Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-10-15
ADJUSTMENTS.
The Grand opernhou.e.

The opening night at this now hand.
some and elegantly appointed house
was signalized by the largest audience
ever assembled together in Memphis
1t is safe to say that not less than five
hundred ladies and gentlemen turned
away from the doors, unable to gain adj
m~ittance, and it is equally safe TO as
sert that those who remained to find
standing OF sitting oom numbered al
least fifteen hundred persons. When
we arrived at a quarter to eight O'Clock,
we realized q state Of things that sur
prised us, in view of the Mendelssohn
concert, which always attracts its men,
bers, numbering at least five hundred OF
our best citizens. We did not expect
much more than Il house two-thirds
full, and considered that as fair a
compliment as Mr.. DeBar could expect
under the circumstances. Then the
0perahouse had a bad name; 1t had hith-
erto been poorly lighted, its acoustic
defects were patent even to untutored
ears, and IL was barn-like in its dimen-
sions, cold, cherries and uncomfortable.
| With this reputation, and notwithstand-
ing assurances by the press that all this
had been Femedied in the complete rem
i ONAAlOA anu SAS GOAoS1
and Notwithstanding the bill was the
First Part of Henry w, introducing
DeBar in the character on which he rests
his artistic fame, we did not expect a
! full house. AS STAT Jackn himself
would say, ''mark our surprise" to find
that not even in the home of the gods,
in high Olympus itself, could a vacant
seat be found. Memphis had sent a
Aantrfatfnn ~ har haut mud most npltnrln
to greet the favOrite of Orleans and St.
Louis. whose fame as a comedian had
preceded him; and right hearty was the
greeting. His appearance toward
the middle Of the first act
was the signal for warm APP
plause, proving that with some at
least of those present, DeBar vas a
favOrite, an established favorite; that he
was no novelty, but had, on other stages
and amid other scenes, approved him
self, to the judgment Of many present,
as an actor equal to the high position he
aspires to as the successor of Hackett
and the equal of Barrey Sullivan. The
first greeting over, the play was per-
mitted to pass smoothly along to a
conclusion, only interrupted by the
laughter of the audience as it was ex-
cited by the points made by the mimi
table "Falstaffn of DeBar, or the
applause that was compelled by arolliek-
ing humoT and a wit as dry as Shakes
peare himself could have eXacted in the
personation of the broadest Of all his
characters. The old Knight was the
central figure, around whom revolved
the King, the Princes and mobiles, who,
although charged with serious business,
were yet lesser lights, who, in their
serious moods, seemed out OF place
in a play of which "Jack" makes
high comedy. In contrast with them
it seemed to us more plain than ever,
last night, that Shakespeare intended
to burlesque in "Falstaff's" person the
chivalry of England, based as it was on
rapine and robbery; and that in the
swagger and brag, the broad indie
cencies, and the utter Inconsistencies Of
wrong in theft or murder, he makes ''fat
jack in a humorous way, hit off the
traits of character most prominent in
the Norman knights, those ~freebooters
who murdered, and robbed, and ravished
at will, and called it knightly chivalry.
If this was the purpose of the great bard,
we can understand the braggadOciO OF
I" Falstaff," his readiness to rob and
plumber, and his repeated appeals to his
knightly honor. This is what we
made out of the ~delicately shaded pOr-
traiture of DeBar last night. He was a
serio-comic knight all through, and from
first to last, made that acceptable which
is Shakspeare's most gross, and in some
respects, most offensive character,
We had made up our minds to
see a "Falstaff" characterized by
0btrusive offensiveness in this regard,
and were therefore agreeably disappoint-
ed to find it as appreciatively delicate as
that OF Hackett or Sullivan. We had
ideas of DeBar that had been accumu-
for years and that were anything |
but favorable to him, and We expected, |
as we have said, TO find in him a ''Fal-
staff7' grossly and Extensively sensual, |
a sybarite whose passions were in excess
of his powers of qualification. Instead,
we had the burlesque Of knightly valor, |
a hard drinker, a swaggerer whose tales
far exceeded his accomplishments, !
though these were on a Munchausen
scale; q creature, who, had he lived in
our day, would have been a pOt-house
politician full of oaths and assertion,
emulous Of the leaders of his party but
shrinking from its responsibilities or la
boTs, willing to be in at the "drinks,u
and never in the way of paying for
them. In the second and third acts
DeBar commanded the closest atten-
ton, and fairly brought down the house
ia the latter when he recounted his adj
venture on Gadshill. No more natural, |
unconstrained performance has ever
been seen on any stage. The identity of
the actor was lostin the naive simplicity
with which the eXaggeration of en-
grew in the mind Of the buTly
and the fervor with which he
stood to the growth in the number Of his
lssailants from four to eleven. And
again, when "Prince Henry" and
POins made him aware of his india
romance, which had already
stretched beyond even their powers to
his momentary covering of his
lace, sutiused with a confusion that even
ne, most hardened of all liars, felt, and
hen his sly and unblushing assertions
If full knowledge of the trick played on
him by the two roysterers, was so
thoroughly artistic, so close to nature, as
bring down the house in a thunder OF
applause. We have no hesitation in
lronOuncing De Bar the only living
8 Falstaff," and Tightful heir, by his con-
and deliDeation of the character,
b the mantel Of Hackett. He has made
thorough study of the part, and we are
oreed to recognize in his portrayal of it
breadth of coloring and a delicaey of
.hading that leaves nothing to be de-
fred on the part of those who revert TO
be past as possessing the art won
lers of the stage. He was well
ustained by the company, TO
whom the respective characters that form
he picturesque setting to "Falstaff7s"
portrait were distributed, especially by
Manager Stevens, as 'Prince Hail. a
character which he took at short notice,
md into which he threw all the ahan-
of a young prince who had given
lis mind 70 frolic and fun. The "Harry
Percy" Of Mr.. Fitzgerald, though not
S equal and even a performance as he
make il, with a little care, was vet
cry acceptable; and Mr.. Davis, az
King Henry w" played his part with
ONE approach to the dignity be-
Itting his character. OF the scenery and
Their stage accessories we can only
peak in terms of unqualified praise.
hey are a wonderful improvement on
We have been used TO here. The
rchestra did very well, considering the
act that they came together for the
.rst time yesterday, and we anticipate
rom 1t during the season a great deal of |
God and new music, TO be given in aspirit
nd perfection that will challenge the !
pplause Of a public who made them |
elves felt a appreciative admirers of
be classic Thomas. The house itself is |
wonder compared with what it used to
e. 1t looks warm and cheerful, ]
well lighted and the stage and orches-
a are in size and dimensions equal to
ny drafts likely to be made upon them. 5
We a safely assure our readers that 8
Grand Opera House is It last nearly /
hat MI. Greenlaw designed it should C
e, and that it is really a creditable ex- 3
ression Of the public spirit and advanc- 5
lg strides Of our young city. In con 3
.usion, we must pay our respects to Mr.. '
acting and stage manager, to
hose exertions it is due that nothing {
to mai the enjoyment OF the \
and that everything be- I
re, as well as behind the \
lrtain was managed like clock v
ork, just as If it were the last in 3
cad of the first night Of the season in I
house to which he and his polite corps l
assistants were new. Tonight we l
e to have DeBar in his great character I
Toodles, in the play of that name, q
Miss Fanny PiersOn, the soubret Of I
Ie company as Jenny Lind. OF course l
Iere will be as large an attendance as J
st night. p
The Exposition. 4
II will be remembered by many Of our \
tizens that the great Paris exposition il
hich covered the whole of the Champs d
Mrs vvae an anuoamapf of cuoh al; n