ling, Otto Hoym, Meaubert, Fortner, Kleur, Knorr, Manvers, Connheim, Schmidt, Isidor, Lehman, Lotti, Hohifelder, Kleidhorn, Wiethoff, and Klein; Mesdames Pelosi, Smitz-Herwegh, Stiglish, Brun, Schull, Fischer, Becker-Grahn, Berkel, and Carradori; Misses Hoym, Meaubert, Meantirz, Scheller, Theleur, and Johanna Wolf.

For the season of 1861-62 Hoym & Hamann were again the managers. Mme. Marie Scheller, Mme. Becker-Grann, Mme. Von Berkel, Mme. Mertzke, Mme. Fredericke Walter, Anna Klein, Cecillia Fortner, Herren Otto Hoym, Lehmann, Schwann, Niemeyer, Quint, Graff, Fortner, Klein, Knorr, Carl Merbitz, and Lewens formed the company. The important productions were Scribe's "A Glass of Water;" Kruger's "Das Maedchen von Dorfe" (The Village Maid); Kruezer's "Anna Worthmann;" Lorzing's Lorzing's "Czar und Zimmerman," "Peter the Great," "Hamlet," "Der Freischutz," "Der Stumme von Portici," "Zampa," "The Postillion of Longjumeau," "Gloeckner von Notre Dame," Toepler's "Der Best Fon," Bendix's "Steifutter," "Der Major," "George Washington," "Der Maschinenbauer," "Der Mozartgeige," "Der Peter Kronau," Schiller's "Kabal und Liebe," Charlotte Birchpfeiffer's "Herinan nee," "Die Jungfrau von Orleans," "Narcisse," "The Son of the Jongleur," "Major Schill," "Fifteen Years of Prison Life," "Die Zwei-Sergeanten," "Adrienne Lecouvrieur," "Don Carlos," "Marie Anne," "The Fisherman's Daughter," by Messrs. Stalknecht and Dr. Arming, of this city; "Romeo and Juliet," "Hinko," "Lamm und Loewe," "Night and Morning," "Der Waise von Berlin," Goerner's " Orphan of Berlin," "The Maid of Fanoland," Gutzkow's "Ella Rosa," "Eine Reiche Frau," "Orpheus der Underwelt," first time in New York; "Storenfreid," "Uriel Acosta," "Memoirs of Satan," "The Devil and the Tailor," "The Englishman in Paris," "Die Lieder des Musikanter," "The Prisoner's Daughter," "Cato von Eisen," "Down with the Jesuits," "Das Wiehtelmaenchen," and "Cora." The season closed in May, and a series of operatic representations were given, with Mme. Johanna Rosser, from the Ducal Theatre, Darmstadt, as prima donna. The dramatic season closed in June.

D. E. Bandmann appeared during the season of 1862-63 as Hamlet and Shylock. The Ronzani Ballet Troupe opened July 29, 1863. For the season of 1863-64, Otto Hoym continued the manager, and among the principals who appeared were D. E. Bandmann, Herr Fritze, Herr Reiffahrt, Manager Hoym, Louis Knorr, Mme. Methua-Scheller, Becker-Grahn, Steigler-Fuchs, and Miss Meyer. P. L. Jarvis was the next manager, who opened Aug. 2, 1864, with M. B. Pike as stage manager. The company was an American one, and consisted of Joseph E. Nagle, George W. Thompson, S. Bradshaw, Harry Cunningham, Frank Evans, W. Purcells, E. N. Haviland, W. Mitchell, J. Coburn, Geo. France,

Harry Hotto, Mrs. Marie Le Brun, Mrs. E. T. Stetson, Millie Sackett (Mrs. M. B. Pike), Hattie Welby, Davis, Harris, Ransom, and Jennie Fisher. The opening bill was "The Robbers of the Keep," "The Veteran's Daughter" and "Love, Law, and Physic." The season closed Aug. 15, but the house reopened Sept. 3 as a variety theatre, called The Varieties. John F. Poole and Thomas Donnelly became the managers Aug. 19, 1865, with George R. Edeson as stage manager. Kate Pennoyer, in "The French Spy," was the star. The house closed in the second week of October, but was reopened on the 21st of the same month as Montpelier's Opera House, a title which it bore for only a few weeks, the entertainments being, during that time, mixed varieties and dramatic.

1865, it was reopened as the New National Circus. A. Montpelier was proprietor and manager, and A. Covelli the equestrian director. In six weeks the doors were once more closed. The building was finally converted into an armory.

TH

THE NATIONAL THEATRE

HE playhouse known as the National Theatre was situated at the southwest corner of Leonard and Church Streets. It was opened as the Italian Opera House by a stock company who had purchased the site at a low price, Nov. 18, 1833, with the opera of "La Gazza Ladra" cast as follows:

Rosina Fanti, Louisa Bordagni, and Sig. Ravaglia were also in the company. The admission was $2 for sofa seats, $1.50 for the boxes, $1 for the pit, and 75 cents for the gallery. The arrangement of the house was a novelty to this country. What constituted the parterre in other houses was in this divided into three parts. The one (parquet) facing the orchestra was occupied by those who study comfort, and not to be annoyed by the close proximity of the instruments. This retreat communicated with the first tier of boxes. The pit was spacious and accommodating. Projecting from the front boxes was a circle, or amphitheatre. On each side of the pit were the windows of the bagnoires, or private boxes, for the dilletanti. The stage was very large, and afforded every facility for grand spectacles; the dome was magnificent beyond description. The building cost $110,000, the ground lot costing, besides, $65,000.

Being situated in an inconvenient and poor neighborhood, the

National Theatre was never a popular resort, and its fortunes were uniformly disastrous, except with Italian opera. The first season continued, with several interruptions, until July 21, 1834, the performances being entirely of Italian opera. It held, at the prices charged, $1,400. Sig. Rivafinoli was the manager, and Sig. Maroncelli, the Italian patriot, was the leader. Among the operas produced were Rossini's "Barbiere di Seviglia," Nov. 25; "Donna del Lago," Nov. 28; Cimarosa's "Il Matrimonio Segreto," Jan. 4, 1834; Pacini's "Gli Arabi Nelle Gallie," Jan. 20; Rossini's "Mathilde di Shabran e Coradino," Feb. 19; and " La Cenerentola," March 1. The season was advertised for forty nights, but the large audiences encouraged the management, and twenty-eight extra nights were added. A supplemental season followed, beginning Nov. 10, 1834.

A cessation of the season occurred Dec. 23, and, being afterwards resumed, continued until May 15, 1835, without any memorable event occurring, save the appearance of Julia Wheatley in the opera of " Edwardo and Christina," this being, I believe, the first attempt of an American lady to sing in Italian opera. The house was crowded at each performance, and the association expected large returns. Alas for human hopes! The house had been liberally "papered," and when the accounts were balanced the gentlemen who had so freely paid down their money found that their profits were nil, and that they had to produce even more cash to meet deficiencies. It was a success socially, brilliant - quite overpowering indeed; musically, moderate, and not in any way overpowering. The contralto had made the chief success. She was a very pretty woman, with a lovely figure and a delicious voice. She was known and much esteemed as a teacher of music for many years afterward in New York. She was the wife of Piero Maroncelli, the friend and fellow-prisoner of Silvio Pellico, and her husband taught Italian and music in many of the old New York families. At the conclusion of the season, the theatre was leased by Henry Willard and Thomas Flynn, who opened it as the National Theatre, Aug. 29, 1836 (an address by Jonas B. Phillips being spoken by Mrs. Thomas Flynn), with "The Merchant of Venice": Shylock, Junius B. Booth; Bassanio, Andrew Pickering; Lorenzo, Plumer (who afterwards became a negro minstrel); Launcelot, Thomas Placide; Portia, Mrs. Flynn; Nerissa, Clara Woodhull; Jessica, Mrs. Conduit. The afterpiece was "The Man With the Carpet Bag," in which, as Grimes and Wrangle, William Mitchell and Charles S. Howard (who became the brother-in-law of Mrs. John Hoey) respectively made their first appearances in America.

Charles Saint Thomas Burke made his first appearance in New York at this house, Sept. 3, 1836, when, in his fifteenth year, he acted the Prince of Wales in "Richard III." The elder Booth acted Gloster. Later in the season Burke was seen as Prince John,

T

in "Henry IV.," and as Irus, in "Ion." Long before this his mother (Cornelia Frances Thomas) had married Joseph Jefferson (the third). Burke went West with his parents, and was not seen in New York again until July 19, 1847, when he acted Ebenezer Calf in "Ole Bull" and Diggory in "The Spectre Bridegroom." The summer of 1848 he was at the National (Purdy's), with Chanfrau as acting manager. He appeared at Burton's Chambers Street Theatre in the spring of 1849, as Billy Bowbell in "The Illustrious Stranger," but he became so great a favorite that Burton grew jealous, and dismissed him, and also succeeded in using his influence in keeping him out of the Broadway theatres, so much so that Burke could never get an engagement in a west side theatre, but continued in the Bowery. His last appearance on the stage was Feb. 11, 1854, at the Chestnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, as Ichabod Crane in "Murrell, the Land Pirate." His first wife was Margaret Murcoyne, who died in 1849. His second was Mrs. Sutherland. She was the mother of Ione Sutherland, who adopted her step-father's name and became Ione Burke. Charles Burke died in Leonard Street, New York, Nov. 10, 1854, in the thirty-third year of his age, of consumption, and was buried in the grave with his mother, in Ronaldson's Cemetery, Philadelphia. He was a fine mimic, had a merry eye, a sweet voice, was a superb dancer, had a pug nose, played the fiddle like an angel," and had, probably, the thinnest pair of legs that ever went on the stage. Burke was Joseph Jefferson's half-brother, and Jefferson has been heard to say: "We get as near Burke as we can, and he who gets nearest succeeds best." Burke was excellent as Rip Van Winkle. The lines: "Are we so soon forgot when we are gone?" belong to Burke, not to Boucicault. Burke was not the original representative of Solon Shingle in "The People's Lawyer," as has been often said, but he was the first man to make anything of note out of the character. George G. Spear, who died at the Forrest Home, was the original Solon. Burke was the original Caleb Plummer in "The Cricket on the Hearth." Burke gave Jefferson the play of "Rip Van Winkle," and begged of him not to drink or gamble.

Lydia A. Phillips made her last appearance in New York at this theatre, Oct. 1, 1836, as Lady Macbeth. She married Edward Salzbury (Dec. 20, 1836), a gentleman of New Orleans, La., and left the stage, but only for a few years, as she resumed her profession in Europe. She was a favorite London actress at the Drury Lane Theatre. She first visited this country shortly after Fanny Kemble's great success. Mme. Celeste produced the ballet of "The Maid of Cashmere, or Le Dieu et la Bayadere" here, for the first time in America, Oct. 3, 1836. It took the town by storm, and crowded the theatre for several weeks. Mme. Celeste took a benefit Oct. 17, and presented "Wept of the Wish-ton-Wish." Nov. 15, 1836, a benefit was

given to Thomas Hamblin, when "Henry IV." was produced, with this cast: Hotspur, T. Hamblin; Falstaff, J. H. Hackett; Prince of Wales, G. H. Barrett; Poins, Thos. Flynn; The Carriers, Mitchell and Placide; and Lady Percy, Josephine Clifton. After the play Charlotte Cushman sang "The Sea," followed by the interlude of "Twelve Weeks after Marriage," with Dowton as Old Drugget, G. H. Barrett as Sir Charles Rackett, and Mrs. G. H. Barrett as Lady Rackett. Thos. Flynn delivered an address written for the occasion by Jas. Nack, a deaf and dumb man. This was followed by the farce of "The Irish Tutor," Tyrone Power as Dr. O'Toole; and the evening's performance concluded with "The Wept of the Wish-ton-Wish," Mme. Celeste as Nahramattah. The price of tickets was two dollars each, admitting the bearer to all parts of the house, and the receipts were upwards of three thousand dollars. "La Tentation" was first played here Oct. 26.

This theatre was sold at auction in November, 1836, for $75,000, and purchased by Mr. Mauran, a merchant of this city, and James H. Hackett, and they leased it to James W. Wallack. Mr. Hackett had a private box therein, to which he gave the Bonapartes a standing invitation, of which privilege they almost nightly availed themselves. Gabriel Ravel took a benefit Dec. 17; Celeste commenced Dec. 19, in "Maid of Cashmere; " Wm. R. Blake began an engagement, Dec. 22; Celeste, for her benefit, Dec. 24, appeared in "The Devil's Daughter," and in "The French Spy;" John R. Scott came here January 4, 1837, in "Virginius; " Jan. 5, as Bertulphe in "The Rother of Bruges;" Jan. 6, as St. Pierre in "The Wife;" Jan. 7, Shylock; Jan. 11, "Damon;" and, Jan. 12, " Rob Roy." Pickering appeared as Richard, Jan. 13; J. W. Wallack, Jr., came Jan. 20, as Corporal, in "My Husband's Ghost; " Jan. 26, the opera "The Pirate Boy was sung with Miss Watson as Francesco; Feb. 6, Scott was seen in a melo-dramatic play called "The Star Spangled Banner;" Feb. 17, Scott appeared as "Walder, the Avenger;" March 1, the spectacular play, "Lalla Rookh" was offered, and the season closed March 6, 1837, when Willard & Flynn retired from the management.

The theatre reopened March 20, with J. H. Hackett in "Rip Van Winkle;" the spectacular play "St. George and the Dragon" was given March 29; Hackett appeared as Falstaff, April 17; and as "Paul Pry," April 18; Charlotte Cushman was seen as the Count in "Devil's Bridge," and Tom Tug in "The Waterman," April 27, when the season closed. It reopened May 8, 1837, with "Macbeth," Walton as the Thane, Charlotte Cushman as Lady Macbeth; James Wallack acted Rolla, and Charlotte Cushman, Elvira, in "Pizarro," May 9; May 11, Cushman was seen as Romeo; Wallack as Hamlet, to Cushman's Queen, May 12; Cushman as Meg Merrilies in "Guy Mannering," May 17; she did Alicia in "Jane Shore," May 18; John R. Scott appeared May 23, as Brutus in "Brutus or the Fall of Tar