The New York herald., 1874-02-03
A m q S E II E N rs.

Miss Cush man Last Evening ut Steinvvay
Hall.
The heavy snow storm last evening did not pre-
vent very large audience from attending STEM
way Hall Tor the purpose OF hearing Miss Cushman
read-an audience which filed the floor and
the first gallery and even ran over into
the second. Miss Cushman made her appear
ance punctually at eight. the first part
of her programme consisted Of selections
from ''The Merchant of Venice;' the second Of
''The Witch's Daughter" by Whittier; Mickle's
old Scotch song OF "The Sailors Wife," and Carle
toms famous farm ballad, now known all over the
United States, called "Betsey and are Out"
Every portion of this entertainment was delight
full and we find 1t difficult to name any one selec-
ton which would be generally acknowledged as
memorable to the exclusion Of the others. The
selections from 1.-THE Merchant Of Venice" en-
braced four scenes. The first was that between
Portia and Nerissa, where the waiting maid
mentions the, lady's suitors one by one
to perdiri0n with appropriately anhihiating cpl
grams; the second, tnat where BassaniO makes
choice OF the leaden casket and Portla commits
herself to his keeping; the third. the interview IN
which Shylock agrees to the loan of the 5000
chamber where the Jew is worsted by the "wise
young judge" 1t would De very pardonable
strain to compliment to remark that the presence
OF fine dramatic company upon the stage was
Ielt by the audience; or Miss Cushman is multiple
voiced, and her NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. were exceed
ingly distinct She Is thus a STOCK company In
herself. and, it IS scarcely necessary to add,
an incomparably more powerful stock company,
ters is concerned, than any otner in America
Her great natural genius has been so Illuminated
by study so refined by experience, SO meloWed
course with the world, that the exposition she
gives through the medium OF glorious voice, to
every character as takes it up, is both valuable
intellectually and great artistic achievement and
enjoyment One reading like that OF last evening is
a more picturesque illustration OF the versatility OF
the actress, OF the truth and penetratlveness OF
her intuitlons and OF the success OF her studies
among books and men, than the selections she
atrical engagement. Her magnificent
has lost little. If any, OF it's strength; the
press one not as vocal weakness but as
those pathetic emotional strokes in which art and
nature cOalesce and become one. They are tine
sympathetic eXpOnentS OF a large nature that has
labored much, endured much done much, studied
much and suffered much, and that now when life
is ripe, and the fruit hangs mellow on the intelec
tual DOUGH- basks in the grand serenity that Is the
appanage OF dignfed years alone. We have never
realized more forcibly than last evening the felicity
with which sound can paint; and as Miss Cushman
formations that her kinaling features underwent,
Gil chamber trembled into view almost
plainly, for the moment, as though traced
on the dark-hucd screen that served Tor
sounding board 1t is not often that the human
voice will act the part OF scene shiIter; but 1t did
last night. and the reading from beginning to end
almost deserves to be called dramaticA illusion.
''The Witch's Daughter" one OF Whittier's strong
est and most original poems, received both the
delicate touches and the weird charm which the
subject called for. The reading of 'sfhe Sailors
Wife" was music dramatized, song transformed
into the 6 melody o. g w9ng M ana ab
out" was the perfect expression OF that condition
OF nina into which an ignorant but not dishonor-
able man IS plunged, who has both committed and
endured offence lOr many years until 1t has become
a grievance too lntolerabe to be longer borne.
We hope these readings Will be repeated. 1t is
hardly possible to overrate their merit success.
Olympic Theatre.
AS sort OF Oonne bOetche to the variety enter.
tainment into which this place OF amusement has
lately drfted, the management has engaged the
Holman English Opera troupe and the first APP
pearance OF the same took place last evening.
Certain scenes, selected with reference to the
avoidance Of dropping the curtain during the rep
resentaton OF the "opera," were given, and,
without reference to the many excellent repre-
sentations of the work. "La Grande Duchesse,,
with which the New York pubic Is so well ac-
quainted, we can say that last nights Introduction
to variety entertainments. was very satisfactory.
II was ~ ,n So IN the ussa OF
admirably rendered by Miss Sailie Holman.
..wanda' had a good representative in Miss Julia
Holman and Fritz, very hoarse one, IN Mr.. Bran
dish When one compares the ''PiI PAT pour OF
General Boum with the grand constellation"
(WndteVer tnaJ meausl OI SikuOT JOHN MOTIFS ana
the song, "Le Sabre de mon Perez with the Euro
pean gymnast, Ala while ''The Charleston Gals"
serves in Mr.. McAndrews' hands, a loi to ''Dtes
Lui," then the millennium OF popular enjoyment in
theatre is reached SO II was at the Olympic last
evening. Onenbach trapeze, aerial champions, a
budget Of Dutch songs, the real original banjo
champion and the Siamese Twins tpatenJ securely
formed an ola pOdrida Of amusement for the
audience that few OF the pr0tdnum rttg,ls could
cavll at. When English opera Is combined with the
dulcet strains OF the banjo, the blood curdling
fea;s OF the gymnast, the ''nigger" specially, the
man OF mystery, the upper ten and 'Young Amer
lea COmique,n what Is lett but the EXPRESSION
"Eurekaln The public likes such combination, ana
the olympic was accordingly dned to repleton
last night.
NiblO's.
The Vokes family still form the great attraction
in this house, and, Notwithstanding the severe
storm, last night good audience assembled to see
them set the laws of equilibrium at defiance, and
to be amused at the hearty exhuberance OF their
fun. The evenings amusement begun with q
nearer approach to the legitimate standard than
is usually made by the agile family. Miss Rosna
vOkes made her appearance in Buckstone's
farce, 'sGood for Nothing" in which che has
already won comedy honors. 1t was in their
speciality, ''The Wrong Man in the Right Place.
that the chief success was achieved. 1t Is tmpos
sible not to be amused at the extrvagant fun
which overfows In every scene. The acting and
singing, too. are good. With sterling, honest
merit OF its Kind It pretends only TO be lunny.
and It iS 40: tor the man must be sour In dtapQSk