The semi-weekly miner., 1882-04-19
Fanny Elssler and the Old Park
Theater.

Mr.. Richard Grant Whites second
illustrated PAPER Oh "Opera in New
York." in the April C. niury, is even
more crisp and entertaining than the
opening article. Famous singers and
old play-housex are picturesquely des-
cribed, Us in the following account Of
the old Park Theater, and: the first ap-
pearance there of 4 noted dancer:
No public building not in(lecently
dirty or unhealthi'y exposed could be
less s1ited to the assen,blage Of elegant
people for elegant pleasure than the
Park Theater. 1t was in all respects
the very reverse Of the splendid house
which had just opened aud closed under
the management Of the Cavalicre Rivati-
noli. Its boxes were likepens for beasts.
Across them were stretched benches,
consisting Of = mere board covered with
fadet! rcd DiCreen, II narrower hoard,
shOulder-h:gh, being stretched behind
tn serve for 4 back. But one seat on
each of the thre. or fO.r henchcs was
without even this luxury, in order that
the seat itself might bc raised upon its
hinges for people t" pass in. These
sybaritic Enclosures were kept under
lock and key, by y fce-cxwn',ing crea-
ture, who was always hali-tlrunk except
when he was wholly drunk. The pit,
which has in our modern t:;c:,ters he.
come the l,arterre ,Or, as it j. often
strangely called, the .mriue:'. the most
desirable part vi the house, was in the
Park Theater hardly superior /" that in
which the JucY".ri,' ot old stood ur"n
the bare ground lp''r tf.Ir'. and thus
gave the place It's Frcn.!l nalac. The
floor was dirty un.l hruHvn into holes
the seats were bare, lr,ckle>s benches.
Women were Ecvcr seen in the PIT and
althoug', the excellence Of the ls,sition
(tlse best in the house, and the cheap
ness Of admission (iIa,f dollar took
gentlemen there, few vert there who
could afford tO study comfort and luxury
in their am,,se,mcn.s. The place WAS
perva,led with evil smells and not ul,-
commonly, in the n;'|>t Of pcriu:
nance, rats ran out Of the holes in The
floor and across into the orchestra. This
dclectable place was approached ly II
long underground passage, with bare
whitewaslle.l walls, .l;nlly lighted, cx-
cept ut sort Of booth ut whicl, vile
fluids and viler solids were sold. AZ tO
the house itself, it was the dingy aInnle
Of tlrcarincss. The gallery w:ss Occupi-
cd by howling roughs, who might have
taken lessons in behavior from the
negroes who occupied part Of this tier,
wl,ic!, was rallied oil for their particular
use.
Such WAS tho principal tl,eatcrin New
York in lS40, and for ten years after
ward. Ii had been called, in memory
of its London counterpart, Old II:ury,
which lnan'c was dcri>iv.!y modified iI,-
to Old Drcary. Ict here there WAS
usually good and sometimes treat :l,tin4:
of COOL plays AMI g:cnt : n::ins oi .."al
operas. Shaksi'er' was heard ten times
in New York then tor once that he is
heard now: aNI the .tWls cnn'H,nj W
the Park rnr:;:cr " u:,l. Il. Il day.: mo-
ti;c, perform !: tir~t.r.;tc r.:s,"H!y in very
satisfactory style. Wit, :,i;'l",encs> in
all the parts. ll"re, too. was seen ~';rl,
ballet .uaniny rs M'ycr i;:ur, WIS :. cn
in AMERICA. and nr.l:ai,s never before
ar after in the work! since the days -:
!lerMii:.s: for here. in May, isIn, Fanny
Il>-'cr an,mar"! before Il hoU,v into
which MOI another hand, moi 20 SAY ,.,-
other body. could have been ~!n,"'z,".
'.y hydraulic, pressure. Aud here she
.;,,,rc.l the gay \rw-I"rkrr> M that
day into II .rc,,.C that N:.,ls /: s;c,!. as il
their h,;.ii:.. were, ~ l.h! a> her heels.
i.:;r.e ami naturally $. r"n". training
had :.iv.'i l.v: !i!c limbs Of :.n athlete,
att! She c,n".i.j:;>:.,i tic S;a4r with
vast. Swc.ni,~ bounds. To this pl,H:,i-
cal superiority .!I" adlt Il although
not beautiful i:',r', and an arch. rc,:G..;
Ill, manner.