The New York herald., 1879-02-11

ing AS usual on 'hrst nights, IT was midnight
THREE NEW PINAFoBEs LAUNCHED LAST EVEN
ING AT THE FIFTH AVENUE, SAN FRANCISCO
MINsTRELs AND NIBLo's-NAvAL BATTLES IN
As.sa.. sS@ sas Sin.;1s;. n.ssis'' x.uo'.
81. ssssss Ss,;ss Nsn.a kNss;s s%s Msi;S.
HsYaSin prSy S%phre'
Dsadeye Hartsn Raymond.
aa.as@": .Ssss";' Msssnma. Mcssp%sa.
Josephine. ..Corelii Ricardo Ellani
Hobe. Ida Toy. Backus.. .Mettlcr.
is hard matter to keep the log of the good ship
Pinafore. which is running before the wind of
popular favor like Flying Dutchman. SO to speak.
In five New York theatres the gallant Captain was
last night declared "a right good captain. too. and
Sir Joseph Porter came Ave different boards, if
we may mix nautical and dramatic terms while over
the water. in Brooklyn. additional Pinafore was
bowling along with all sails set. although. in
the case Of ono New York Pnafore. the legal
sharks were in her wake and Injunction
rocks hard on her lee. SO far there has
been no shipwreck. Almost any old operatic
tub with "H NJ. S. Pinafore'' on her stern seems
good enough to attract paying passengers just now.
and roaring chorus and roaring business are
convertible terms. Trim crafts excursion barges
and mud scows have alike gone into the Pinafore
business, and all report standing room only ;,
In New York since the "Uncle Toms Cabin mania
the like has never been seen-or hardly ever. The
Standard. which began the trouble. draws over
flowing decks; the Lyceum. which followed,
has sprouted into two companies, one Of
which went to the Park Theatre, Brooklyn,
where 1t dragged anchors amid legal
tempest over unpaid board bill and ran for har
Dor at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in which last
night the sisters and the cousins and the aunts'
came aboard usual. To these last evening were
also added Fifth Avenue Pnafore. Niblo's Pima
fore and San Francisco Minstrels' Mud Scow.
At the Fifth Avenue Theatre "H. NJ. s. Pinafore''
was brought before crowded house. Henri Laurent,
the original Ralph Rackstraw in this city essayed
"the smartest lad in all the feet with
more than usual vigor and gave an excellent
rendering Of the part. Sir Joseph Porter was
we'll played by Mr.. Burnett, and, though he
might suffer by comparison with Mr.. Within in the
same part he gave an admirable rendering. The
Captain Corcoran OF Mr.. James g. Peakes left little
to be desired. as II was acted and sung in most
ceptabe manner. Mile. Blanche Corelli made
decided hit in the part Of Josephine, and though
opera. and her voice was affected in consequence,
she improved as the action of the piece was un-
rayelled. and toward the close i'll fine voice.
Miss Ida Foys Hebe was also neat little piece
of acting. and she succeeded well in giving q
very naive representation of Sir Josephs first
was not good. Mr.. James Hartem's Dick Deaieye
was passabe piece OF acting, and the Bill Bobstay
of Mr., Van Houten was acceptable. The piece is
mounted in an excellent manner and the deck of the
Pinafore is fine piece of stage setting Under the
skful direction of Max Maretzek the chorus behaved
fairly for first night, but there is much for
Improvement, which will doubt be male as tho
piece is repeated Many Of the airs which have c
come popular were encored repeatedly. and from the
applause and crowded state Of the theatre last night
1t Is safe to predict success for Mr.. Harkns'
ture "a Kiss in the Dark" favorite little farce.
preceded tho opera last night
When the San Francisco Minstrels thought they
would have "Pinatore" they were not troubled
they not ns
OF Charley, Backus' extraordinary baby Mine"
or wambod's sweet Little Rose of the Lea" which
Lee or Mr.. Raymond's "Bonne. Sweet
Bessie" Bessie Neither could they spare BILLY
accordingly resolved to cut their pinafore so short
that 1t might be mistaken by the uncultured for
boarding house napkin. or. as Mr.. Birch would say,
uproarous through the first part OF the evening.
for this is not rs saddcning as. many such
Saxe %ner nr n ms Is
mouth Of Backus In it's terrible efforts to draw the
corners down; and when Backus is drawing
have only to look at wambold ondeavoring to
preserve that sad orn look Of his. as il to
grief After the poetins sna seDsieutal Darss al
singers. and highly accomplished clog dancers
had carollcd and bumped about to the roaring
satisfaction Of the audience the curtain ''Hs
Mud Scow Pinaforc." The distinguished dramatic
author. Mr. Add Ryman. had been employed TO
brctto as the latter may do very well for ordinary
companies but il tar too slow for the San Francscan
They rolliched through the whole affair in half an
music and giving 1t well. We have seen female
Ralph Rackstraw elsewhere, but here We had
and a male Cousin Hebe. Mr.. Ricardo's Josephine
was capital. and for grace and vocalizaton would
be be model to Rsa many i,v of the ladies' playing
f,r whom Mr.. Raymond obligingIy sang the tenor
music. Mr. Johnson's Captain Corkonian fair.
and Mr.. Charles stevens sang Little Dutercups songs
with admirable point. Upon the many beauties Of
Mr.. Backus in the part OF the lovely Hcbe we
So wC1a draw s sss Mile ss5Sso sCaa
navy rings" and forth were not so happy ~ tho
rest and we would advise him to broaden the fun in
rency elsewhere as follows;--
Aud whom the hrcesc blows free
And seek tue hss eoros. Which Icmijohn grants
The symphony in black thoroughly enjoyed
by the crowded audience.
There was much morrmcnt at Niblos last
evening. "Pinafore'' was the performance. and
ii it was the object OF tho management to
set people laughing it succeeded marvel
the balcony held IT'S Sides and the gallery interrupted
the lovesick sailor and the Captains daughter by
s a paops as ang
stage than last evening ut
Ni6Io's. Sol Smith. as the First Lord Of the Ad-
mirslty. well gotten up and seemed to have a
good perception OF the particular hunor of the role
but utterly failed In the music from his entire
want Of . voice. Mr.. s. Digby, "a Ralph Rack
straw. was troubled with the Same complaint. and
besides, being victim to stage fright he succeeded
admirably In what evidently his chief
cndeavor-not to be heard. Josephine was
personated by Miss Lcsitta Ellain, 'her first appear
nnce since her return from Italy, very diminutive
parsonage whose queer appearance. droll style and
shrill attempts ct vocazation appeared to keep tho
audience In very good hnrnor Mrs. Grace Glare
Little Buttercup voiceess AZ the remainder
Of the cast The orrhestrs and chorus
were somewhat better than the soloists, and were
highly appreciated by way Of comparison. 30 in
effective was the performance that the gem Of
the piece. the Admirss song. with the refrain III am
the ruler OF the Queens naYec." did not elicit tho