The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-04-04

= DO-AA48s
TIE WEEK. IN
Another dull theatrical week. What IA the mat.
Ter with the plsy-goers, Have the extraordinary
euractions offered during the season commenced
10 cloy upon their pslstes, or has the supply Of
small change. that little surplus set aside over the
pread and butter fund to be devoted to family
amusement, commenced to run low? Neither. We
think. All kinds Of people 20 to the thester.
Follow them when they emerge, and you viii see
some going home to palaces, some 10 huts. ana
some not going home at ell. We must, therefore.
look to discover il other and new attractions.
arising In their different channels of life have not
been obstacles to their Thespian aspirations. just
as astronomers, when comet, long absent, fails
to come back at the appointed time, set them
selves to ascertain the possible causes OF yaris-
fien in its orbit. Our editorial telescope discovers
In the amusement orbit wide divergence Of late
caused by outside attractions. The dress circles
lave been depleted Iby fairs, the parqusttes and
galleries by the opening Of the saloons where
Fortune holds her court and pays her debts In
isory chips. ss,-
The season is drawing Enthusiastically tovards
iss close and tits just barely possible that the
cause mentioned may accelerate the approach
thereof. But on the other hand, the State Fair
and the Races have attracted hither an unprece-
fented number Of visitors, whose presence may
de the means Of giving fortnight's resuscitation
20 matters theatrical. We feel quite certain that
Nrs. SiddoDe. could she but remain here for "a.
9ther week, wenld achieve triumph almost IN
taraleled, for her houses have been growing
larger nightly this past week, and her popularity
has increased proportionally with the attendance.
Her performances have acquired an enhanced In
terest since Monday night by the support afforded
by Ben DeBar, who came Fastening down from
st. Louis to I'll q very awkward gap, and by the
accession Of Mefsrs. Ration and Barr, both Of
whom have been known previously az talented
members Of the Varieties company. With these
strong reinforcements, Mrs. 6iddons has repeated
TO advantage several of her characters Of the
previous week. On Monday night, Rosalind,
with Ben DeBar % 1ouchstoBe; on Tuesday,
Maridnna. in " The Wife," on Wednesday and
last evening, Beatrice, in Much Ado About
Nothing; - on Thursday, Julia. In the "Hunch-
back" on Friday cher bsneft). Iolanthe, in
!" King Renss Daughter" and J,slidnd. In the
4" Honeymoon ]" these have been her characters
through the week.
The Varieties and the Academy have each wit
messed two benefits since our last summary. At
the former, Miss Gray on Wednesday, and Mise
Freeman on Friday evenings. presented their
claims for favor and ct the latter Treasurer Kit
tredge, 1.-THE "Litle Treasure-r,'') and Miss Jennie
.EnPel, entertained their frends on Tuesday and
Friday evenings respectively. Nor must the last
Sunday benefit o. Mr.. Stevens, popular leading
member OF the st. Charles, be left unrecorded, as
showing on the part OF the public an apprecis-
ton Of hard study and constant efforts to please.
And now comes one Leffingwell. Familiarity
known IS The Lefingwell.s fellow of infinite jest.
well known TO New Orleans plsygoers ten years
since, and well known now to playgoers in all
parts of the land as q comedian Of the rarest hu.
NOR. Read the following biography and you are
straghtwsy forthwith acquainted with
THE LEFFIsGwKLL.S
The subject OF this sketch will be remembered
by the old hsbitues of the Varieties Theeter in
this city one Of the fsvorites at that house In
the days Of John Owenss administration. When
old Henry Wsllack, Couldock Southern, Letting.
Chapman, Polly hsrshsl and even Owens him.
eelfwere oil stock people. 10 that day the selec-
tion of such galaxy Of talent in one comp any,
was unmstcbsble by even WallAck's New York
standard. Indeed most OF the members OF the
Varieties were taken from the Premier Wsllsck
by Owepss enterprise in out-biddng for them.
And then the starring system had narrower limits
at that time. All Of the prominent members of
that famous old stock have since become starr.
Many Of them are rich enough to retire. No man
nger Of the present day could engage such COM
pany, any more than be could climb 70 the moon,
Tor the simple reason that the actors don't exist
OUTSIDE the starring nrmament. OWeusS COM
pany, splendid it was, did not succeed in filing
the treasury until the production Of "Dot." The
then unprecedented success of which made the for.
tune Of the house an assured fact. Lef6ng veil, up
20 this time, had been fiuctusting between the
sheaves and the less ponderous drswingroom
nilksops, with an occasional dash at farce old
man. ." Dot" however, gave him an opportunity
to display bis real worth TO the management. II
Is safe 10 venture the assertion that there is NO
memory 30 treacherous Is TO have forgotten Lsf-
'6Dgwell's Tdckiet0n. II was the realization OF
Dickens's ideal and q worthy companion picture
to 0wens's Caleb Phrna'ner. Thus much to
identity 7dckieton Lefingwel Of the old time
with The Lefinge Of today. II IL our further
purpose 10 give brief retrospect Of his birth aud
career. Miron w. Lefflngwell was born in Chilli
cothe, Ohio, on the 2lst Of March, 1929. 10 1874
he entered the printing Office Of the Cincinnati
enquirer and for four years followed the craft
)now In New Orleans and then In Louisville, at
which latter place he determined TO change bis
vocation and become player. James Bates, the
late son OF old John Bates. Of Cincinnati, gave
our typo bic first engagement, ythe terms Of
which he IVES 20 play little parts, and trust to the
managers judgment for advance. During the
season be had 30 far satisfied the public in sll
that had been corided to his execution that such
perts as the King 10 " Hamlet" Ant0n5o In The
Wife, etc., were given him. His intuition and
repid study coon placed him IN position. His
next msnager vss old Porter, Of Pistsburg. After
q short season there. he engaged himself TO Carr
q Warren, Of Buffalo for the second low comedy;
from thence to Troy as the fret comedian. New
York offered many temptations to the aspiring
son Of Thespis. Heretofore be had been playing
In the lesser citieg. To act before metropolitan
sudience would be TO reach the pinnacle OF his |
hopes. Cutting Troy, our hero sought the Gotham |
managers, snd by dint OF persuasion, induced |
Bamblin. the manager Of the Bowery, to engage |
him. One of the eccentricities in msnag ement |
often INDUCED in by Hamblin, was TO raise the |
hopes Of rspid advancement to young aspirsnts to
metropolitan fame. and then suddenly humilisting |
The LdeTtes Of one night By casting him for Mar |
cellus or Bernardo when the piece was repeated. |
Our beros quick perception soon understood the |
motive, and q ready compliance with all the mad |
wbims of Hsmblin had hsppy effect upon the IT. |
rascible old manager and threw many advantages |
In our hero's way. During Lefingwell's time at |
the Old Bowery. Maggie Mitchell entered the |
tbeater as ballet girl, and made her first |
appearances in a speaking part for Lefingwelps |
benefit. Tie part chosen for her debut was se- |
lected, and the stage business taught her, by the
benefciare. The name Of the piece was the |
a. MILDLY Ashore" and the part Harry Hdcyon. |
From the Bowery our hero Joined the fortunes Of /
the declining Aston Place Opera House. under /
Willard 4 Thorne, and was the Jack Humphreys |
In 50 Turning the Tables" the last time dramatic
performance was ever given there. We again |
hear OF him under the management Of the ire |
IL d.