The New York herald., 1872-12-10
A M q s EMEN rs.
Miss Nelson's Pauline at Booths
Theatre.


Miss Nelson gave her third character Jelineaton
last night, the part being Pauline in "the Lady OF
Lyons" The performance was IN every way less
satisfactory than either her Juliet her Rosalind,
and in the first scenes 1t was spirtless to the point
Of nsipidiiy. The piece Itself is piece Of mawkish
sentiment but it retains Its place on the stage be-
cause IL ia poetic even whom it Is most absurd
People win laugh at 1t in spite OF themselves, and
the most excellent acting cannot thoroughly save it
from derison. good Claude Melnotte or per-
feet Pauline cannot altogether redeem it
from the contempt false sentiment always
begets. Last night 1t had neither of
these, and outside or the hero and heroine with
the exception Of Mr. Sol. Smiths CLAWS and Mr.. A.
w. Fenn0s Colonel Dumas, the support was as
poor as poverty could make 1t. Even Miss Mary
Wells Madame Deschappelles lacked her custom
airy vigor, and it was deficient in the indvidu-
ality with which she usually invests her parts Miss
Kate HeathcOte's Widow Melnotte was as bad as it
was possible to make it, and was insipid even be-
yond her standard OF insipidity. Throughout the
Miss Nelson's excellent dramatic training and MIR.
Wheel0ck's conscientious endeavOrs saved IL from
proving q complete and utter wreck. And Mr..
success as Claude Meinotte. He Is
impulsive, hasty. purposeless and uncertain.
He sings rather than speaks his high-n0wni
speeches Of love and nonsense and fails to give the
se-sacrihce OF husband yielding up his beloved
and greatness which 1t was Bulwer's intention to
express. But his acting as passabc II lot great,
anu TINS s SAYING mncn ror an actor o. ms expert
stances Miss Nelson's Pauline ought to have been
very great to make 1t worthy OF her reputation or
or this theatre. II was not great. She was singu-
larly lacking in emotion. True womanly feeling
had little TO do with her interpretation. Her pride
was rancorous and her devotion devoid Of tender
ness Where she rejects the peasant husband
she Is termagant; where she suddenly deter
acting shows no motive Tor the heroines change
Ol MOOD she neither repels with a Of
earnest earnest wrong nor recalls with oyernowing love-
Only in the last act in the scene with her father
where he thanks her for sacrificing herself to his
security, does she show the merits which we
IN her Juliet, and more especially in her Rosalind.
greater disappointment in an artist who IN
other parts had shown herself very nearly great
never seen on the American stage and 1t Is to
be regretted that she attempted the character
after the pleasant Impressions we had of her.
Avenue Theatre.
Brinsley Sheridan's splendid comedy, ''The School
for Scandal" was given at the Fifth Avenue Theatre
last evening" for the first time. The cosey little
theatre was well filed, and, 1t Is needless to say
the play was handsomely put upon the stage Mr.
Charles Fisher prayed the part OF Sir Peter Teazle
1t will be remembered that this Is not his "Orgina"
character in the piece the part which he was wont
to take years ago being that OF Sir Oliver 1t is too
early to say whether the change has been injurious
to the actor or whether his representation OF Sir
Peter Will prove as praiseworthy as was his repre-
sentatiOn OF the otner In gone-by days. Last night
he too nervous and spasm0dic, or rather too
Miss Fanny davenport, in that exceedingly difficult
and exacting character Lady Teazle, was gem
orally excellent, but she at times seemed
to lose sight of the true character OF Lady Teazle
and become common place In her mannerisms
The pronigatc Charles Surface was well done by
Mr.. George Clarke though 1t must be said he was
r..
fths, as the bluiY honest Sir Oliver, was excellent
and Miss Morant as Mrs. Candor acted
that of true. sweet. gentle ana loveaole
achrymose to be entirely faithful to the part Miss
Mortimer as Lady Sneerwen was a:iiIently out OF
her element entirely, and nir. Louis James as
Joseph Sur ace was TO stacy and initiative to be
either natural or original. The Moses Of Mr.. James
Lewis was piece of excellent eccentric character
izati0p, but the feature OF the performance was
Mr.. 9. II. Grifiths' Sir uver Surface He played
the pa it SO well as to add fresh Iaure to his rep
tation, aud was fully appreciated in his excellent
acting. s..ss
sI.a Belle Helene" at the Olympic.
Mile. Aimee opened another season OF opein
boat6e last evening at the Olympic Theatre with
LA Belle Heiene," and In spite Of the sudden ana
severe cold snap the house was fairly full The
music of the opera is, Of course, pretty well known
by reputation to lovers Of Offcnbach; but 1t is now
here on the stage, and the exceptionally prurient
and saacious passages which make 1t specially in
terestng and remarkable had probably passed out
OF the memory OF most of those who wit
messed the representation of last evening No one,
Of course, expects to find high moral teaching
or very decent models OF dress or department in
bo,l6e OPERA. But the second act in "La Belle
Helene" as it Is now rendered. surpasses in daring
indecorum and positive vlclousness anything that
can be remembered even in the 'Grande Duchesse."
Mile Aimee contrves in her makeup" to subtly
combine the coquettsh charms OF the artlu con-
ceament OF her beauty with the dazzling spendo.s
OF lis open display She is literally hall nude; two
the others but imperiectly draped. 1t is not,
however, alone in this that the piece Is most
Indecent. The dialogue Is shameessly coarse, and
gesture or grimace that can add to the effect Of
a singuarly disgusting and repulsive scene Is
e wn es an IN e tns ps sdes se o. tine tine
acting OF Mile. Aimee, though NJ. Juteau and M.
Duchesne deserve praise for the meaning and in
terest they manage to infuSe into their parts. To
any one, indeed who understands French and has
no scruples about the decorum OF what he Sees
LA Belle Helene" Will give very pleasant even
ing. The mounting Of the piece is very fair, and
the tableaux are skiifully and tasteully arranged
"Normno nt the Stadt Theatre.
Bellinis celebrated work was given IN German
last night at the Stadt Theatre with the following
cast Norma, Madame Lchtmay; Adalgisa, Mad
anne Louise Beckman Severe or PolliO Mr. Horn
Oroveso, Mr. Speigler. The disappointment on
Friday night, when, on account Of the sickness Of
the basso the opera Of 'The Jewcssn was not
gwen and the house was closed, initiated heavily
against the attendance last evening" 1t Is serious
mistake to dress up purely Italian opera in Ger
man habiliments, as 1t Is TO give "Der Frcschutzr
or "Fidelio" in Italian. The smooth, melodious
phrases OF Belni sound very strangely In the
cultural accents of the Teutonic tongue
"Casta Diva, of the iovelicst melodies
that ever emanated from the brain OF
an Italian musician, sounds very queery
as "Keusche G0ttinn uDd Silberklange." We may
make similar remarks, although in a somewhat
modified form, OF this opera. when presented in
English. The Germans. doubtless love their ma
tive tongue well that they will consider even
Italian composer honored by placing such words
AZ zt5.sDilffPyn. irdnf1erCdud, or, in a cadenZa.