After which, first time in New York, the grand opera, in three acts, by

The whole under the direction of SIGNOR VALTELLINI.
The orchestra will comprise thirty-two Professors.

Leader and Director, SIG. RAPETTI.
DJ. ETIENNE.

Maestro and Director of the Chorus,

The Drop Curtain by SIGNORS GUIDICINI and MONACHESSI. The architectural Scenery painted by SIG. M. BRAGALDI, assisted by SIG. MOLINI and others. The Landscape Scenery by MR. P. GRAIN.

Box office opened from to to 4 o'clock for obtaining tickets.

Arrangements have been made by the management with the Railroad Company for the accommodation of ladies and gentlemen living up town, so that a large car, well lighted and warmed, will start after the theatre closes, and police officers will be in attendance to prevent disorder. The car will run from the corner of Chambers and Centre Streets, as far as Forty-second Street.

"La Sonnambula" was given May 11, for the first time in this city in Italian, followed May 22 by "L'Elisir d'Amore," for the first time in New York in Italian. The season closed June 14, but was resumed July 1 for Mme. Ceriti Damoreau, who sang in "L' Italiani in Algeri." The next season began Nov. 18, and closed Jan. 25, 1845

It was not with the great singers that Palmo found his final difficulty, for these cormorants gauged their digestion according to the receipts of the house; for, knowing their presence to be the attraction, without which the house must close, they simply extorted from the management every cent in his till, leaving the more obscure members of the company unprovided for. Poor Palmo had vainly imagined that the poor dependents of the house would, like him, wait until some signal dispensation of Providence should restore the fallen hopes of the operatic drama. He was disappointed, for he had never read the parable of the bellows-blower, as an appendage to the organ. The decisive night came with La Borghese in all the stateliness of her beauty and the irresistible attractiveness of her smile. A large audience was in attendance, and everything prophesied a favorable turn to Palmo's fortunes. The opera selected was one of Borghese's master rôles; the overture was played with a delicacy and accuracy which fairly astonished the house, for never did orchestra so far excel itself; then came the opening choruses, which were executed with a similar degree of excellence. Palmo and his admirers were delighted; the hitch in his day-dream was apparently shaken out, and a revived

future dawned before him. Then Borghese, the magnificent, stalked with queen-like tread to the centre of the footlights, and opened her arched mouth to sing a solo which was the feature of the opera. To her astonishment, no symphony, no delicate harmony accompanied her movements or heralded her approach. In perplexity, she gazed upon the leader of the orchestra, indignantly she stamped her foot to arouse him to a sense of duty; but that dignitary remained in his chair, his violin firmly tucked under his arm. Borghese raved in vituperative Italian; the audience hissed at the obdurate orchestrans, for all the musicians imitated their leader and discarded their usual implements of toil. Finally, Palmo came on the stage and excitedly demanded the cause of the musicians' strike. "No pay," curtly answered a Teuton, quietly taking his cornet to pieces. "Pay you to-morrow!" shouted Palmo, in a state of frenzy., "To-night's the time," suggested the cornet player, as he snapped the lock of his instrument case. A bright idea struck Palmo, so, whispering to Borghese to amuse the audience with a bit of pantomime for a moment, he rushed around to the box office, there to draw from the receipts of the night sufficient to appease the rebellious orchestra. To his horror he found the entire treasury, bills, specie, and coppers, in the hands of a deputy sheriff. Poor Palmo fainted, while the magnificent Borghese, breathing vengeance against the musicians, attempted to execute a grand aria without their aid. The effort was a success; but amid the thunders of applause greeting this Amazonian defiance, the orchestra tranquilly disappeared with their instruments under their arms, leaving the queen-like Borghese and the remainder of her associates to raise music from some other quarter than from the deserted orchestra. This grand strike of the fiddlers terminated Palmo's career as an opera director. Palmo introduced among us some of the finest artists who have appeared upon the lyric stage. Pico, Borghese, Castellan and others of celebrity, the rivalry of whose friends and admirers created a passing furore, which aided the operatic treasury for the moment.

After the Palmo collapse the theatre stood at the mercy of sheriff's officers, landlords, substitutes, and every species of legal officials charged with creditors' rights. It was rented for almost every kind of theatrical exhibition, and after the affairs of Palmo's estate became slightly out of chaos, it was occupied by various. companies, some of them of considerable merit.

For a few nights commencing Aug. 17, 1844, the original Ethiopian Serenaders held forth, including Harrington, Stanwood, and Dick Pelham. This house was the cradle of negro minstrelsy. It was here that the white waistcoats and black trousers (not worn by the original minstrel band) flourished when it was known as Dumbleton's Opera House, and here Lynch, Kavanagh, Nelson Kneass

and orbem performed in tacse burlesques that S. S. Sanford and the Bickley made vo popular Nelson Kacass was in a Pr de,pria He was in the shorts at the Fark Theatre, tos on, fr leven pan, and about thy he turned as attention to degra a mtace to suppose that he was the abor fba bek That song was int sng a the Bowery Ampts theatre thla city, about 1égo, by John Gossia, the clown. It has had more than one air. The by which it is best known case to it by accident Knezus happened to be in Fittsburg, Fa, and was alked to vet Ben Bolt to male Koeass was a clever musician. but his fame as a composer rests solely upon his chance connection with “Ben Bolt" He may have claimed it without any qualification, and thus have gives rise to the idea that he was both com poser and poe Mr. Kneass died at Chillicothe, Chic, Sept. 10, 19 He had married a Park Theatre vocalist, who was drowned about 1837

In September, 1943, Tacs Dunn English wrote Ben Bolt," and it was published in Gen. F. Morris New York Mirror, Sept. 2. It became popular everywhere It was sung in the streets of London, and replies to it and parodies of it abounded among the ballad singers. A domestic drama of which the song formed the basis was written and played at Burton's Chambers Street

Theatre.

On Nov. 9, William Chippendale opened this house for a short season of bailet, and Mile. Augusta made her first appearance in this city, since her return from Europe, in "La Giselle." Nov. 23, Samuel Lover, the Irish author and humorist, appeared here and continued for a few nights in an entertainment of his own. Edward Lafayette Tilton made his first appearance on the stage at this house during the season of 1844 He played Beauseant in "The Lady of Lyons. Mr. Tilton died at Birmingham, Ala., 1887. An accident that happened to Mr. Tilton during his brief association with Wilkes Booth at Mary Provost's (originally Brougham's Lyceum) Theatre (1861) caused a great deal of talk at the time. He was doing Richmond to Wilkes Booth's Richard III., and in the fencing scene the infuriated tyrant got so excited that he forced his opponent over the footlights into the orchestra. Although Mr. Tilton's shoulder was broken by the fall, he continued the part after being lifted to the stage, and fenced on with his left hand.

William E. Dinneford leased this house and opened it April 7, 1845. It was at this theatre that George Vandenhoff and his daughter Charlotte attempted to revive the classic tragedy "Antigone," with a facsimile of a Greek theatre and stage and Mendelssohn's music. A new Grecian proscenium was painted, and a double stage erected. The tragedy, produced in Athens 450 years

before the Christian era, had been translated into English by W. Bartholomew. Vandenhoff had been a very popular actor with the "pitites" of the National Theatre; his daughter was an uncommonly clever girl, universally admired, but Vandenhoff himself was now merely tolerated. It was expected that with Miss. Vandenhoff in "Antigone," and Mendelssohn's sublime music, the piece would prove not only a success but a standard revival. A very large and critical audience assembled and listened intently to the play, but soon grew weary at the monotony of the dialogue and the absence of change in scenery, notwithstanding the stray gems of the great musical composer. The piece would assuredly have proved a failure, when a wag in the pit brought matters to a serious consummation. A messenger, dressed as a soldier, with shield upon his arm, mounted upon the stage, and, kneeling before the king, delivered messages of about five words in length. After performing this caper some dozen times, he finally mounted the stage and delivered this awful piece of intelligence: "My lord, Antigone is dying." The messenger's shield had been decorated with alternate rings of black and white, after the manner of a target. There he was kneeling, with this weapon, occupying the centre of the stage, when an inveterate tobacco chewer, evidently a practiced hand, flung a quid plumb on the centre of the target – a shot clean in the bull's-eye. This piece of waggery brought down the house, and the absurdity of the entire piece burst upon the audience, who hailed the descent of the curtain with unrestrained mirth and laughter. In January, 1853, George Vandenhoff returned to Europe. In August, 1855, he returned to this country, and three days after his arrival was married to Miss Makeah, a lady who had appeared at the Winter Garden Theatre. In November, 1858, Mr. Vandenhoff was admitted to practice at the bar. He possessed a commanding figure, graceful gestures, and an open and manly countenance, a voice of strong and pleasing quality, and he walked the stage with grace and dignity.

During the summer of 1846, Edwin P. Christy's Minstrels had possession of the house, making their New York début Aug. 22. James H. Hackett leased the theatre in the fall of 1846. Mlle. Blangy danced here. Messrs. Chippendale and John Sefton were engaged to manage it by a Mr. Smith, who had a carpet store on Broadway, and the season was one of the shortest on record - one night only. Jan. 4, 1847, an Italian opera season was begun under the management of Signors Sanguinico S. Patti (father of Adelina Patti) and Pogliani. "Linda di Chamounix" was presented for the first time in America, with Clotilda Barili as Linda. March 3, "I Lombardi" was sung. This season terminated March 31. April 9 began another season of Italian opera, but this lasted only until June 7, 1847.

John Sefton became the manager, Aug. 11, 1847, and opened Aug. 16, with the Ravel Family and a dramatic company, including Charles Walcot, T. Placide, Byrne, Vache, Constantia Clarke, Mary Taylor, Mrs. Watts and Mrs. Henry. The season closed Oct. 2. Mlle. Augusta opened Dec. 15, with a ballet troupe and a German vaudeville company; but the latter, after performing two nights, gave place to a detachment of the Park Theatre company, consisting of John Dyott, W. B. Chapman, Frank Rea, D. Anderson, John Povey, Mmes. Vernon, Abbot, Knight and Dyott. John Dyott appeared Dec. 17, and remained until January, 1848.

William E. Burton was the next lessee. The theatre had terribly run down, and Burton's speculation was regarded as a suicidal affair. He opened, however, July 10, 1848, and gave it

his own name.

BURTON'S CHAMBERS STREET THEATRE

THE

HE whole establishment had a thorough renovation; a new proscenium was erected, and private boxes constructed; a new drop curtain was painted by Mr. Hielge. John Brougham was stage manager. "Maidens, Beware!" "Raising the Wind," "The Irish Dragoon," and three ballet divertisements by the Viennoise children formed the initial programme. In the first piece Joseph Grosvenor and Mrs. Jane Hill (right name Hilson, being the wife of Charles Hilson, stage doorkeeper, and afterwards known as Mrs. W. E. Burton) made their first appearance in this city. James E. Dunn joined the company on the opening night. He played Fizgig in "The Irish Dragoon" and Fainwould in "Raising the Wind. Dunn, E. N. Thayer, and Mrs. Hughes were brought on by Burton from his Arch Street Theatre (Philadelphia) company. Mr. Dunn remained about one month, when he went to the Old Bowery, opening there Aug. 14, 1848, as Prince Felix in "Cinderella.

Mr.

On July 13 Oliver B. Raymond first appeared in New York as Matty Marvellous in "The Miller's Maid." On the 18th, Edwin Varrey and Mrs. Thos. J. Hind made their New York début. "Dombey and Son" was first produced July 24, with this cast:

"Dombey and Son" was a failure on its first production; it had a run of four consecutive nights, and after one more representation it was shelved. The first night's receipts were under the expenses,