New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-04-29
ACADEMY OF n TSIC.

If large audiences are to DO taken az an
indication of the merits of the performers
and performances at the Academy of Music
this week then William Horace Lingard
Alice Dun ling Lingard. and their comedy
company from the Grand Opera House, New
| York, must possess merit Of more than ordi-
nary character, tor the Academy has beer
| filed nightly since the commencement of
| their engagement, with much of the beauty
| and fashion that now find an abode in the
| Crescent City. We will not say that we have
not seen better performers, or that the per-
formances are not of that character that
Justifes the rush TO the Academy this week;
but we Will repeat, thus far this week the
enterprising manager has no reason to CON-
plain Of a beggarly score OF empty benches.
But considering this is nothing unusual
for the Academy-that is, that it is not IN
usual to find this favorite place of amuse-
ment filed with the elite Of our city, We can
not in justice to the management. conclude
that the attraction there this week is solely
due to the ezra brilliant performances of
extraordinary performers. The chief
tie rapidity with which he meta
morphoses himself from one character
to another. His characters are all distinct
enough to render them unlike in every
respect; but we are inclined to think we
have seen other artists do some of them in
much better style-that is TO our notion.
His idea Of what Captain Jinks' should be
may be good, but he does not sing that
somewhat famous song to please Us as well
as did Lydia Thompson last winter at the
st. Charles; nor is his walking Down
Broadway to be compared to hers. His
Picture Frame Sketches are good but
His Statue Song" in which he repre-
sents Louis Napoleon, Napoleon Bonaparte,
Horace Greeley, B. F. Butler, President |
Grant and Robert E. Lee, is nothing more |
than passable as a whole. Some OF the |
characters were but poorly delineated-for |
instance: Horace Greeley and Benjamin T. |
Butter. Take away the old white nat and |
drab overcoat and Mr.. Lingard's representa-
ton of Greeley would be poor indeed. We
confess, however, that the large posters an
nouncing Mr.. Lingarj's engagement at the
Academy may have led us to form too
exalted notions of him as an actor. If
such has been the case, We shall endeavor
to come down from our stills and view him
in rational way as be reilly is, for we do
!
As "the great inilita0le MUSICAL genius,
author and compose ELr. l.ingarl claims
to have made reputation ia this country and
Europe, his characters certainly have some
celebrity as sung and acted by others, but if
their celebrity was dependent on his manner
of rendering them upon the stage would
they be as famous as they are? We mean no
in asking this question, nor
do we mean to detract from Mr.. Lingard's
merits as a gentleman, genius and scholar
when we cay Captain Jinks, of the Horse
Marine" is infinitely better known than Mr..
Lingard, the actor.
Alice Dunning Lingard, as Pauline in the
play entitled Delicate Ground" acquits
herself handsomely. as does also Mr.. Nc
Manus, as Citizen Sanafi'oid.
The performances are certainly of light
and pleasant kind that will not fail to
please, il persons do not go there expecting
100 much.