The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-10
Opera BouGe.
ALL ABOUT THE BArENAN rRoUPE-RrCH DEVELOP.
-tr- MEETs. VI


under Bateman at the French Theater, now the
Theatre Franchise. Suffice IL to say that French
amusement, or rather theatrical amusement in the
French language, never became popular 10 New
York until the Inauguration of opera boufie under
the auspices Of Mr.. Bateman, who Is too well
known to the public TO require any specific de.
scripton. Mr.. Bateman is still triumphant, as he
deserves. notwithstanding the rivalry Of Gran. and
Pike of his opera house to Mr.. Fiske, who, al
though already interested pecuniariy in Mr..
Broughams Theater and Woods Museum, AMI
with an Erie fight on his hands, still longs for new
dramatic ventures. But with these squabbles be-
fore the curtain we have naught to do; be IL ours
simply to afford reader glimpse Of the leading
members of the Bateman company as they are in
private life-in their capacities as Frenchmen and
French women. rather than in their more familiar
characters as French artists.
Glance at Tostee, for example-all knew her
as singer and as an actress but all do not know
that the woman Tostee is one Of the most amiable
of professional rivalry. All do not know that,
though generally presumed to be fast, she is, on
the contrary, very quiet, even domestic In her
tastes, and that, instead Of cherishing fondness
for champagne and company, she Is devoted to
household pets, possessing amonkey named Fritz,
and hooking birds, and canaries, and lap-dogs,
and an infnitesimal cat. All do not know that she
is so charmed with New York that she contem-
plates winding up her business in Paris and set
Ting in our metropolis; that she resides in COM
parative seclusion at French house In Wsvery
Place. and that she is a shrewd Judge of men and
things. As for Irma, 1t may not be generally
known that this charming creature Ia the wife of
Mons. Colonne, one Of the leaders of the orches-
tra and that she is the mother of two children who
are called jocularly the semicolons; that she is
somewhat prone TO rivalry and jealousy that she
is a model of correct department, and has under.
gone series of romantic vicisstudes -while Lan-
belle has recently figured az the heroine of o do
nestle drama-and after her triumphs in New Or
leans has won q host of fresh admirers in New
q m n IN ma
the stage, he is small man of it, and has more
perfect knowledge Of " make up' than any other
member of the company. In fact his stage dis
guises are so wonderfully accurate that be can
only be recognized in his divers characters by
means Of mole upon bis face, which is always
visible to the eye of the practiced observer. Au-
JAG is said to control considerable property, but
is exceedingly prudent in his expenditures, and is
rather reserved for Frenchmsn.
BEHIND THE SCENES OF OPERA BouFFE-THE BATE.
MAN TROUPE.
But while we yield their need of honor and
glory to the greatly gifted and lay such tribute as
we may at the feet Of the kings and queens of
comic opera. we must not forget their humber
sisters and brethren, the minor members of the
opera troupes. In certain point of view. these
people are of more interest to us than the more
widely known, as the latter have been written
about ad nduseuna, but the former have too often
and too long been overlooked. But We do not
design to overlook them on the present occasion;
and forthwith proceed to glance at their little
points, adopting for our maxim the grand saying
of the gifted ancient, MI huIldnum d!tent1n toto.
Let us commence our rapid sketches with glance
at Mile Arsene. This young female is married to
a Frenchman who has settled among Us as a cook,
and visits Long Branch by moonlight. in the sum-
mer time Of course. The lady is Q good-looking
blonde, while the gentleman is as fat as The is
jovial, and as genial as he is eccentric. Mile, we
fear us plain Miss Carmen, tall brunette. who is
exceedingly lively, is reputed to be the object of
the desperate fondness of a young clerk on Eighth
avenue, near the Opera House, who sends her
bouquets by the stage carpenter, friend of his,
nightly. Mons. Guidon is chiefly remarkable for
his intense attachment 10 his brother; the pair
have lived as Damon and Pythias a Ia Franchise,
and in early life both fell In love simultaneously
with the same woman, who, after engaging herself
to the one, married ultimately the other. NJ.
Guidon is now the happy husband Of Madam d.
clos, of the pleasantest and stoutest of French
women, and an admirable artistic.
Mons. Hamilton. though excessively funny on
the stage, is exceedingly serious of it, and is
a steadily married man, with an afectionate
family. Mile Mathilde, the amiable wife of Mons
women, .quafis bumper Of champagne with an
inimtable grace, smokes cigarette with the
most intensely enviable air Of enjoyment, and
though full of good sense, has no more romance
himself is one Of the thinnest and qIetest men in
existence, and was originally intended for
clergyman, but never completed his theological
course Of studies. He has never yet appeared
QehlQuS some
do so. Mons. Tholer is heavily pompous indi-
vidual, who has often been mistaken for clergy.
man. His daughter Is pretty blonde, very quiet
and very romantic illustrating the old adage that
still waters run deep. Her heart Is said 70 be in
New Orleans, while young man in New Orleans
has committed mis- heart TO her possession-a case
of Loves young dream"
Mile. Laruene is rather pretty woman, who
has undergone reverses; Nile. Tere is pretty
girl, petite, dark-comple xioned, and brown-eyed,
betrothed to the drum-msjor OF Birg6eld's band,
who was recently the victim of q very un.
pleasant legpl mistake De Rosa, the light.
limbed, Is said to be distinctly related to Ma
dame Psrepa-Rosa. She is still unmarried, and
is attended on all occasions by a prudently.
careful and very old mama Mile. Rose, the
leader Of the female chorsters, is q little bru.
nette, with long, dark-brown hair, reported to
chestre, who saved her life in q gallant manner
while travelling on the cars, during Q recent
visit to Chicago. This lady is admired by that
sweet youth, Bateman fills. N. B.-This fact is
friends know better. Mile. Anna Larignere has |
been admired BY number of local young |
bloods, and is said to be engaged in marriage |
20 the alI-conquering tenor Aujac. This young
lady has passed a career of romantic vicissi.
tudes, and was at one time vivandiere ia the |
French army. In her personnel she is tall and |
graceful, not strictly beautiful, perhaps, but |
with rich, dark eye, and winning, semi-intel |
lectual, semi.voluptuous expression of counte- |
nance, which is irreslstibly attractive. Duchesne
is said to be genuine descendant of Louis Phil. |
lippe, and graduated at the far.famed Polytech-
mic School of Paris. He sfterward ran of to |
sea. Lagrifoul is reported to be the son of q /
wealthy tea merchant, who likewise "mysteri
ously" disappeared from home. He Is certainly /
Q clever actor, and in private life an accom- |
plished gentleman. He Is on intimate terms with |
General Sherman and is more popular with Amer.
leans than any other member OF the troupe, |
simply because he is the only one of the troupe |
who can speak English with any degree of |
for instance. can only NUT. |
ter, "Where's my snuff ?" or Here is my snuff" |
as tie case may be-and with this astonishing |
exploit his English ends. Lagrifoul, however, |
can muster enough Anglo Saxon TO get along |
well enough with game of billiards and to |
Q cocktail when required, and what |
other earthly use could he have for English,
Dardignac is q neat, jovial. good-lookng bsche-
lor, while Francis. lucky Monsieur Francis vrig-
nard Ion the contrary, ia Benedick, the married
man, having recently welded q pretty and
wealthy French girl, the daughter Of ore of our
most Industrious citizens.
Deere, the second tenor, is a good fellow, who
ooEs good deal like Harold Bateman (Batemsn
ils), who resembles his father as much In general
bo ira for in 1