Press Clippings for the week ending
Saturday, 18 May 2002
A random selection of cuttings
from newspapers and magazines
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* * * * * * * * The Brothers Rizareli, Spanish acrobats, New York, 1869
‘New York Circus. - Houp la! The circus, in addition to its spangles, its trained ponies and clowns, has another sensation, and this time a genuine one. The Brothers Rizareli, two fine specimens of Spanish acrobatic manhood, made their first bow before an American audience last evening at this establishment, and were warmly received. Their forte is the double flying trapeze, and the grace, ease and dexterity with which they performed their hazardous feats fairly carried the house by storm. Flying backward and forward across the transept, changing bars with each other, hanging by their feet and turning somersaults in midair while flying from bar to bar, are only a few of the many dangerous maneuvers which they executed with such skillful grace and dexterity as to call forth from the large audience present the heartiest rounds of applause. So completely carried away by the performance were those present that upon its termination cheer upon cheer rent the air, even the ladies joining in the excitement of the moment, and before the audience could be apparently satisfied the daring brothers were three separate times called into the ring. Beyond a doubt it is one of the best exhibitions of the kind with which this city has ever been favored, and was evidently so regarded by those who witnessed it last night, and it cannot fail to prove an attractive card. Besides skill, the brothers Rizareli have youth and good looks in their favor, and will evidently become as great favorites with the fair as with the rougher sex.’ * * * * * * * * Garibaldi’s niece on a music hall bill, London, 1878
‘I have not been to a music hall for some time, but I paid a visit the other night to the Royal, at which they are just now giving a very good entertainment. I wonder how many years ago it is since I first saw Mrs. F.R. Phillips? I was very pleased to see her again, and to find her singing as well as ever. There was a ventriloquist, too - a Mr. C. Young, much more clever, in my opinion, than the Lieutenant Cole, who appeared in this year’s Gaiety [Theatre] pantomime [Jack the Giant Killer] - and a Mlle. Rose Garibaldi (described in the bill as the niece of the General), whose services some West-end theatrical manager would do well to secure.’ * * * * * * * * The Theatre Queue, London, 1910
‘One of the most difficult questions under discussion at the moment is that which refers to the rights of pitties and galleryites to hire place-holders in the theatre queues. While those who patiently wait for the opening of the doors think it very unfair that others should be allowed to pay messenger boys to wait for them, there are many enthusiastic playgoers who are physically unable to stand the strain of a long wait in a theatre queue. If these people are unable to afford the price of circle or stall tickets they would be precluded from going at all unless they could pay others a small sum to wait for them. We do not think the real objection lies so much in the principle of "place-holding" as in the thoughtlessness of some people who hire objectionable men for that purpose.’ * * * * * * * * Ballroom dancing by searchlight, London, 1923
‘Dark Dances. If there is one stunt more than any other which I detest, and I know there are hundreds who will agree with me, it is the habit of turning out the lights and playing a searchlight on the dancers. When this searchlight catches your eyes it is impossible to see where you are steering to, and some day there will be a very nasty accident. For some reason or other this is done when a valse is played - is it to hide our bad valsing? - and when only one valse figures on the programme it is annoying to have it spoiled by this tomfoolery.’ |
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© John Culme, 2002