and tragedy were always yearned for. It was full of surprises, as, for instance, when John Oxenford, of the London "Times," saw John B. Studley playing "The Bells," and acknowledged that at the Old Bowery he had seen "an actor of leading business, who is not only one of the best performers in New-York, but who could not

1

be easily surpassed in London." Again, when Adah Isaacs Menken electrified her former patrons with the news of her triumphs in London and Paris, Dickens, Swinburne, and Dumas enrolling themselves among her admirers. But memories only of the Old Bowery now remain, since it was handed over in September, 1879, to German playgoers, and was rechristened the Thalia, and where now Jewish pieces in a Hebrew-German patois are heard within its ancient walls.

Niblo's Garden and Theater was built on Broadway, near Prince street, within two years of the erection of the first Bowery Theater, and was originally called the Sans Souci. It was an attractive and popular little theater, opened in 1828, in the Summer Garden of William Niblo, by Charles Gilfert, when the Bowery Theater was burned down. A year later it became a concert-saloon, Niblo soon after reopening it for dramatic purposes. The Ravels were performing there in 1837, and William E. Burton in 1839. The same year the elder Wallack leased Niblo's when burned out at the National Theater, and Charles Kean, Edwin Forrest, and Miss Vandenhoff appeared there. From 1840 to 1842 the theater was under the management of W. Chippendale, the leading performers being Burton, Placide, and Mrs. Fitzwilliam. E. L. Davenport appeared at Niblo's in 1843, and soon after Mitchell with a burlesque company. In 1844 John Brougham was playing there, and in 1845 John Nickinson, Henry Placide, and Mrs. Mowatt. Shortly after George Holland's engagement, and Hackett's impersonations of Falstaff, in 1848, the theater was burned down. It was rebuilt, and reopened in July, 1849, to be again rebuilt in 1850, enlarged in 1854, and burned down once more in 1872, at a loss of $200,000. Many well-known members of the theatrical profession have been managers of this house, and have kept up its great reputation. On its stage have appeared Charlotte Cushman, Dion Bouci

1 This rare portrait of Charlotte Cushman is from the original tinted lithograph by R. J. Lane, A. R. A., after a drawing by Miss Teresa Kenney.

cault, the Wallacks, Mr. and Mrs. Barney Williams, Mrs. John Wood, Maggie Mitchell, Lydia Thompson, Margaret Mather, and others of equal popularity. Here William E. Burton made his last appearance in Toodles and his other humorous rôles; and Charles Fechter and Daniel E. Bandmann made their American débuts in English. But more than all, it was where the great Rachel appeared as Thisbe and Phèdre. Many plays were first produced successfully at Niblo's, not least among which were the "Black Crook," and "Leah," the foundation of Kate Bateman's reputation, brought out in 1863. The name of Niblo's still survives, but it has no longer a stock company, being devoted to the starring combination system, with popular prices.

The Richmond Hill Theater, also known as the Greenwich Theater, comes next to Niblo's in chronological succession, having been opened on November 14, 1831, with the "Road to Ruin," which was preceded by a beautiful address from the pen of Halleck, commencing, "Where dwells the Drama's spirit?" Its site on Varick and Charlton streets has many historical associations, for the Richmond Hill mansion, built in 1770 by Paymaster Abraham Mortier, once stood there. It was Washington's headquarters at the beginning of the Revolution, and Sir Guy Carleton's residence during the British occupation. Later it was sold by Aaron Burr to John Jacob Astor, and was by him converted into the Richmond Hill Theater. Its name was changed several times. In 1836 it was Miss Nelson's Theater, in 1837 Mrs. Hamblin's, in 1840 the Tivoli Gardens, in 1846 the Greenwich Theater, and in 1847 the New-York Opera House. It was taken down in 1849.

Edwin Forrest"

1

The National Theater was opened on January 29, 1836, with the "Merchant of Venice," Junius Brutus Booth, Sr., appearing as Shylock. In the same year a "grand complimentary and farewell benefit," realizing $3000, was given in this playhouse to Hamblin, whose theater had been destroyed by fire. "Henry IV." was played, with Hackett as Falstaff, Hamblin as Hotspur, the younger J. W. Wallack as Douglas, and Barrett, Burke, Placide, and other noted actors in the cast. 1 Excellent portraits of James H. Hackett, Matilda Heron, Laura Keene, and Anna Cora Mowatt will be found in Chapters x and xi of Volume III. EDITOR.

James W. Wallack, Sr., became owner of the theater in 1837, and his son, James W. Wallack, Jr., in 1839 made his New-York début there as Fag in "The Rivals." The original Robert Macaire, James S. Browne, also first appeared in America at the National, as Bob Acres. William E. Burton and Mr. and Mrs. John Vandenhoff made their first appearance in the metropolis at this house, and Charles Kean played Hamlet here in 1839, just before it was destroyed by fire. In 1840 it was rebuilt and leased to Alexander Wilson, and later to Burton; but before six weeks were over, during which he produced "The Naiad Queen," with Miss Josephine Shaw, afterward Mrs. John Hoey, in the cast, the National was once more burned down.

The Franklin Theater, on Chatham street, between James and Oliver streets, was erected in 1835, and was opened with Morton's "School of Reform," among the cast being John Sefton and Miss Alexina Fisher. Barney Williams and William Sefton made their début here. In 1840 George H. Hill opened it as Hill's Theater, but it was not a success, and the house was soon after named the Little Drury. The Olympic Theater on Broadway, near Grand street, was built in 1837, and was opened on September 13. It was especially intended for light comedies, with farces, sparkling burlettas, and humorous burlesques. The auditorium and stage were small and notable for the drawing-room effect obtained. Ireland remarks: "The Olympic Theater, diminutive as it was, displayed a more tasteful and beautiful interior than any other on the Atlantic seaboard." George W. Mitchell leased it in 1839, and it was henceforward generally known as Mitchell's Olympic, in contradistinction to others of that name afterward built. Associated with Mitchell were Mrs. Maeder, previously known as Albina Mandeville, and Blake and Barrett. Mitchell retired from

the Olympic in 1850, and three years later George Holland became acting manager. The first Broadway Theater was east of Broadway, near Walker street, and had been previously designated as Euterpean Hall and Apollo Saloon. Erected in 1837, it had a very short life under the management of James Anderson. It was reopened in 1838 by Edwin Forrest and Fanny Wallack. J. W. Wallack, Jr., appeared there, making a great success of Claude Melnotte in the "Lady of Lyons," as did General Tom Thumb as General Bombastes. The Chatham Square Theater, erected in 1839, had quite an eventful history, whether under its original name or that of the National Theater, as it was called when Wallack's old National was burned down in 1839. Barrett was its star in 1844, and the year following Anna Cruise made her début. Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Wallack, Jr., and Junius Brutus Booth, Sr., were playing there in 1845. Chanfrau renamed it the New National Theater in 1848, opening with Bulwer's "Richelieu," John R. Scott in the title rôle. Joseph Jefferson first made his bow

to the public in 1849, at this theater, and Edwin Booth his first New-York appearance as Wilford in "The Iron Chest." Shortly after the New National was used as a circus, and it was in consequence of Jenny Lind, who disliked the odor of horses, objecting to Mr. Barnum "compelling her to sing in a stable," that she dissolved her contract with the great showman; but it was at the National, nevertheless, that she sang upon her third visit to New-York, in June, 1851. During the years 1851-53 it was known as Purdy's National Theater, and was given up to melodramas and tragedies,

G. Harrison, Esp

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with after-performances. In 1853 Mr. and Mrs. Barney Williams and Mr. and Mrs. William J. Florence were seen there.

In Palmo's Opera House, which afterward became Burton's Theater, William Dinneford and George Vandenhoff, in 1845, gave the Greek tragedy of "Antigone," and, in the words of Vandenhoff, "repeated this classic entombment twelve successive nights." Samuel Lover, the Irish novelist, in 1846 presented here his entertainment consisting of recitations from his own writings. Palmo's was opened as Burton's Theater1 on July 10, 1848, with "Maidens Beware!" Burton

1 See Chapter v, page 175, for illustration.

was successful from the outset, and ere long his new venture was the most popular resort in town, Lester Wallack, Hackett, Johnson, E. L. Davenport, Mrs. Warner, and many others of note coming before the public, always under the pleasant auspices peculiar to this theater. In 1856 it was leased by Edward Eddy, who was equally successful. The second Broadway Theater, situated between Pearl and Anthony (now Worth) streets, was built by Colonel Alvah Mann, and opened in September, 1847, with "The School for Scandal," Lester Wallack making his début there as Charles Surface, under the name of John Wallack Lester. George Barrett was the stage-manager of this large and elegant edifice, which was primarily intended as a rival to the Park Theater. The Mont-Plaisir troupe made its appearance at the Broadway in 1848, in which year James R. Anderson played Othello. In 1850 Eliza Logan made her New-York début at the same theater as Pauline, and Madame Ponisi also, as Lady Teazle. The year following, Gustavus Vaughan Brooke made his first appearance in this country at the same house; also Julia Bennett, Madame Celeste, and Lola Montez. Anderson, "The Wizard of the North," performed at the Broadway in 1851; and Edwin Forrest appeared as Damon, the engagement being continued for sixty-one nights, in the spring of 1852. The Astor Place Opera House, which had not experienced an unqualified success as a home of song, was equally unfortunate with the drama, although a Shakespearian revival was attempted with encouraging results. A company was brought together which produced, among other plays, "The Merry Wives of Windsor," with Hackett, Vandenhoff, Chippendale, Sefton, Miss Telbin, and Mrs. Maeder in the cast. The Astor Place Opera House will ever remain most memorable in dramatic and civic annals as the scene, on May 10, 1849, of the Forrest-Macready riot, which occurred after the English actor's appearance as Macbeth.' In 1854 the building was sold to the Mercantile Library Association, who reconstructed and renamed it Clinton Hall. Barnum's Museum, at the corner of Broadway and Ann street, where the "New-York Herald" building now stands, had the small theater attached to it opened on June 17, 1850, with the play of "The Drunkard." There appeared here Alexina Fisher; Kate and Ellen Bateman, then known as the Bateman Children; Emily Mestayer; and Edward Askew Sothern, then an indifferent actor with the stage name of "Douglas Stewart." The last engagement played there before it was burned down was that of John B. Studley, in the legitimate drama. Barnum's American Museum, which was opened shortly afterward, was again destroyed by fire, on a bitterly cold night, March 3, 1868, together with its three hundred thousand curiosities. The immense

1 A full account of the Astor Place riot will be found in Vol. III, Chap. xi, pp. 430-435, and of the Opera House in Chap. V, p. 177, of Vol. IV. EDITOR.