Amusements.

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1706, 22 June 1874, Page 2

Amusements.

ACADEMY OP MUSIC

Theattendanceatthe Academy of Music during last week might be taken as a very good indication, of the popularity which Smith's Combination Troupe have attained. For four nights xn the week the weather was very bad, about the worst we have had during the winter. On one night there was literally a flood, the approach to the theatre bemg ankle deep in water, and the tide actually invading the theatre itself, driving the orchestra from its place. In of these discouraging influences, however, people ventured from iheir homes, and a good business was done, culminating in crowded houses on Friday and Saturday nights, besides an afternoon performance on Saturday at which about 1500 children and numerous adult** attended. The troupe have certainly done the best business of any company visiting the-Thames for a long time, and- the genial entrepreneur will not be likely to pass by this district should he at some fu'ure;tim'e visit the province in his character of a showmpn. The liberal patronage accorded to the Combination Troupe has not been undeserved. In many respects the troupe are immeasurably superior to anything seen here before. The ventriloquism was a new feature to many, and it was by no means the least attractive portion of the performances to which the troupe treated us. Mr. Val Vose has a happy knack of manipulating his figures, and sufficient humour to avail himself of circumstances as they occur in order to give variety to his dialogue ; at the same time he eschews everything of an objectionable nature. Of the singing of Mr. St. Vincent and Mdlle. Montebello, it may be sufficient to say that their duets have apparently given unmixed pleasure to a large portion of the audience nightly, the' local songs of the gentleman being especially remarkable for eliciting a noisy applause; This was thecase on Saturday night wlien " Familiar Faces " was sunr, a ditty harmless in itself, but introduced by personal references scarcely in keeping with the professions of the singer that he did not wish to give offence. No one imagines that Mr. St. Vincent would wish to give offence, but from the nature of his business he is scarcely competent to judge of what is offensive to private citizens, and he will do well to import as few personalities as possible into his songs and speeches if he wishes to be believed in his protestations. Airec, who is described as the monarch of the air, went through his performance with unparalleled grace and daring. He certainly is unequalled in hi 3 line, and the various feats he enacted on the swinging trapeze were watched with most intense interest. He puts the Japanese slack rope people in the shade altogether. The De Castro family's act on the swinging rings and trapeze, with car-pest.and pyramid business, were loudly applauded on Saturday night. The little ones j have made themselves general favorites. % Nothing but urgent engagements elsevrhere can have induced Mr. Smith to withdraw his company from the Thames wi£h.«s'uch a prospect of paying houses before; him as that afforded by the crammedJioiise of Saturday night. i