" Begone Dull Care."

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4482, 17 May 1883, Page 2

" Begone Dull Care."

There was a crowded audience at the Academy of Muaic last night, it being the occasion of Frederick Maccabe's first appearance here in his world renowned entertainment bearing the above appropriate title. It is almost unnecessary for us to criticise the performance, as all the characters pourtrayed by Mr Maccabe were simply perfect. His first, that of a prosy old gentleman attempting to make an after-dinner speech " on this occasion " was capital. Lover's well known aong (accompauied ou the pianoforte by the singer) "I'm not myself at all" was grandly rendered, and never before have we heard the humor of song so well brought out. As Miss Mary May, and the '" fascinating fellow " he was also very good—in the first named more especially, but, to our mind, his pourtrayal of the "Wandering Minstrel" was by far the best of the evening. It is impossible to give by the pen anyone not present anything like a faithful picture of the street musician— Maccabe must be seen in the character. Without doubt it is the cleverest and most faithful reprepentative of that tpye of musician ever delineated on the boards of the Academy, or probably in the colony. As a ventriioguist Mr Maccabe takes high rank, that part of the entertainment being most enjoyable. In the second part as a railway porter, a Lancashire lad, and as an Irish philosopher, he was very good indeed, the several dialects being capitally imitated. The songs, too, which accompany each pourtrayal are very taking, some of them, especially the serenade " Ceaae thy Reposing," and the one eung by Terry O'Mulligan, " My Galloping Horse," being very popular. To-night there will be a change of programme, the burlesque drama entitled, " Vanquished Villainy; or, Virtue Triumphaht," being placed on the boards. This piece, in which all the characters are taken ] byilr Maccabe, is spoken of by the Press of both England and the colonies in very flattering terms, and large as the house was last night, we fully expect to see even a more crowded one to-night, for the simple reason that the " show " is the best we have ever had on the Thames.