Year: 1868

meut, 10 MS successor IN OHlce.


The Spring Season of Amusements.


: Tonight Pixies Opera House will reopen
with the superb company whose season was
SO rudely broken in upon by Lottas negro
minstrelsy. The opening. opera will be
''La Traviata," with Mrs. Agatha States
as the consumptive heroine. Tomorrow
night Bateman will introduce the ever
popular Tostee in classical dress at the
French theatre, and explain in Offenbach's best
style why Paris ran away with La Belle Helene
and the causes of the ten years siege of Troy
These two interesting events may be
considered as the opening Of the spring
season of amusements; and as the naodsstes
throw open the treasures OF their
establishments and display the spring fashions
about the same time, additional brilliancy VIII
be communicated to the new season of opera.
There b every prospect that the coming season
at all the theatres will be gratifying one to
the managers and to the public. People are now
SO weary of the impeachment and Erie muddles,
of the stagnation of business and the pranks OF
the weather that they will seek refuge in the
paint, tinsel, ballet, music and red fire of the
theatres and laugh away all care in listening to
the extravagances of Offenbach. The ladies
will have an additional motive now to patronize
the opera and other places Of amusement; for
where can they find better place to display their
new spring toilets and criticise those of others:
Again, we learn from our Paris correspondent
that some of the American ladies there who
have been the acknowledged bellies of that gay
capital during the winter contemplate an early
return to their homes on this side of the At
lantic in order to try the power of their charms
on the susceptible hearts Of their countrymen
and to compete for the prize of beauty, like the
three goddesses on Mount Ida, with their fa!-i.-. f!-..
sisters AS blusteri..ig Winter, aller MS late fit
OF unproyoked ill-humor, grumblingly retires
before bright young Spring, the managers on
an sides are preparing greater attractions for
excitement in the amusement world there is
one immense concern that once claimed
to be first in the metropolis and is now
deserted. ''The harp that once" &C., has
gone to Pixies, and the one hundred and
ninety-nine and a half stockholders Of the
Academy are weeping in vain and calling
on their lost smpresario to come back.
What can be done, then, with this un-
happy concern? AS q circus it would
be necessary to keep the horses constantly
blanketed, and even the Cynocephalus might
be afflicted with bronchitis or influenza were
Mr.. Lent to exhibit him there. 1t might be
turned into a huge tenement house, the
necessary changes being made; but then the
tenants would be haunted by the ghosts of
departed voices or managerial suicides. In all
the other places Of amusement, however, the
prospects for the season are encouraging.


Before the season commences at Pixies word
of advice to the management may be of service.
There is every reason to fear that the same
narrow minded prejudice and monopoly which
ruined Italian Opera on the east side of town
will interfere with the prospects of this estab-
lishment Madame Lumley, the splendid con-
tralto who made such a triumphant d66M here
some time since in the role of Azucena, is not
engaged in the company, as her predecessor in
the same role became SO frightened at her sue
cess that she threatened to leave the troupe
and go off to California with one of the prime
donne if the accomplished sister of the London
impresarao should appear again at Pixies.
We warn the leader of the orchestra who sup
ports her demands to remember what fate a
similSr course at the Academy entailed upon
him. The public want good artists, and will
not submit to the exclusion of any one to please
the whim of another. This has been hereto
fore the principal obstacle in the way of the
success Of Italian Opera and the managers at
Pixies should see that it is removed in time.