opened Nov. 14, 1831, by Richard Russell, who had the following company: T. Abthorpe Cooper, Wilson, Finn, Holland, Kilner, Foote, Langton, Judah, C. Thorne, Moreland, Russell, Field, Mestayer, Meer, Moses Phillips, Lennox, Lindsley, Kenny, Wray, and Phillimore; Mrs. Russell, Mrs. Thorne, Mrs. Meer, Mrs. Read, Mrs. Belcour, Mrs. Lindsley, and Miss Coleman. An opening address was written for the occasion by Fitz Greene Halleck, and the opening pieces were "The Road to Ruin " and "The Turnpike Gate." "Last of the Mohicans" was acted Dec. 27; "Discarded Daughter," Jan. 17, 1832. Miss Smith, afterwards Mrs. Groves, made her début Feb. 8 as Rose in "Is He Jealous?" "Hamlet" was played March I with this cast: Hamlet, A. A. Adams; King, Emanuel Judah; Laertes, Geo. Jones; Horatio, H. E. Willard; Ghost, J. H. Clarke; Ophelia, Mrs. Richard Russell; Queen, Mrs. Read. "Victorine" was the afterpiece, cast thus: Felix, George J. Jones; Marquis, Lennox; Griffen, Mestayer; Victorine, Mary Duff; Jean, Farren; Julian, Mrs. Russell; Therese, Miss Smith.

Fanny Constantia Clarke opened here April 4 in "Children in the Woods." Miss Clarke afterwards married William Isherwood; he died in this city August 17, 1841, and Miss Clarke died in New York in February 21, 1853. Mary Duff made her New York début at this theatre April 9, as Helen Worrett in "Man and Wife; " Dan Marble appeared March 6 as Damon. The season closed April 30; John Barnes, after altering the house, opened it May 23, 1832, with an equestrian company, and continued until July 28, but the alarm. caused by the cholera epedimic caused the temporary closing of the house. It was reopened Oct. 6, with Italian opera, under Sig. Lorenzo Daponte, the early friend of Mozart. He engaged as director Antonio Bagioli, the father of Teresa Bagioli, who was afterward the wife of Gen. Daniel E. Sickles. In order to give a proper setting to the operas, Sig. Brogaldi, the best scenic and decorative artist of the day, was engaged to paint the scenery. The Montressor company made its bow Oct. 6, 1832, in the opera "Cenerentola," with this distribution of parts: Prince, Sig. G. Montressor; Don Magnifico, Ernest Orlandi; Alidora, Giuliana Placci; Dandini, L. Fornasari; Clorinda, Lorenza Marozzi; Cenerentola, Signora Afina Stella; Tibbe, Teresa Veduci; Sig. Saccamani on Oct. 11 in the title. rôle. It had previously been presented at the Park Theatre by Garcia under the title rôle of "Cinderella." "Elsie e Claudio" was sung for the first time in America, Oct. 17, when Signora Adelaide Pedrotti made her American début as Elsie; "L'Italianna in Algeri" was given Nov. 17, and "Il Pirata," Dec. 5, with Mme. Pedrotti as Imogene. The season was a failure.

The dramatic season began Jan. 1, 1833. Clara Woodhull made her début, Jan. 3, as Amelia in "Lover's Vows;" Mrs. Barnes played Romeo, Jan. 7, with Alexina Fisher as Juliet; and "Cold

Stricken was given Jan. 22; Charles J. Houpt made his American début, Jan. 31, as "The Stranger." He married Emily Mestayer, retired from the stage, and became a dentist. He died in California in 1851. William Mestayer, who died in New York, Nov. 21, 1896, was his son; "Francis I." was played Feb. 11, for the first time in America; H. J. Riley made his New York début March 15. He died in St. Louis, Mo., July 30, 1841. An equestrian company appeared in March. "Mazeppa "had its first American representation April 18, with Judah in the title rôle. The dramatic season was resumed June 1, with "The Belle's Stratagem" and "Nature and Philosophy." Mr. and Mrs. William Henry first appeared in New York here. July 2, James S. Charles made his début on the stage as Frank Heartall. Caroline Fox, a child of seven years, afterward known as Mrs. G. C. Howard, Mr. and Mrs. Preston, and John R. Scott were added to the company. July 27, James E. Murdoch made his New York début as Jaffier in "Venice Preserved," Mr. Ingersoll playing Pierre.

Moses S. Phillips was the manager of the theatre in July. The season ended Aug. 17. Most of the stock company were of American birth, including Thayer C. Thorne, T. Placide, Hyatt, Virginia Monier, and Alexina Fisher. During the summer of 1833 Charles R. Thorne was the manager. On August 2, Murdoch acted Iago to Ingersoll's Othello. Annette Hawley Nelson (Mrs. John Brougham) leased this house for the summer of 1836, and called it Miss Nelson's theatre, and it opened June 13 and closed August 3. Charles & Teller occupied the theatre during the summer for one month. It was converted into a saloon, and opened with a concert June 29, 1840, and as ornamental grounds surrounded it, the place was called Tivoli Garden. With the usual luck of the place, the concerts did not prove attractive. When Tom Flynn leased the theatre in 1843 he called it the National Theatre. It would hold three thousand persons. This house was rebuilt, and opened, April 3, 1846, as the New Greenwich Theatre. The following is a copy of the opening announcement:

NEW GREENWICH THEATRE

Sole proprietors, Messrs. Myers & Tomlinson; manager, John G. Myers; acting and stage manager, H. P. Grattan ; treasurer, O. M. Tomlinson; deputy treasurer, Warren Draper.

FRIDAY EVENING, April 3,

with "ROMEO AND JULIET"

Romeo, Clara Ellis; Mercutio, H. P. Grattan ; Juliet, Mrs. W. H. Crisp; Lady Capulet, Mrs. Hautonville.

To conclude with "DON GIOVANNI."

Don Giovanni, Julia Drake; Don Guzman, H. Chapman; Leperello, Mrs. H. Chapman; Bride, H. Fallee.

An attempt was made to burn this theatre Saturday night, Sept. 19, 1846. After the usual performance, an incendiary secreted himself in the building, and placed fire under one of the private boxes. Fortunately, the smoke issuing from the building gave the alarm, and the flames were extinguished without much damage. Feb. 8, 1847, it was reopened, with its name changed to the New York Opera House. Charles Freer was the manager up to April, 1848, when the place was abandoned as a dramatic resort. The building was pulled down in 1849. One of the greatest favorites connected with this theatre was Annette Hawley Nelson. She married Copleston Coward Hodges, went South, and retired from the stage. Her husband became a hotel proprietor. She lived in retirement a short time, for I find her at Wallack's Theatre (Broadway and Broome Street) where she appeared as Mrs. John Brougham, having been married to that actor in 1847. She afterwards appeared at Burton's Chambers Street Theatre. She died in this city May 3, 1870, and left a daughter (by her first husband), afterwards the widow of Thos. E. Morris. During the last few years of her life she was so corpulent that not only was she compelled to retire from the profession, but it was with the greatest difficulty that she could walk.

THE BOWERY AMPHITHEATRE

THE Built in 1933, by the Zoological Institute (or Flatfoots),

Bowery Amphitheatre occupied Nos. 37 and 39 Bowery,

and was first used as a menagerie. In 1835 it was remodelled into an amphitheatre, with a stage and ring, and occupied by June, Titus, Angevine & Co., for equestrian exhibitions. It was during that season that Barney Williams appeared in songs and dances on a springboard, placed in the centre of the sawdust ring. In November, 1842, this house was known as The Amphitheatre of the Republic.

In 1843 the building was leased to John Tryon, by whom it was improved and continued as an amphitheatre until 1848. The first band of negro minstrels made their second appearance at this place, for the benefit of John Tryon, February, 1843. A dancing match between Master Juba and John Diamond took place here July 8, 1844, for $200. It may be well to state here that, as there have been three Master Diamonds, so there have been two Jubas. Master Diamond No. 2 was really Frank Lynch, and it was because of him that P. T. Barnum had C. D. Jenkins arrested in Pittsburg, in March, 1841, for attempting to palm off Lynch as the original John Diamond, which was what Barnum wished the public to regard him, while Frank Diamond or Frank Lynch was in his employ, and before Jenkins enticed the "kid" away from the great showman. Master Diamond No. 3 never amounted to anything, and I lose track of

him altogether after his trial jig at Jayne's Hall, Philadelphia, Dec. 7, 1857. The original Diamond died in Philadelphia, Oct. 29, 1857. The original Juba, a negro lad whose name was William Henry Lane, was subsequently an attraction at Charley White's Melodeon, in the Bowery. Juba went to England in 1849, where he became a lion. Success proved too much for him. He married too late (and a white woman, besides), and died early and miserably.

In 1849 the building was altered back into a menagerie by the June & Titus party, but, proving a failure after two years' experiment, it was transferred again into a circus, and occupied one season by Seth B. Howe's company. Nov. 1, 1852, the circus troupes of Richard Sands & Co., and John J. Nathans & Co., commenced, with John J. Nathans, Richard Sands, Masters M. and J. Sands, Antonio ("Tony") Pastor, Wm. Kingcade, W. J. Smith, William Pastor, Philo Nathans, B. Huntington, J. Hankins, Sam Lathrop, and John Lovell, clowns.

Richard Sands was announced, Dec. 6, 1852, to perform his antipodeal experiment, "walking across the polished surface of an inverted platform, with feet up and head down, at an elevation of twenty-five feet from the ground." It was stated that Mr. Sands was the only performer that had ever successfully demonstrated the newly discovered philosophical principle by which the laws of gravitation could be suspended. Mr. Sands, however, was not the first person to perform the ceiling walking feat, as had been frequently stated, for I find that it was done at this theatre Feb. 16, 1852, by Prof. John McCormick, announced as "The Great Philosophical Antipodean Pedestrian from Ohio, the successful inventor of the only antipodean apparatus ever completed." The management announced that the experiment had never been made by any other man, and The New York Herald of Feb. 18 said: "Prof. McCormick performed the truly astonishing feat of walking head downwards on the ceiling of the Amphitheatre again last evening." Jan. 23, 1853, Mons. La Thorne opened in his cannon-ball performance. Among the other acts were Master Jesse Sands (trick equestrian), Emma Nathans, Master Frank Pastor, in his back and forward equestrian somersault act; C. Fisher, on the flying cord; Sam Lathrop and Hiram Day, clowns; John J. Nathans, equestrian manager; B. Huntington, ring-master; L. Lipman, in a changeable act; Frank Pastor, revolving globe act; Charley Sherwood, Indian act; and a comic ballet called "A Shoemaker's Shop in an Uproar." In this latter Tony Pastor played a comic lover. Feb. 28, William F. Wallett, the clown, appeared. Mme. Tourniaire, the equestrienne, with her stud of horses, opened March 11. Dan Emmet, the old time minstrel performer, appeared April 5, for one week, in his selection of new songs. Charles Sherwood, the original "Pete Jenkins," began. The season terminated April 16, but the

house kept open one week longer for benefits. On April 19, John J. Nathans opened in his equestrian act of carrying Master Philo Nathans. The house was reopened April 25, under the management of Henry P. Madigan and Den W. Stone, with equestrian performances by Rose Madigan, Hiram Franklin, Den Stone, and W. B. Carroll. The clowns were Ben Jennings and Alex Rockwell; John Shay, equestrian director. May 5, Levi J. North commenced with his trained horse, Tammany. On May 23, Donna Margueretta, with her horses, Juliette and Coquette, commenced, as did Henry Whitney and his troupe of trick horses, and W. J. Smith, in his act on two horses.

Nov. 7, 1853, this house was opened with Mme. Franconi (her first appearance in America), Mons. Chiarini, John J. Nathans, Emma Nathans, Master Philo Nathans, and Sam Lathrop (clown). During the summer of 1854 the house was leased, rebuilt, and opened as the Stadt Theatre by Seigrist and Otto Hoym. As the Stadt Theatre, the old Bowery Amphitheatre was opened Oct. 20, with Rossini's opera (in German) of "Der Barbier von Sevilla. " Mueller as Figaro; Vineke, Bassilio; Quint, Count Almaviva; Oehrlein, Dr. Bartolo; and Signora Martini D'Ormy as Rosene. A benefit was given Nov. 18 for the sufferers of the stranded ship New Era. "Wild Oats" was performed in German. July 5, 1858, a combination of talent from the Ravel family was secured for one performance. The artists were Lina Windel, M. Collet, A. Lehman, Angelo and Mme. Chiarini, Sig. Zanfretta, Misses H. and A. Gale, the Denier Bros. (Tony and John), Ben Yates, and M. Alexander.

The A. H. Davenport Dramatic Association gave "Black-Eyed Susan," July 28, with Edwin Adams as William, and Miss L. Watson as Susan. "The Idiot Witness" was also acted with Maggie Nelson as Dame Tugscutt. "Bombastes Furioso" was the afterpiece. J. B. Howe leased the house, and opened it Aug. 2 with an American company, consisting of J. B. Howe, J. H. Allen, Geo. Holland, Charles Warwick, John Herbert, Rachel Denvil, Mrs. H. P. Grattan, Geo. Lingard, Sallie Bishop, Kate Pennoyer, and Kate Bennett. "Wallace," "Wilful Murder," and "Michael Erle" were the opening plays. This was the first appearance on the dramatic stage of George Holland, since he put on burnt cork and appeared with Wood's Minstrels. German operatic performances were commenced April 4, 1859. "Tannhäuser" was given, and Carl Bergman was the conductor. A benefit was given to John Cooper Aug. 9, when Maggie Nelson played Jane Chatterly in "The Widow's Victim." The house was then closed, but reopened Aug. 25, 1860, under the management of Hoym & Hamann. Sunday night's performances were discontinued, in consequence of the new law prohibiting entertainments on that night. During the season Adah Isaacs-Menken appeared as a danseuse. German performances were given by Kril