The New York herald., 1870-02-15
Olympic Thcnirc.


Ye that have gloated so fondly over the preceding
pictures OF tbs 1.-the and wiry brunette Booth and
the robust and rubicund blonde Fech.er. as they
appeared last night IN the roe OF tue melancholy
Dane, ''lcave wrnging OF your hands;n FOR
having ieaS.ed your eyes on those pictures
II II but fair that you should now '.looS
on tnls"-"Humpty DumptyD Fox az Hamlet.
Prince OF Denmark. Put up your kcrchIefs
for 'you that have need not prepare 10 saed
them now" That s. not Just yet. Think or 1t, yc
Oiympian gods who nightly thong the highest cal
iery in the cosy 0lympcl Think oft, ii yc can,
and con'ure up n {2Sr 6Ia fertile imssaa!l2as the
suohine plciufI OF Americas most clownish clown
your ON comical favorite IN pantomimc and come.
uy-decked out in somDre suit from head to foot In
the gloomy guiso or Hamlet-the gloomiest OF all
gloomy stage princes. Does not this fill the very
last vacant niche IN the Temple or the Drama y,
And Is 1t not curiously nled withals Surely, 1t
should be encosed In brightest gold. and not basely
exhibited for tattered ana ragged, greasy ..green.
oacks.n This same Humptv Dumpty Fox Is known
wen. 'He was (and tsi a fellow OF Infinite jestu
30 mach so that when he gaYe ont th
Oh a certain night he would essay the role
OF "Hamlei" the whole town laughed ana crea
"Ha, hap for everybody thought him mad
or fancied he was. only trying to fool them
assen with one OF his tickling straws. "It il
The last straw Which breaks the camel's pack,u we
are told, but If that camel be the town there Is no
danger q Us back being broken this time, save with
Gle cfsckinI basIs Of nerrcst laughter. He kept his
word, dil this funny fellow, VINO. as Hump:y
Dumpty, the mischcyons Clown hal for over one
year Kept tho town IN roar" with his iuimitable
gbes and ce-s ana lears aud sneers; and las. even
ing, per Arrangement, he trod the boards in tho
promised character "llke thing Of lile.u We
fancy that we hesr some old cynical play.
gocr who never yet had the excruciating
pleasure Of seeing our hero In tragedy excaim wth
all the feryOr OF soul, Can such things be ana over
come as Ike summer cloud without our special
wonders" To which VIC repy In the words OF the
Western Diogencs, "They can they can ~ For has
It not also been remarked by the same erudito
philosopher that "What must be VIII be- and wha,
has been was" Yel 80 IL was He did appear and
last night too. And such night Why, witnou. the
very heavens wep. for JOY, while within the theatre
everybody wep. from overflow OF ecstatio
bliss. II was In fac, "A feast ft for
the gods" especially those In the gallery.
The world has seen many, very many Hamlets
and last night the world OF Gotham six OF them.
Yet Of oil the Hauiiets who have "strurted their
BRIEF hour on the stage' we marvel much II 1t ever
peloFs rs saw n sacn a. aaais, e; a. HGmp Dlmpty
numbered house tull-nad no occasion TO excla,m
WI WIN the fair qphslia, con, WOO is mel
On the contrary. every person there appeared 70 bc
only TOO glad and delighted ct having opportunity
melancholy Danes VINO have ever favored us
with their presence Humpty Dumpty Fox Is by
long odds the most woefuIiy melancholy. But our
readers doubtless itching TO see niu in the play
70 10 tho play we 30. Ior Ine play II the tunx where
In wen catch the conscience OF the''- clown.
The tragedy upon this particular occasion opened
with procession OF rare spl2ndor aud magnn.
cence. 1ne Kipg was escorted by o body guard OF
Aazons In short skirts, and armed with red cotton
umbrellas such as are used by the cardinals in
rome TO protect them rom Tie glare OF an
llaian sun. Here, while the umbrellas were all
up ana expanaed to the fullest tension, poor
hali-crAzoa Hamlet enters 70 Blow music. Ills
maze make up us Is sup superb % Hiad In garments OF
the sympa;hies or the entire audience. He IL cross.
gartered, sports brunette wig and otherwise fo-
pared to. sec him copy Mr.. feohier, Dut he
d'dn't. Sot muscle Of his face quvers,
tho coruers OF his handsome mouth HIS whole
beariug. aud expression were indeed, the very
oit.mes is ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS his shoes (whlch by
,o,yersaoes) and Is very sspaicheral. but AZ
aad likewise fall Of nre. Aa in dress SO
in action ana stage business does he closely follow
&r. Booth. la the frat net opheia ana Laertes
sing duet TO the air OF "You'll Remember Me- - tho
most remarkable thing about II being that Opheia
always turns her oack on Lac!tes and Sings to the
her In the most aRsd,ionaic manper possible. oi
Another queer thing that happens 70 faertes in this
him, which concludes With the sage Injunction to
look out for number one.n Ophella next subsidies
into Q song ana walk around" after she
Mannsf Of negro minstrel, during tue pro-
9ress Of whica every male neck In the parquet 10
strained to It's utmost to catch glymoso Of the fair
Ophelias feet which are encased Ia o pair OF very
neatly ntsiDg golden ga.ers. In the third scene,
tns ramparts OF the castle, TWO scntries are DIS
covered pranclng about the stage, with long
spears In their hands 10 tho strains Of an
invisible chorus chanting the refrain OF 'Johnny
Ill up the Bowl.n Then, while Hamlet 10
here waiting to see his 1ather's ghost he
Is innoculated with this sweet refrain and IN voice
Of softest music sings II Am Native Here.n Then
comes the ghost for whom be has been SO ardenty
sl-hlng, And with many majestic stride he follows
1t of the stage. His advice 70 the players was 0x-
cellently wei. delivered. Every line was delivered
with eject. The play before the king, whore Ham
let IL supposed to discover his uncies guilt,
Is nicely managed, and Is done In shadows,
after the style OF the shadow pantommes
OF our minstrel halls. Thus ends the first act. In
the second one OF tho scenes ENDS with rather
lively cdrcdn danced by Hamlet, yhc Queen and the
Ghost. The graveyard scene though Is exceedingly
solemn. So solemn, In fact that tue soiltarY
gfavediggor IN n very short SKIRT, Is excessively
fearful OF maxing noise and consequently does
his work very quietly, until Hamlet, with poor
Yorick's skull in hls hand. makes the house break
cut into loud and prolonged gunaw. Az In oil
other Hamets, the piece terminates WIN every.