New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-03
TIE DRAMA.
CIBBER AT THE FIFTH AVENUE.


words: And you be at any loss in amorous Anu1
lusia Above ALL can you be at loss in wanton SeVe'
where backeyed damses dance the zambra under every
orange grove % What Of this coloquy the reauer
Of The ALEXANDRIA" may pleasantly ascertain "hat VIC
particularly wish note that the old British dramasts
seem to have taken the same view OF romantic SPAIN
4bat was taken by this ancient bird Of Seville In all the
old plays that relate the land Of our castles the
Muse wears mask and domino, and Is forever
bent On amorOus intrigue. Bright eyes sparkle
through mantles of black lace. The lovers
Int sounds beneath the lady's easement, under
the light OF the silver moon The armed and cloaRed
assassin turks the shadow Of the garden wall Queru-
lous and explosive fathers Outwitted by nimbe
ehambermAids One hears the clink OF gold the cash
Of swords the nkle Of the guitar, and the ripple OF
merry laughter To think Of OF these comedies Is TO
zee long procession Of the familiar incidents and char
scters Of One OF them has made itself re-
membered lately the Fifth Avenue Theater-one that
Coey Cbber wrote in l7O3 and called "she Would and
She Would Mt" The piece falls considerably short OF
being good comedy, because 1t IS false to nature,
clumsy construction, and wOrdy and tangled IN STYLE
Cibber's mind able but pompous In operation and
utterly uninspred Almost the only glow in his pages
the feverish glow of indicate gaantry Much OF his
sentiment centiOus, and many Of his lines are unit TO
be spoken. In this particular comedy though there
Is abundance of hustle and OF amusing situation for the
chef characters while the atmosphere Of the piece, as
We intmated at the outset sets the fancy pleasantly at
among the romantic associations that cluster so
thcky about youth and love, and frOc in sunny Spain
At Fifth Avenue Theaer the piece has been done IN
four acts instead Of five The cast includes Mrs Scott
Eiduous, Us Hypoiid Miss Mary LongmOre as Flora;
MI Davidge as Don Manuel; Mr.. Lewis, at TrdppdnH
Miss Fanny Davenport. Vioetd Miss Agnes Ethel,
a. EJsaad; Mr.. c. II. Clarke, as Don Philip; and Mr.
Harhns AZ Don Octauio. Mr.. Davidge, it will be per
eeived has the best part in the play and Mr. DavidRe
We may add is almost alone among his coadjuors in
she ability keep up that whirl Of movement, rattle Of
words and sapdash eXuberance Of spirits essential TO
an effective performance Of this Cbberan old master"
The fact that Mr. DAILY has in this instance, tried his
company snguary difficult play TO which-frOm lack
OF experience rather than talent-tls, in the MAN, I'M
equal Old tagers alone cope with works like "she
Would and she Wouldn't" Mrs. Scottslddono cannot
play HBpOlla. Her attempt at mannish swagger and
b0isterOus dtmeanOr is merely attempt and very
laDo Miss LOngmOre's bounce, Flora, is even
feeber. The Trdppdnti of Mt Lewis suggests COnnec
tcut Yankee his mercantile travels and one almost
expects sec peddlers wagon driven up the door
Of tho Spanish Inn. The Rosana Of Miss Ethel
might We'll be the work OF school
girl. Three parts in the comedy well played,
and there end the Don Monuel Of Mr.. Davidge the
PiO Of Mr.. Clarke and the Violeta Of Miss Daven
port There was by the way, snap TO the spanish
song" Of The latter except snap Of the ngers-and
Spanish 10 speak Of We note this representation
what IN detail Tor the purpose OF pointing our suggestion
that there Is wisdom in mispacng clever people
great deal Of work has been laid out for the company at
tie Fifth Avenue Theater but not fear with great
deal OF discretion Mr. DAILY has underlined "Much Ado
About Nothing" Caste" Second Love-" 1.-THE suspl.
eious Husband" 1.-THE Irish Heiress,' "The Widow
Hunt" and Wives as They We're and Maids as They
Are TheTest Of the British drama are tempted to add,
viii come hereafter Better though, TO 90 lew Things
nicely produced ut the Fifth Avenue Theater. "she
would and She Would Mt" has been given with rich
dresses and The for act second is superb
IL the art OF acting profits little by this revival at least
the puulu mind cheered by incOnsiderabe merri
nruMr +. L. Davenport will shortly reappear at this
hst appearance Of Mrs. Chanfrau to be made very
LOTTA AT NIBLo's.
Custom cOnstTans us to review under the
head OF the drama many performances which contain
bn, little OF the dramatic element. The performances
given by mostly of this description. The
young lady seldom characters that foreign
TO her Own but usually herself and herein consist her
merit aud her success merer little being it would be
difficult 70 find, 70 imagine She plays over the stage
hike sunbeam on the water, and she awakens every
heart fonduess which lies dormant there for sweet
children aud for pets general To Judge her represen
tatiOus ia the stern mood Of criticism would be unnat
IRA, and harsh Every knows that her Lille Nell is
rather wooden and that her AarehiOneSs Is bit like
tie EQrchOneSs in Dickens's novel But every
knows that her sweetness in the former part and her
romical absurdy, in the latter, very agreeable.
They proved so TO a numerous audience, Monday
night, at Niblo's Garden Miss Lolita called before
the curtain end OF the first act and again at the
erd Of the fouh and throughout the play cheered
by laughter and applause Her general sprghtlness her
agility In the eogdance, her skill in performing the
banjo voats and irrepressble msch evousness OF
Temperament and behavior we're piOuant ever and
wrought the elleCt-hat Of general hilarlty Her
Little Nell and her NTchtOnsss have been before on
the local stage and do not require description In spirit
aud in details they the they at first
Only change has been made-in the substitution Of
silly strcetsoug for tho hOmely NOrthofEngand ballad
which Lolita used to sing in the Fair that
Is, most distinctly change for the worse The audi
eHce, however, did not seem TO notice IL. As to Mr.
BrOughaus play there Is nothing new to be said IL does
not pretend 70 do justice to the snguary imaginative
romantic gentle humane, aud altogether lovely fiction
whereupOn t Is founded But itreproduces many
from tie original in adrot dramatic arrangement and
busy bus Ting. diversified medley of incident and char
Htter. It's four acts were illustrated with good
sccuery on this occasion, and it's several
prominent characters were adequately portrayed Mr.
Edward Coleman appeared Quip and, often hereto
FORE made that yrile and malignant dwarf a perfect
reality. Mr Felix A. Vincent, who for several years. has
not acted In NewYOrk personated Dick SVireler and
was form If somewhat dry in the spirit
sf his mpersonation. We could wish TO SWipelLer
moro richly humorous In hs mockherOic extravaganza
Tie serious meaning Of the part however Mr.. Vincent
conveyed thoroughly than any previous represen
tave Of Il has succeeded in doing. Miss Kate Newton
acted humility. in pleasing way, Mrs QuilD and
looked" the character perfectly well Mr. Charles Hale
assumed the garb Of sampson Brass and made that legal
practitioner unpleasant and generally contemplate
rs pettifogging aud kBavish lawyers usually The
subsidiary parts Of COrkey Jack street Minstrel,
FOtey joe thimble-rgger, and Mrs. farley, keeper
of the waX-wOrks, nOticeaDly well played
~ Mr. J. T. Ward, Mr.. J. W. Bruntona, and
tIrt. VI. A. Bradshaw. In brief, the play has been
brought forward with good cast and good scenes and,
although may somewhat shock the sensbites Of the
sympathetic lovers Of "The Old Curiosity Shop" it
prove TO the mass Of play gOers source Ofhearty
ufg ref IN