GOSSIP OF THE THEATRES.
Since the notice of the Italian Opera, which appears in a subsequent page, was written, Fioravanti's comic opera, Le Cantatrici Villane was revived, on Thursday, for the benefit of Lablache. Cerito has returned with increased eclat; and a ballet is in preparation for her by Deshayes. Drury Lane closes for the season on Monday ; when Othello will be played for the benefit of Mr. Anderson, who ventures on the character of the jealous Moor on that occasion, Mr. Macready being the Ingo. The performances of the week have been nearly all for benefits, and as such sacred from critical scrutiny ; which, however, would have been avell borne by such strong casts as those of the Provoked Husband, on Thursday, for the benefit of Mr. and Mrs. Keeley, and of Marino Faliero, last night, for Macready's. At Covent Garden, the German Company have performed Die Zauber- jiotte, Fidelio, Don Juan, and Robert the Devil. A performance is an- nounced to take place on Wednesday for the benefit of their poor fellow-countrymen at Hamburg ; but the particulars are not yet stated.1 At the Haymarket, Mr. and Mrs. C. Kean have played Shylock and Portia in the Merchant of Venice. They are advertised to appear as Jacques and Rosalind in As You Like It, for their benefit, on Monday. 77ie Beaux Stratagem is announced for Tuesday, Mrs. Nishett and Mr. H. Hall playing the leading parts ; and a five-act play by Sheridan Knowles is underlined, of in hich Mr. and Mrs. C. Kean are to be the hero and heroine.
The New Strand reopened with Mr. Selby's dramatic version of his Maximums and Speciments of William Muggins—an erring errand- boy, who quits the shop for the ship, and puts new teeth to worn-out old saws : Mr. Attwood kept the audience in good humour by his drol- lery in the character of a laughing philosopher, who loses all by his propensity to laughter, but getting rich, laughs no more. The burlesque of Macbeth proved a failure. Mr. Balls has joined the company ; and Mr. and Mrs. Keeley are to shake the sides of the visiters on Monday week.
The Lyceum performances are various enough; consisting of operetta, burlesque, ballet, farce, and melodrama. On Monday their corps will be reinforced by Harley and Mrs. Humby, and some novelties are pro- mised.
The Olympic has managed to bring The Sea on its little stage, through the influence of its Jack in the Water; and the Surrey has got Murat for the hero of a grand equestrian spectacle.
At the Music-room in Store Street, on Monday, Mr. Wilson com- menced a new entertainment on English Song—similar in plan to that which he has brought into such unrivalled favour in the case of Scottish Song, and with no inferior success. Wilson has taken complete possession of the national ballads of both countries. The anecdotes of the songs and their authors, with which he illustrated the specimens he intro- duced on Monday, gave a continuous and varied character to the enter- tainment, and gratified the audience almost as much as the singing.
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