Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-08-22
Lydia Thompson the Only Real Managress
and Actress Of Burlesque in America.

Lydia Thompson the Uniy keal Managers
and Actress Of BurleSque in America.
The New York Herald has discovered
that there is but one genuine BurleAqus
party in the country, as per its article which
We herewith copy:
Last evening every seat in WaLack's
TheAtre-despite the intense heAt-was
packed by An audience of New Yorkers
whose expectancy rose to a zenith when the
FIRST bars of the overture to "Blue Beard"
reached their ears and the curtain rose and
disclosed fair and handsomely painted
picture OF the Village of BishmillAh at
Sunset" with the usual number of Eastern
hours, having khol-stained eyebrows sno
henna-upped finger nails; pages IN velVe'
embroidered jackets, shot gauzy trousers
adorned with silver tissues, and their throats
surrounded with gided ysshmAcks The
picture was 40 thoroughly Oriental In Its as
peet that We expected every moment 10 hear
the chorus CRY out with unanimous throats,
"Allah, Akbar God is great and Mahomes
is his Prophet y bat they did not.
Miss lydia Thompson, her blonde yellow
hair clustering around her wellshaped head
came on the stage amid clash of DrAzen
instruments, looking as she slways does,
sumptuous As q princess and vastly improv-
ed BY her ocean voyage on the return trip
from Europe.
If the American mind Graves burlesque,
and the immense audience at WallAeks last
evening is an evidence that it does, it is
better that it should be grAfi6ed by the per
fection of acting in that speciality-and
perfection in burlesque IS only found on this
side Of the Atlantic in the person of Miss
Lydia Thompson, who last evening magns
tzed thousands of people who never saw
her before. Miss Thompson was the Selim
Of the evening This rolIcking, seductive
aud daredevil character was the gem Of the
performance. Lydia Thompson has the first
great quality for a successful actress
6ne face and q noble person and a figure
face, with hair and eyes that Gil the space
on the stage which she occupies more tho
roughly than any actress of to-day. Added
to these qualifications and embellisbme
she has pleasing voice and an elan and
vim that are most refreshing
They also have discovered it is no use
going against public opinion, and that is le-
giou, that wherever the fair Lydia is every
body Aocks, and no greater tribute can be
paid to her than the fact of "WAllack's,"
the emporium of fashion and beauty, the
elysium of the bon-ton of the great Empire
City being crowded from pit to dome to wit
ness and welcome her back to our shores.
So much has been said and written about
the lady, that it is useless to expatiAte fur
tber That she is a lady as well ss an artist
snd manRgeress of q theatrical company.
none who have ever met her will deny-And
al the scandal, which has emanAted mostly
from her Jealous sisters in the profession
has fallen to the ground, and Miss Ly dis
Thompson to-day is respected by those who
really know her many public as well as pri-
vste virtues, as no other in the profession
can boast of. At one time she certainly was
surrounded by those who bore not 80 good q
name but she quietly weeded them out IN
til at length when she had completed her
triumphant tour last season, not one Of her
original troupe remained, with the excep-
tion of Harry Beckett, the famous actor, and
Mr. Connolly, the celebrated leader of orches
ira, Yet she triumphed, for In not one in
stance did her receipts fail to come mp tC
the first standard, although shorn of the
beautiful Pauline Markham, the gushing
Weihersbee and the spirited Weber. The
whole source of success lies within herself
for having been born 9 lady, she has ne1 e1
d,viated from that rule which all ladies
whether professional or otherwise, neve
depart from, and that is unbIushiDg modes
ty which few of our to-day actresses Cal
boast Of. We learn that Miss Thompson
will visit our section this coming tall, whe
every effort shoald be made to secure g
least two or three nights entertainer