Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-11-23

MEMPHIS IHEATkR.-La night quite
a large and fashionable audience ap-
psared at the theater to witness the Big
Bonanza, as presented by Days Fifth
Avenue Theater Company. The Big
Bonanza is a most amusing comedy
often f%arcical in the extreme. 1t con.
tains a number of good situations and
scenes, and the dialogues are crispy and
sparkling, full of side.splitting puns and
hits at the follies of the day. Upon a
very slight plot, Ringing upon Wall street
apeculations in stocks, the author has
strung a most laughable play, which,
beneath the .humor, carries with it a
satire on stock speculations by limo.
cents who are u~nacquainted with bulls,
bears, outs, calls, shorts, etc. The char
acters are not particularly new, but all
are very good. The Professor with
brains (Mr. Fawcett) was most amusing,
not only in his excited and testy moods,
but when he was calm and erdeavoring
to comprehend business speculations in
Big Bonanza stock. Mr.. Whiting as
Jonathan Cawallader," the man of
money, gave a most pleasing rendition
of the role. The love-making between
bob Ruggles" (Mr. Hardie) and "Eu-
genia Cawallader" miss Sara Jewett)
was laughably absurd, and yet contained
many exquisite little bits of acting.
Mr.. Ringgold, as "Dr. Jack Lymer,"
sustained admirably his part, As did also
Miss Nunez in the role of miss Virginia
Cadwallader," the romantic and gushing
maiden in love with Jack" Mr.. Geo.
Devere as "Adolphis De Haas" the fop
full of inanity and humor undiscoverable
by himself, yet occasionally uttering a
sharp saying, was most amusing and be-
came q favorite at once. The character
is that of the American Dundreary
school, of which there are so many fol-
lowers in New York society. Indeed,
Sothern himself could not have made
much more out of the character than
did Mr.. Devere. To criticise the piece
would be almost an impossibility; the
characters seem to be chattering and
buzzing about in every manner, and
they seem to be doing nothing in par
%ticular. The play winds up with happi-
ness all around and in a double marriage
between the young people, which is a
matter Of rejoicing, not only with the
dramatis persona, but with the audiences
who enjoy for three hours a farcical
comedy. The Big Bonanza will be re-
peated tonight and tomorrow night.
Thursday night we will have Divorce
and the remainder Of the week Mons.
Alfonso.
HAPPY CAL WAGNER's MINsTRELs.-
This excellent minstrel troupe will COM
mence an engagement at the Assembly
Hall on next Thursday night. Time
never was when Cal Wagner in cork
opera failed to draw good houses in
Memphis. ALouisville exchage informs
US as to the minstrels as follows: Wag.
ner on the tambo end and in his charac-
ter songs and specialties furnishes most
of the fun. The singing by Blanchard,
Lavake, Fisher and Hawkins was quite
pleasing, Blanchard very cleverly repre-.
senting a male and a female vocalist at
the sametime by the aid'of a gentleman's
dress suit worn on one side of his body,
and a neatly-rigged pull-back on the
other. The cornet playing of Lem
Wiley was an especial feature of the
bill. The orchestra is an excellent one.
Frank Merrill, who rattles the bones,
wears a gorgeous watch chain, cut en-
train, while Wagner himself still adorns
his dexter knee with an deliberately.
worked lace handkerchief.
MASQUERADE BALL.-The grand mas
querade ball to be given at Exposition
building next Thursday night, for the
benefit of the Centennial fund, gives
promise of being one of the best attend
ed that has ever been given. Arrange
ments are being made for excursion
trains on all the railroads, and large
delegations from the country are ex-
pected.