... DRAMA. GAIETY THEATRE. FOR a brief interlude before the dispersion of the Gaiety company, or perhaps we should rather say its transfer to another theatre to make way first for the Hanlon Lees and then for the French plays, Sheridan's Critic has been placed oil the stage. Into the question how far it is really legitimate to gag this most amusing of burlesques we need not enter here. Custom has ...

... . A NEW comedy by Mr. G. R. Douglass, entitled Rival Candidates, was very successfully produced at the Folly Theatre last Wednesday morning. The test afforded by the reception of a play by an audience such as assembles to witness trial trips of this nature is by no means trustworthy, and we should hesitate to say that Rival Candidates, as the new piece is called, has sufficient strength to ...

... MTSS VAITGHAN'S BENEFIT. Miss Kate Vaughan's benefit took place at the Gaiety Theatre on Wednesday, and was largely attended. The pro ceedings opened with Mr. Peyton Wrey's musical trifle, A Pair of Them, in which Miss Rose replaced Miss Wadman as Mrs. Merryweather, the young lady who, in the disguise of au Arcadian shepherdess, returns from a masked ball at three o'clock in the morning to ...

... MUSIC. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA. WITHIN the last week three additions have been made to the repertory of the season at Covent Garden. Respecting La Sonnambula, produced on Saturday last, little needs saying. The cast included Mme. Albani, whose impersonation of Amina strikingly illustrated the remarkable progress she has made, both as vocalist and actress, since she first appeared in England. Mme. ...

... review of new music. CHAPPELL & Co. 50, New Bond-street.-- The following songs have recently been published by Messrs. Chappell & Co.:-- Old dreams, 4s., words by S. Doudney, music by A. Cellier. The words, if not original in conception, are graceful and poetical, the melody is sympathetic, and the song deserves to become popular.-- The old oak tree, 4s., words by M. B. Edwards, music by R ...

... . THE lady who makes of her beauty a sort of saleable com modity, whose husband thrives upon her good looks, and whose place in society depends upon her features, affords a fair subject for satire of the simple-minded and obvious order. Since satirical attack brings with it notoriety, if not fame for its object, the professional beauty will probably be well pleased that she has cut by Mrs. ...

... . ABOUT Mr. Albery's new comedy, foolishly entitled Jacks and Jills, the less that is said the better. It seems, indeed, by no means improbable that the unfortunate piece may be removed from the programme before this notice appears in print, unless the extent of the failure be relied upon by the management as a possible attraction to a curious public. Good taste is not generally a prevailing ...

... ROYAL ALIIAMBRA. A NEW ballet, entitled Fiona, was produced on Tuesday last at the Royal Alhambra Theatre, with original music expressly composed by Signor Fabio Campana. He has leng been renowned for fertility of melody, and while his reputation in this respect is sustained by the abundance of graceful and elegant melodies to be found in the score of Diona, he has also shown himself to be ...

... . THE Carl Rosa opera season at Her Majesty's Theatre com menced on Saturday last with a performance of Herr Richard Wagner's early opera, Rienzi. It will be remembered that it was with this work the Carl Rosa season of 1879 began and that the mise en scène was of the most gorgeous and tasteful kind. On Saturday last the spectacular effects which excited so much attention last season were all ...

... :Vural1n[OTE s_ THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR finds the average price of English grain as follows:-- Wheat, 44s.; barley, 31s. 6d.; oats, 20s. 7d.-- a total of 96s. Id. against 106s last year for the three q ...

... SATURDAY ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS.-- The fourth and last of the present series of concerts was the most interesting of all-- more especially so on account of the production of a new symphony from the pen o ...

... THE VAUDEVILLE Theatre has of late been as unfortunate in the pieces produced by the management as it was at one time the reverse. Our Boys, as will be remembered, enjoyed a length of days altogether ...