THE CRITIC

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 5, 16 October 1880, Page 35

THE CRITIC

Over a column of dramatic jottings are crowded out. The so-called Strauss Band is not, after all the world-famed combination of Johann. Strauss, but a scratch pack of Viennese musicians, picked up by Mr. J. S. Godwin, and led by Herr Kratzl. One of the oldest members of the Conrus Dramatic Club has resigned. The cause is said to be piqiie because another member excelled him in his particular role — light comedy. When Charles Burford had to wear a wig after his head was shaved, Clara Stephenson ran away with it into her dressing room, and Charlie charred a cork over the prompter's gas and drew splendid curls all over his bald pate. The piece was redolent of gags about "cork," "wigging," "cureless," and "putting on airs.' So George Rignold says he is going to return to the colonies at Christmas with Miss Ellen Terry as lending lady. A very nice story truly, only unfortunately it isn't a fact. At his benefit, Mr. Henry Irving announced that Miss Terry's services had been retained for the Lyceum for several yearsj and it is scarcely likely he would make such a statement rashly. My Canterbury correspondent Avrites, "Do you want an action for libel P I ask you because I see that in your first number yoii say that one of the reporting staff of the Lyttelton Times has made a fool of himself by sending a play to Mr. Lingard. I happen to know the reporters of the Times pretty intimately, and con assure you that your information is incorrect. One of the staff, not long ago, was an Aiickland man, and feels sore at the thought tbat his friends in your city should suspect him of the folly of writing a play, to which your complimentary terms could be applied." Jacques Offenbach, the popular composer of half a score of opera bouffes, the news of whose death came by cable last week, was a true Parisian. He revelled in the gay sparkling devil-may-care life of the French Metropolis, and was never so happy as when sitting at the piano, surrounded by half-a-dozen pretty actresses and dancers, playing over his last seductive melody. To Offenbach may be accredited the invention of that naughtiest of quadrilles, the can-can. It was the delirious abandon of his galop in Or-phee aux Enfers that drove the dancers at the Mabile intoi ts extraordinary excess. Nearly all Offenbach's operas have been successful. The best known are "La Grand Duchesse," in which Schneider made such a hit during the exhibition of '67, "Barbeßleue," " La Belle Helene," and " Orphdu aux Enfers." They all lose greatly in the translation from French to English. "La Belle Helene" as performed at the Bouffes, in Paris, is intensely funny, and so is "Les Brigands," another of the maestros earlier works. Offenbach's greatest successes of late years were " La Jolie Parfuineuse," which, despite a very questionable scene, held the boards for many months at the Alhambra " Le ' Eoi Garotte" and "La Fillo dv Tambour Major " now running at the great theatre in Leecester Square.