The New York herald., 1871-02-07
A N. U s E III z N T S.


FOURTEENTH STREET THEATRE.-Since the occa-
esion OF Edwin Forests farewell engagement on the
stage which we attended some time ago we have
had the war in Algeria, the war in the Crlmea, the
war In Italy, the French Napoleonc war In Mexico
and our great rebellion, the war IN Paraguay,
the Ausro Prussian war. the great Abyssinan eXpe-
dition and this war In France and we have had the
opening OF the Suez Canal and the Pacific Railroad,
aud the ratification OF negro emancipation, negro
equality and negro suffrage and still the grand Old
American tragedian is the grandest OF them oil.
rhe world has been turned upside down, the very
sites of our Old paynouses, where Forrest regned IN
all his glory, have disappeared,
And the names he loved to hear
Have been carved for many year
On the tomb.
Ana stll this towering King Saul among his tribe,
a head and shoulders above the crowd, holds his
own to-day. We mean that we saw, and heard and
enjoyed as ever yea more than ever before, his
impelsonation OF the grand, glorious and sublime
ola King Lear last night The night was dlscour-
agngly cold anu so there was not full house, but
though 1t lacked in numbers it exceeded any house
we have known for long time in enthusiasm from
The beginning 10 the end. The popular veteran
was welcomed with will, spontaneous
oatbreak which slgnifed that he still lived in The
hearts OF the people, and from act 10 act he was re-
called with the same hearty manifestations. We had
expected that Old inc would Uetray his encrOacn-
ments upon the veteran actor after all these years
so plainly as TO be painful (; but 1t Is not Our
great American tasedian Is still great; his bodily
strength Is still wonderful and his voice Is stlll
strong and still flexible In lis moduiatous, nom the
SOFT appeal for charity to the nerce denunciatlons Of
an outraged king and iather-trom the le2riu COM
plants Oh poor Old man in MS dotage 10 the terri
bic wrath OF giant IN his strength. And they
may say what lney like, 1t stii seems 10
us that in his fenderlnrs OIL Shakespeare
every sentence Is like the 1re OF heavy battery of
rlhed cannon ana every wurd Is hundred FOUNDER.
o1 wa for a to near every n woPa Of
TOO, In broader ana deeper sense than You ever
heard II from any other Lear. 1t Is one of those mas
sive chaCacters which call for q man OF kingiy
stature and kngly voice, and Forrest is the man
who meets these reGulstons. These remarks might
III his grand performance last night but 1t will
suflce for this community 70 say that Forrest
Is st & lhe grea, Forrest as king dssr Lear
as Edgar and poor Ion; fairly by Mr. Alierton a.
the villain Edmund, and well by Mr. Morris, as Kent
as Albany, and by Mr.. Collins, as Cornwall Mr.
onss nssn Ms S .sSs ss NJ. H S.sSs
hardly equal to The 1eroclous Regain Miss Lille,
young woman OF very pleasing face and person
ing inpersonalion of the charming Cordelia.
and has the promise of great career
Forrest who Is a host IN Himself, ana the company
imported for the occasion, VIII, throughout, COM
pare favorably with most Of the ShaAspearlap COM
panies of these degenerate days In high tragedy.
"Lear'' will be repeated every evening this week,
and we predict that with each repetition the audi
mirers Of Forrest that the old still the great
American tragedian.
WALLAcK's THEATRE.-Lord Lytton's "Money''-
one OF the most ingenious productions of the author
or the best acting PLAYS ever written for the modern
English stage-was admirably presented for the
first time this season at Walacks last evening
Notwithstanding the piercing cold, which penetrated
even this cosey and comfortable theatre, the house
was as well filed as 1t always is when Mr. Lester
Walack himself
Alfred Evelyn, the ambitious scholar In such mas.
terly style 70 bring into full and distinct relief
that fayortc character of the novelist and dramatst
with all the light and shade thrown upon
1t by sudden vlcissitudes OF fortune. Mr..
John Gilbert was completely transformed into the
burly individuality OF Reljaniln Stout, M p. Mr..
Cnarles Fisher convused the spectators with
laughter by the struggle between the .achrymOse
mer.ory OF Graves for his lost MARIA ana the
irreS.tble attractions OF the buxom WIDOW Lady
Emily Mestayer. The r0le of Clara Douglas was
sustained by Mrs. Thomas Barry, and that OF
Of Mrs. s the Of M "a
was read by Mr.. Williamson. Mr.. Owen Marowe
made an excellent Captain Dudley smooth, and Mr..
b. T. Ringgold an equally good Sir Frederick Bount.
Mr.. Charles Rockwell personated Lord Glossmore.
with so fine cast as this the revival OF money"
cannot miss being successful.
ssLyMPIC.-Fox's RICHELIEU.-G. L. Armand
des Etats Unis the festive George styles himself
Is, to our mind more consistent and energetic
Richelieu than Booths The traveste, purlesque,
extravaganza, or whatever you may be inclined to
call 1t, adheres very close to the text of the
original, and IS only relieved by some
stray mOrcedur of wit. Jokes in 1t are like
angels visits, and the humor consists principally in
few clever distortions OF Bulwers lines. We have
"the bright Lexington avenue 'sthe awful circle OF
Tammany" and "the hurting OF an Erie injunction,n
but very little more in the dialogue. The play can
not compare in real nuinor with the Hanletr OF Fox
last year. In stage appearance and occasional bursts
OF nowery diction Fox becomes q formidable rival
OF his West side predecessor, and the light OF genuine
comedy shines through his sde-spllttng impersona-
ton. 1t Is pity that such an admirable comedian
should be so long hidden under clowns lace or
ooscured by wre,ched burlesques. If Mr. De Walden
cannot make something better ont OF "Richelieun
than what saw last night the sooner he relin.
quishes stage writing the better. Hayes has SET 1t,
however, in most exceedingly pretty scenery, and
Fox makes an effect with the character such as pro-
can stage could hope for. Richeleu does
not by any I'm means ans give him as much
that can be travestied, and makes 1t tell. We could
suggest for him as more appropriate subjects King
be made permanent success either at Booths or
the olympic Among Fox's assistants the most
cRid~who played Francois much better Than the
representative at Booths; Lille EldrIdge,
charming Julie. .o ana always re reliable actress,
surpassed her other stage representations. Every
thing that could make the play success has been
honestly think that It bears within Itself the ele-
ments OF non-success. The subject Is difficult to
travestie and De Walden Is the last In the world
capable OF doing so. Judging from the first per-
formance and the success OF 1t, are conhrmed In
our previously expressed opinion that G. l.. Fox mas
no superior on the American stage In comedy
GRAND OPERA HOUsE.-Last evening four separate
acts Of four separate operas, Lies Brigands,"
"Barbe Bleue," "La Grande Duchesser and La
Perchole," were given at this theatre by combi-
nation company comprising three prime doarte,
Silly, Persini and Aimee, and the remains Of three
ballet troupes. There would have been four prime
done but that Montaland has suddenly left for we'll
understood reasons, on the last European steamer.
In each case the second act Of the opera
was taken, apparently without much regard to
whether 1t were the best open to selection or
not. In 'Les Brgands" Silly sang the most popu.
lar nlOrceau OF the opera-the "Laughing Songn-
and greeted with deserved and enthusiastic ap-
pIause. "Barbe Bleue"-so much OF it as was
qlXeQ-Mas. II Il ust be confessed. little dull with