide her from the gaze of the
strangers. The evening sets in, and Hebe is again a statue.
Prince Cosmo determines to have possession of this chef
d'oeuvre, and he enters, accompanied by his friends, and they
bear off the statue in triumph to the Pitti Palace. A grand
fete in honour of the opening of the Pitti Palace gives occasion
for the exhibition of magificent scenery, beautiful dancing,
and grand spectacle, and in the midst of this gorgeous
display the statue is carried into the palace, and this con-
cludes the first act. The second act opens in the palace. It
is the day fixed for the nuptials of Prince Cosmo with the
Princess Beatrice (Mademoiselle Adele). Massachio enters,
and demands justice against the Prince who has stolen his
statue. The place in which the statue was concealed is
pointed out. The curtain is withdrawn, but the niche is un-
occupied. Massachio, not daring to discover the cause of
this disappearance, apologises, and leaves the palace. The
Prince gazes with astonishment at the drapery, and beholds
the animated Hebe looking with astonishment and wonder
at the scene before her. The Princess Beatrice approaches
with her attendants, who retire to an adjoining boudoir to
dress for the marriage. Hebe sees them and imitates all their
actions, and the scene closes with a wild and fantastic
pas seul by Hebe, which was given with a true feeling of
poetry by Mademoiselle Adele Dumilatre, and rapturously
applauded. The next scene is in the gardens of the palace,
to which Hebe has fled. Massachlo has pursued her thither.
His evil genius has given him three roses—the first, given by
him to Hebe, confers on her reason; the second, grace; the
third, love. She avoids him. He presents her with the first
rose. The wild, untameable, timid, fantastic creature at
once changes her whole being. She is endowed with reason ;
she recognises in Massachio her creator, and obeys
him. A fete takes place in honour of the nuptials ;
of the Princess; there is a dance; Hebe strives to imitate the
actions of the daneers, but she is awkward and fails. Mas-
sachio presents her with the second rose; she instantly be-
comes endowed with grace, and joins in the dance, surpassing
all her compeers ; still she is insensible to love. Massachio
gives her the third rose; and she loves, but not Massachio ;
she throws herself into the arms of Cosmo, and Massachio is
maddened at the discovery. Her reason, however, tells her
she must obey Massachio ; she follows him unresistingly ;
night approaches, and she again becomes marble. This
closes the second act, and the gradual freezing of life into
stone, until the joyous, animated, girl petrifies into
the statue on its pedestal was given with as exquisite grace,
and as high poetical feeling as the scene of the animation in
the first act. The third act is laid at Massacbio's Villa, on
the Banks of the Arno, whither he has conveyed his treasured
Hebe ; Cosmo introduces himself disguised as a student ; wine
is introduced, which has been purposely drugged, and while
Massachio is suffering from its effects, Cosmo endeavours to
run off with the now animated Hebe. Ascunio, who is
willing to assist in carrying off a statue, will not aid in the
abduction of a young and beautiful girl; he awakes
Massachio, who pursues the fugitives. Meanwhile
the Prince has become so enamoured of Hebe that lie refuses
to wed the Princess. The Duke is enraged, and insists on
his performing his promise ; and Hebe implores her lover to
wed the Princess, and joins their hands. Here is introduced
a pas de trois by M. Petipa, Mademoiselle Adele Dumilatre,
and Mademoiselle Adele, which is a perfect wonder of choro-
graphic art. In one portion of this pas Adele Dumilatre,
supported by Petipa, makes a series of demi-voltes clean over
over the head of Mademoiselle Adele. The audience
were enthusiastic in their applause at thi3 as-
tonishing tour de force. The fete proceeds, and the
pas de guirlandes, by Mademoiselle Adele Dumilatre and
twenty-four ladies of the corps de ballet is introduced.
This pas is most graceful, and displays some exquisitely
picturesque grouping. Night approaches, Hebe sinks on a
couch, fainting, the Prince throws himself at her feetin
despair, the sun has set, and Hebe is again marble, Massa-
chio, in a paroxysm of rage, rushes up to the statue, and, at
one blow, shivers it in pieces, The back of the scene opens,
and the Angel of Good is seen wafting the spirit of the de-
stroyed Hebe to the skies. The music is very characteristic,
and the scenery and spectacle gorgeous in the extreme. It is
the most magnificent ballet that Mr. Bunn has yet produced, and
will not only have a long run during the present season, but
become a permanent favourite, for it is not merely a magni-
ficent spectacle, but a beautiful poem. • Mademoiselle Adele
Dumilatre, who had been called before the curtain during the
course of the performance, was again called for at the con-
clusion, and received with enthusiastic plaudits ; as were
MM. Albert and Petipa, and Mademoiselles Louise and
Adele, from whom she had received most efficient support
The house was crammed to suffocation.

The steam ship Great Britain sailed from Liver-
pool for New York on Saturday afternoon, where many
persons assembled along the pier heads and the opposite
side of the river, to have a view of her as she passed
along. She had about 120 passengers, a heavy mail, and
a largo cargo of goods.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT ACCIDENT ON THE RlVEN.—Yesterday
morning, at six o'clock, a sailor, named Henry Miller, belong-
ing to 'a Rochester fishing smack, fell from the rigging on to
the bulwarks, as the craft was passing through the Erith
Reach. He was rendered motionless, but not insensible, by
the fall, and refused to; be taken on board the Dreadnought
hospital ship when they arrived alongside it. The smack ar-
rived at Hungerford Market Pier at eleven A.M., when the
man was growing worse. He was removed to Charing-cross
Hospital, and it was then discovered that he had received
most dangerous injuries of the spine.
THE LATE ACCIDENT AT DEPFORD.—Acting on
the suggestion of the Inspector-General of Railways, the fol •
lowing notice appears conspicuously on a board at all the
stations between Birmingham and Bristol :—" No truck,
waggon, or carriage, is in future to be brought from any
siding upon either of the main lines, or allowed to stand there
for the purpose of being attached to any train expected until
such train shall have arrived at such station and stopped."
[ADVERTISEMENT.]—GENERAL JOSE GONZALYES
CURED OF A BAD LEO BY HOLLOWAY'S PILLS AND OINT-
HENT.—The General some time ago received a gun-shot
wound in the leg, which, from neglect and fatigue, assumed an
alarming appearance, there being a sudden outburst of several
ulcers, and, for a time, mortification was seriously apprehended ;
in this alarming state the amputation of the limb was deemed
as absolutely necessary. The General, however, unwilling to
sacrifice his leg, dismissed his doctors, and set about using
nothing else but Holloway's Ointment and Pills, and with
these celebrated remedies he perfectly cured himself in five
weeks, and was able to leave London last week for the Con-
tinent. To be had of every medicine vendor, and at the
establishment of the proprietor, 244, Strand, Loudon.