The New York herald., 1870-10-31


the Inconsistencies of Character
Hopeful Celebrities Failure and Success
English Opera General Review OF the
Metropolitan Houses-Morality and
Law-Ballet Dancers-A Now Conn.,
edy-Personal Notes.
LONDON, Oct 49, 1870
''The 0dds Ia the odd title OF an odd enough play
an ola Dod,1da OF many previous dramas, and
which s now in course OF representation at The Hol
born theatre. "What's the odds as long as you're
happyS" Is favorte query with philosophers OF the
pocco cufdnte school, 10 which we may confidently
reply that the odds thousand to one it won't
last. Anyhow T. would be safe bet in the case OF
Mr. Seton Parry's play the pleasure IL inspires
being not only inlnitesiual In quantity but compara-
bic In duration 10 a wreath OF the MIST bubble on
the stream, snowflake the river, or anything
else whereby sentimental poets may oe pleased to
image forth the transory nature OF all earthly loys
There is very little to admire IN Mr. Parry's drama,
aud that little Is over The principle upon
which he mas proceeded In the construction or th,s
singular work would seem to be thls Given the
success OF MI. Dion Bouclcaulrs two melodramas
'The Flying Scud" and "After Dark, In the former
of which the chief attraction was q steeple chase
and the latter railway train, 1t follows that play
combining both stecple chase and railway train
must OF necessity succeed; but this is faacy
"Woe betide the author" writes French
critic, "wnose sole ambition Is to astonish;
for people won't be astonished twice. G. Nal.
hear, celut qla ne pense Q,pd etonner
parcequ ION sGtonae pas deitr Jots.D That Just
what has happened in the present instance. SEN
satlon loving pubic were delighted TO see the stage
converted first into a race course anu then into
railway tunnel but either spectacle grows tedious
on repetition
Aureste "0dds'' is mainly remarkable for Its CON-
binaton OF minute rcalistsm In matters OF no mo-
ment, with utter disregard OF truthfuness In all
essential particulars. Every incident or the plot Is
q sin against probability. and every parsonage or the
story Is a libel upon human nature; but TO set
against these dagrant offences, against the eternal
1tness OF things we have live horses dashing across
the stage and the most exact representation or
painting, pulling, blazing, smoking locomotive ever
seen In q playhouse. These creatures and
things are most precise and lfe.like; nut
inaslnuch as horses and steam engines may
be seen by the hundred for nothing,
il Is hardly be expected that people should pay TO
look at them. Nor is much edihcation 10 be derived
By a well conducted audience from fellowship with
the dramatic cnaracters--a rascay convoeaton OF
sharpers swindiers blacklegs rorgers, turtles and
gudReons, who engage In all sorts OF nearous prac-
| tices, ana arc henously criminal without being in
the least romantic. What enhances the absurdity OF
the play and strangely contrasts with the elaborate
realism discernilAe IN some parts Of IL is that two
of the male characters are assigned for repie sena
tion to women. Why or wherefore II Is Impossible
| TO conjecture groom IN 'ccrds,o 'tofsv aud
leather belt is the parsonage enacted by Miss Maggie
Brennan. who, thus disguised, looks about as like u
! tiger OF South Africa as "tIggei', OF Rotten row.
| Miss Kate Bishop, who Is rather inclined TO el6oH-
q snbatern OF dragons, and secondly IN the
silken jacket, round cap aud bnckskn breeches OF
jockey. Apart from considerations or decorum,
which need not be now particularly dwelt upon
there is manifest injury to al aoiress-to say
nothing or the injury 10 the ''vrasemblance'' OF
the play-n competing her to appear as a
man. Her task Is sufficiently onerous IN
requiring her to assume another character than
her own; TO require her IN addition to disguise her
and Initiate ours is to overweight her most
unconsconably. odds is altogether very pom
derous production, and sit IL out Is q species or
passive penal serytude not TO be thought OF without
a shudder.
Miss Alleyne, young actress who, though not
| wholly unknown to i4ondoners--she having played
| for while at Drury Lane-has acqulrhd chiefly in
the provinces such professional renown as she en-
Joys. has succeeded To the management OF the Globe
/ theatre, where she means TO venture upon the
plays Of Mr.. William SHAKESPEARE, writer
| VINO was held in high esteem in former
| times, but who is not much thought OF nowadays.
Miss Alleyne has been at some cost TO provide
able accommodations for the "Diyine william, '
ana for this purpose mas enlarged and re-embcslcd
the theatre to make II oil the comfort
able and one OF the most elegant in London. A new
and tasteful design pervades the whole style OF deco.
ration, and the effect OF the ruby and yellow the
I prevailing tints In the ornameutaion, ls very plea.
SAINT to the eye. The pece de resistance open
| Ing night was "1he Tanning OF the Slirew which
| was performed just respectfully no hing more Miss
Alleyne making passable Katharine and MIR. FAR
! cougn about as good a Petruchao Mr. Cathcau' q
Grunllo was tile best acted part In the comedy. In
| rhythmical address, spoken very spir1redly IN the
course OF the evening by Mr. Walter Lacy. that ac-
! OF the III nager:--
| The critic coupIet states, which OF we auote,
AMI Garflck uttered prompt as johnson wrote,
| The dramas laws the drama patrons give
| And we that live 70 please lease mus. please 70 ve.'
| However silded be the seDseless hash,
The dni, managers plain du'y : to essay
This Is noble and dlsnterested mission, truly
but IL is scarcely TO DC achieved by such an eype-
liant comedy not as shakespeare wrole it, but h !
Garrick most senselessy and audaciously perverted
her credtaple promise by presenting with Shak-
rsIer than il lii c5ents5fs % Iasve is Sedizlened ien
MIN, In motley OF tomioolsry
We read III Sir Walter Scott's "aonastery'' that
the exquisite Sir Percie Sbaton sang, without re.
morse or mercy, about three Thousand verses or n
love ballad and that on opening his ewes at the end
OF the song (for he always sang with his ewes SHUT
he had the mortication TO iind his audience FAST
asleep. Something OF the same kind has happened
10 poor Mr.. Faconer whose irish meiodraina or
''innisallen, or the Men III the Cap" proved
so lllotefaply tedious that the spectators could
not, for the very lives Of them keen awake
during It's representation IL would seem as II he
aulhor hld iniilsled ms INK with "all the dfOwsy
syrups OF the East,n so s0mnilerous was his ana.
Iogue IN It's eject upon the audience. Kisses there
were none, but commentary ol snores attested the
soporlnc influence OF the play. At length the piece
has been withdrawn, aud the tyceum tnat luosG Ill
starred OF theatres, is again closed.
DRURY LANE.
AT Dr,iry Lane they are dong pretty we'll with
Mr.. Halday's historic drama, founded upon sKenli.
WORTH ana entitled Amy RoDsart,r though glance
at the house sulces TO show that the paper prevails
over the metallic currency. The piece is probably
Just paving It's way, anu will doubtless hold DO sse5-
son son oi the stage until Christmas, when Mr.. Il. l..
THE GAfETY.
opera is in the ascendant at The Gaiety where Al
English version OF Herodis Tampa is performed
nightly TO Oycrhowing houses. The piece Ia played
and sung IN manner exceedingly cIeditable 10 all
concerned and the success OF the whole performance
Is the more remarkable that the Gaiefy company,
though not unfamiliar with musical farces and me-
louious trlGes, such fathers used TO term
hnu IIul n.,ll.