New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-10-05
Academy of Music. !.

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full and fashionable audiences that nightly
greet the players at the Academy OF Mama
ger Bidwell 1t is because the performances
bid well for public patronage-and deserv-
ing it, receive] it from an enlightened pub
lic-receive it because they shed the light OF
wit and wisdom, and the charm OF music,
song and story around those who witness
them.
No person goes to the Academy without
coming away satisfied with what he or she
has seen and heard. The ladies are as
ready as the gentlemen to furnish proof of
this, for their bright eyes and smiling faces
in the dress circle of the Academy nightly
furnish the very best evidence that there is
something attracting there-something that
plcases and edities at the same time; some
thing that drives away dull care; something
to cause a hearty laugh, that best Of cures
for 1.-THE blues"
Variety is said to be the spice Of life, and
life in its most spicy form. The manager
conducts things SO as to have nightly
change Of performances, and the change of
play each night is so rapid that before the
pleasing effects of one performance has left
the audience it is astonished by another
that is absolutely thrilling.
| If you do not believe this, reader, just 20
and see the performances Of the lady
gymnast, Mile. Blanche Leopold assisted
by Mr.. George Leopold, on the trapeze; and
| if they fail to make each particular hair of
your head stand up with fear, they will not
fail to impress you deeply with their dan
gerous feats of strength and agility, per
formed as it were in air, with but q thread
between them and death.
| The grace and case with which these
accomplished artists 90 through with their
work, relieves good deal Of the dread of
danger in an audience that is naturally in
| spired by seeing them in their daring feats.
Mr.. Frank Gibbons is also great on the
trapeze, actually walking, with his feet to
the ceil;ng, to the center Of the theater. and
| then regaining the place he started from by
making some movements through the air
that are truly astonishing. There is neces
sarily much danger accompanying perform
ances of this kind, yet these performers
have such nerve and confidence in them
selves as to repeat them nightly with as
little apparent thought of danger as he who
sings and plays on the banjo or performs
clog dance.
Speaking of dancing reminds us of Mr.. c.
A.Gardiner in the German dance and wooden
shoe evolutions. He is certainly heavy in
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| wooden shoes. He also sings good comic
song and never fails to make {; good impress
sion on the audience.
Then there is the graceful and beautiful
kiralfy sisters, Misses Amelia and Katie, in
| the Hungarian dance, and the charming
Miss Mary Zoel, in both song and dance.
They, of course, make their impressions that
are not easily effaced.
Then comes a grand dance performed by
| the corps dc ballet, entitled LA VIVIAN
diere," in which dozen OF two Of the most
beautiful sylph-like creatures trip it upon
| 1.-The light fantastic toe" In this perform
! ance Mile Catana, Miss Birch, Boshell, and
NJ. Blandowski appear; and Mile Elise exc
cutes PAS Militaire.'' and Mile Teresa An
tonino La Redowa," in most graceful and
artistic style.
Miss Jennie Engel should not he forgotten
in the great array and diversity Of talent
that now holds forth at the Academy. Nor
is she forgotten. She is still the great favor
ite in ballad singing, and sings with the
same pathos as when she first appeared at
the Academy. As the Queen of Song she
still holds magic power over all who ap-
preciate the influence of music, and. we
were about to say, of beauty.
In connection with singing, it is proper to
say that that parsonage popularity known as
Billy Carter is something Of q singist, and
his genius is not confined to vocal music,
nor to instrumental music, for he is some
! thing of composer besides. He composes
comic songs and banjo solos, and with the
utmost composure sings and plays on the
banjo seemingly without an effort; and the
audience smiles at everything he says, and
many of them go into the Phcenix and con-
tinue to smile, they feel SO good over what
he has said and done. This is not SO strange,
| however, when it is known that Billy's wit
| lS cOIlslueTcu VI ZIG III hhlo' 1>CVOi WIZ
less, he is witty, and if any have doubts
about it, they had better go to the Academy,
where he is giving lessons just now.
| In addition to the regular attractions at
the Academy this week is the production of
| new local drama, written expressly for
| Mr.. Bidwell entitled Events in the Life of
| a New Orleans Policeman" 1t has some
| lively characters in it, and chief among
them is Joe Russet, mixture of the news
boy and the boy who rms with the machine,
and, of course must be smart in his way.
MICS Minnie Jackson personates this char
acter and does it well, making wild. rol-
licking, good hearted sort of lad, ready to
pitch into any kind of adventure, from a
| fight to a foot race.
| Hercules OFlannogaM is a lively charac-
ter, as the name indicates, and Mr.. A. B.
Kennedy persOnates the wild Irishman with
some naturalness. Peter Pinsplebloek is an
other marked character. He is n Dutch
musician in search of his monkey, that he
supposed was stolen while he was imbibing
a glass of lager in a beer saloon. Mr.. S.
Collins persOnates the Dutchman rather
humOrOusly and makes the most Of the
character. The other characters are well
sustained, and the piece does very well in
the hands of good actors to while away an
hour 1t has, no doubt, been introduced by
the management more for the purpose of
encouraging home productions than with
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