The New York herald., 1873-09-12
PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENTS.
The New Lyceum Theatrc-Thc Opening
Last NiCht.

Last Night.
The lessee of the new Lyceum Theatre did not
last evening belle the promises he had so often
made. 'NOtre Dame" was presented with much
OF that BREADTH point and delicacy which the pup
lie was given a right to expect, and when the final
curtain fell 1t was generally acknowledged that
one OF the most perfectly artistic representations
enjoyed in New York for many q month had been
given.
'The Hunchback OF Notre Damev may almost be
said to be the work OF Victor Hugo's youth, since
he was only about thirty when it was published
Powerful as it s, it is purblind production com.
pared with the fun-orbed genius Of his latest ro-
mances. Yet 1t is work which melodramatic
playwright could scarcely fail to handle enec-
lively. It Is full OF the morbid chtaro-oscuro
OF passions at once more and less than human. 1t
is picture not of actual life, but Of unhealthy and
for the most part, lurid idealizations. 1t fs pro-
fusely storm tinted as though lost in the shadow
projected by the authors then unhealthy mind
1t brlms with grotesque contrasts and picturesque
antitheses, intermingled with a little trash and
good deal OF archaeology. There is Claude Frallo.
the archdeacon, whose portrait in the early part Of
the novel is not unprcpossessing and who might
be described as one Of those people who would be
very pious were 1t not for their religion. He is
one OF those few individuals who never grow old
because they are born SO. and the reader IS
quite unprepared for the demon he sub.
sequentiy develops INTO. Tnere is tne character OF
rare, who throws sunlight upon the hideous
tragedies around her, until her own young life is
quencned. There is Grengoire the picture OF
medieval poet, when verse melted into vagrancy
and the principal moralities OF the minstrel
where those he wrote, not acted. There Is Jehan,
the boy student, tor whom existence should have
been as harmonious as a hendecasyable and
is Gudue, whose fate flashes with the Dlackness OF
terrible nightmare through the light and shadow OF
the romance. And, finally, there is Quasimodo in
whom the perfection OF the grotesque and the per-
fection OF the horrible meet in chemical affinity,
and Of whom it may be said, as Coleridge said OF
painting, that he Is something between thought
and a thing" since he resembles nothing human.
and yet is raised by heart and intellect to the plane
Sna ~ bao a
radate; and in incident and character together,
snrouded in the gloom OF Notre Dame, and envi.
roned with an atmosphere that trembled with the
music OF her giant bells, the playwright found ma
teria which he must be poor indeed did he not put
to picturesque use.
But let us draw little nearer to the play and
the acting And In doing so 1t must be conceded
that Mr. Halliday has done as much as could rea-
sUnabiy be expected OF him. Picturesqueness has
evidently been his central idea. He has written
with the stage manager IN his eye and SO compiled
carpenter every opportunity for producing series
o. efective pictures Chief among these are to be
Sss IN tss s c G sSs ee
Notre Dame, in the second act; and
the os:nsdrsl ,S,si, Sleiste.. and Paris By
scenes were furnished in equal proportions by
Calyoi and Menard Lewis and in some respects
will sustain comparison with the best scenes yet
produced at any theatre In this city, But there is
an exception to be made and disparaeement
the na scene os Of the b.
represent the whole Of Notre Dame and to leave
to say that the. dimensions OF that sublime struct-
ure are too vast to be more than indicated in 80
limited at them and not failed in the vain endeavor
to express them In full or to place the body of the
structure before the observer.
Mr.. King TO whom was confded the part OF
Quasimodo, was received with great deal of
warmth, and soon made good his claims to being
exactly dramatic MILO, and may ,I not Expect W TO to
rive the oak OF passion, though ne may possibly
saR1Ss d s'sr sss soos his pSs
to him for not making the 6uncnbscf as
would probably have done. The moles, the humps
and the various dideous distortions which Victor
siderably toned down by Mr.. King. and If the
contrast between Esmeralda and the hunchback
was, thereby soltened, it was at least easier TO
rank here as great actor. but he win be respected
as an intelligent and earnest one. rt would have
been asking too much OF Mr.. Mansell to demand
that he should give US so perfect setting and also
present US with genius in every member OF the
cast,
Miss Jcnreys Lewis is pretty and slender brun-
ette possessing several physical qualifications for
te part OF EBmcrada. IL requires OUT lJte strctcn
OF imagination to attribute to her the Andalusian
loot upon which the novelist dwels, while Esme-
ralda is executing her Provencal sara6and. Miss
Lewis evtnces cool intelligence and correct train
ing rather than 1ow OF natural emotion. She
captivates more by her personal appearance than
by her acting or her voice. Her greatest charm Is
this correspondence In physique TO the demands OF
the roe. threading the dance TO the mingled
music OF the balafoes, the tambourneS the goats
horns and Gothic rebecs, she was the picturesque
embodiment, so far as physique and motion were
concerned, OF q delicate and poetic IDEAL
m a I'M nf
but not great. heavier representation OF Gudule
is desirable since the meeting between mother
and daughter ought to be made one OF the princi.
pal points OF the piece. Mr.. Wheatleigh gave
very dignifled and stately representation OF the
archdeacon, whose exterior Of ice concealed
Sol Smith gave rather too much Of low comedy
touch TO the part Of Gringore the poet Tne ballet
presented the delightful anomaly Of score OF
young women, most OF whom are extremely good
looking: In summing up up the piece Il
charm is precisely that which the lessee aimed to
give-a series OF brilliant and sometimes SEN