THE THEATRES.
LENT iS usually a season of stagnation in theatrical matters; but one or two trifling novelties have varied the "chartered dulness" of the first week of this season of short commons and long faces to poor players.
The Olympic, which has been trading very prosperously on its old
stock of entertainments for these few weeks past, has added a fresh commodity of the usual light and pleasant character. Mr. HAYNES BAYLY has taken a very amusing method of reminding the public of an item in the list of degrees of propinquity within which wedlock is prohibited, that seldom requires to be appealed to,—namely, that You Can't Marry your Grandmother ; and at the same time, he shows that
you may marry your first cousin. A gay young fellow, who being one of the class of " desirablee," runs the round of parties during the fashionable season, to the neglect of his pretty cousin, is brought to his sober senses by a plot of his grandfather, who pretends that he has
himself married the young lady. The drama is of the slightest and simplest construction, and the dialogue is not remarkable for brilliancy; but the perfect personation of every character, and the finished style of the getting-up, made it not only agreeable, but laughable. VESTA'S and CHARLES MATHEWS are the lovers; arid FAHREN is the old man, enamoured of himself, and strongly inclined to realize his pretended marriage. Mrs. ORGER, as a lady's maid with a strong matrimonial tendency—Vit.:ore, as a chivalrous exquisite of the tiger species—and KEELEY, as a page, in his hobledehoyood, impatient of the jacket, and ambitious of a long-tailed coat, notwithstanding some misgivings as to showing his calves beneath the splendour of red plush—contributed materially to the fun. The patois of the servant's hall is done justice to, both by author and actors. At the St. James's, HARLEY creates prodigious laughter by his gri- maces as lilaball, a retailer of scandal of the Paul Pry species, in a burletta with the ORlillOtIS title of The Fatal Secret. The state of horror and perplexity to which Blaball is reduced by haring the secret of a pretended plot confided to him, which he dares not reveal, is most ludicrously evinced by HA111.1:1'S contortions of limb and visage. The popular ditty of Jenny Junes was brought out here in a dramatic shape on St. David's Day ; Mr. and Mrs. CAULFIELD supporting the principal characters, very pleasantly, and introducing sonic pretty singing. YATES, determined not to close the Adelphi on the "holy nights," has with characteristic promptitude got up, on the spur of the moment, a really excellent entertainment of sacred music, with the customary sprinkling of secular strains, for the Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent: IIANDEL and BEETHOVEN were never heard in the Adelphi before, we dare say; and seldom in any other theatre to better advantage. The house, with its low flat ceiling, conveyed the sound to an effect which surprimed us. The orchestra, led by Moat, performed with fire and pre- ci-ion the overture to Der Freischutz went admirably. Miss SHER.. RIFF, WILSON, and LFFELE.R are the principal vocalists ; but last night an apology was made for WILSON'S absence, on the account of hoarse- ness. 111.vivi.as supplied his place very creditably.
At last we have some definite information as to the opening of the Italian Opera—or, as it is called par excellence, " Her Majesty's Theatre." The 17th is now named : this is a later date for the com- mencement of the season than we remember for many years ; but the_ season promises to be brilliant as well as briet'. PERSIANI, the new prima donna, is, we hear, more of the SONTAG than the GRIM; Madame BO:BRUN IS also added to the company ; and Atmearazzt NIA ASSANDRI remain. Guist will come after Easter, with RUBINI, (for his last season,) TANIBURINI, and LABLACHE. DUEREZ, the tenor of the Italian opera at Paris, was mentioned, but we do not hear that he is engaged. A new tenor of some repute, Signor Moatarn, and two other male vocalists, BORANI and Moitew, will strengthen the corps. The chorus, too, thanks to the Queen's interference, will be reformed. The theatre will open with La Sonnambula, PERSIANI being the heroine. An opera of DONIZETTeS, Lucia di Lammer- moor, (from Scorr's story,) will be the earliest novelty ; Inez dc Castro. 11 Giuramenle, and others, one by Baur: among them, are meeriltioned : nay, even Fiyaro is talked of—which would be a novelty
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