The New York herald., 1872-12-01
AM u s E M E N rs.

sAs You Like It'' at Booth's-Miss
NELSON'S Rosalind.
In her Interpretation OF Juliet Miss Nelson
showed less OF tragic power than we expected
from an actress who rendered the comedy parts Of
the play SO exquisitely. She was confessedly
better Juliet than we have had on the American
stage for many years; but her want OF tragic
force, while 1t caused something like painful
disappointment, made her Rosalind to be looked
forward to with more interest than would have
been felt If she had been equally as great in
tragedy as in comedy. "As You Like Itn
was played for the first time this season at the
matinee at Booths yesterday, and Miss Nelson
gave US another glimpse OF her art, even more ex-
quisite as whole than the bits Of sentiment she
had clothed with such rare beauty in "Romeo and
Juliet" Her personal charms are universally con-
ceded, and Rosalind is o character requiring rare
beauty OF FORM Of face and OF manner. But the
possession Of these qualifications in an actress OF
fair ability Is not always sufflcient for sue
cess; for Of all the women OF the stage
there Is none SO difficult for the artist
TO act up to the ideal as in this exceptional crea
tion among Shakspeare's heroines. Rosand may
be very pretty and very insipd. Unlike Juliet's
love, her passion Is never strained and it is SO fur
from being conventional that conventional acting
utterly destroys 1t. Feeling this Miss Nelson
makes her piquant, naive, and withal q tender and
trustul woman. She plays the DISCUSSES
admirably, and more by her looks than
by her words gives expression to the
emotions she seeks to interpret. In the
scenes In the forest OF Arden most actresses en-
overcome the want OF the finer sensibiIities which
come only with the most refined art. She Is
piquant without being merely .girlish and arch
without becoming tomboyish. In a word, she
looks the well trained youth and acts the thor
oughly cultured woman. The scene, especially
encounter with the lion, She works up with
rare delicacy and skill, every word and
aok and gesture the tears which
from the fact that Mr.. Pixies Oliver required con.
stant prompting. An excellent piece or acting Is
the Duke in vain and being repealed as traitor
and her fathers daughter, she turns upon him with
the words
So was when your Hishness banished him.
Treason is not inherited my lord.
But 1t Is easier here to be effective than in the
quieter scenes where art alone can make the SEN
tlment breathe the poetry Of love and life with
which the Grammatical has so invested this most
was modest and quiet, and is worthy OF praise,
though rather for the actors promise than his
performance. The Jacques OF Mr.. James w. Wallack
is even better than his Mercutio, He portrays the
melancholy humors OF the exiled lord with singular
fidelity and truth, and in the great solilOquy his
elocuton, II not great, is far above mediOcrity.
Mr.. Beck's Touchstone and Miss Mary Wells
Audrey were well done; but after these with the
exception Of Mr.. Genn's Adam, Mr. Sol Smiths
Gown, and Mr.. DAVIS Silvius none OF which
were FULLY equal to the opportunities which
shakspeare always affords in the minor
parts, there was no acting worthy OF mention.
Miss Kate Heathcotes Celia was particularly in
spd and uninteresting "Rome0 and juliet +" will
You Like 1t +" will be given on Thursday Friday
and Saturday evenings and at the matinee. Miss
Nelson closes her engagement the following week
with Pauline In "The Lady Of Lyons"
Opening OF the New Niblo's-ssLeo and
LOtos.,'
Forty years ago the corner stone Of a summer
theatre was laid by William Niblo. on the site now
occupied by the Metropolitan Hotel, in this city.
Fourteen years after, on the 18th OF September,
1886, the theatre was destroyed by fire. Niblo suf-
tering loss OF $4,000: while Gabriel Rave the
patriarch OF pant0mime, bewailed loss OF $4,000,
caused by the destruction Of dresses and appoint
ments. In those days people did not talk loosely
Of millions staked on the hazard in Wall street,
and the destruction OF Niblos-a resort patronized
by the better class OF New Workers. who at that
time had residences below Canal street-was con-
sidered rreparable. During the subsequent three
years no attempt was made to rebuild the
favOrte place OF amusement. The theatre was
rebuilt early in 1s49, and Niblo's was again opened
10 the public on the 4th OF July, the
first performance being given by the
Ravel troupe. During the holiday week
OF December, 1850, sad occurrence transpired at
Niblo's which caused feeling Of gloom to over
spread the community. Adelaide Lehman, beau
tifu and accomplished artist, lost her life by an
accident. Her gossamer-liKe skirts caught in the
blaze of the f0otlights, and she was burned to
death. In 1852 Mr.. A. T. Stewart bought out the
interest OF Mr. Niblo, and since then the theatre
has remained his property. On the 10th
of May, 1872, at eight O'Clock in the morning, a
few hours after the close OF a Sunday
night dress rehearsal OF the gorgeous Oriental
spectacle or "Lalla Rookh," another fire occurred,
which scooped the interior out like shell, proper
ties, machinery, dresses and all the stage para
phernalia being utterly destroyed. The loss OF the
managers, Jarrett 4 Palmer, was estimated at
nearly 100000, while the damage to the building
amounted to $125,000 more. Three hundred and
fifty persons, of both sexes, who had been engaged
to appear In various capacities In 'Lalah
Rookh,n at salaries ranging from $40 to
$3.50 week, were deprived OF employment and
and the public was denied the possibility OF wit
Messing q poetical and fairy-like spectacle. The
managers no wever, were not dsheartened, and
Mr.. stewart declared that he would rebuild Niblos
better than ever more substantial and safer in
every particular, before the coming New Years
Day. This promise was more than kept, and last
night the the theatre % was again opened 70 the public
prisng feature OF the performance was the fact
that the scenery worked with comparative smooth
ness and with little delay, and the large corps de
ballet showed the precision OF long and laborious
training. 1t is needless to remark that large
audience greeted the new piece and that nothing
occurred to mar the pleasure OF the occasion.
or the piece itself 1t is difficult to speak in the
few minutes which are left for telling the story
after the bewildering paraphernalia OF the spec
tace have sunk into the gloom OF the morning.
''Leo and Lotos" Is not q play, but only the name
OF play, II we were treating 1t from the stand
point OF dramatic art we would be compelled to
say that 1t is not artistic. There Is story, but
the story is so simple that it scarcely de-
serves the name OF q plot. II is with
out art and utterly without humor, and,
as play, 1t has not even q touch OF
human interest. It has not an emotion, and it
would be hypercritica to call it wicked for 1t ap
peals not to q single good or evil passion 1t graf
ines only the sense OF sight, and from beginning to
end Is merely series OF pictures, delightful, Is
true, but, after all, only pictures. The grand
scenes are only magnificent framework for q
grand ballet, and the action consists In dancing
and singing the hours away.