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Playbill from the Bowery Theatre (New York, New York), September 4, 1839 (Courtesy of the Harvard Theatre Collection)
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Front of Playbill:
Bowery Theatre
GREAT NOVELTY
AND COMBINATION OF ATTRACTION
Seventeenth Night of the Splendid Drama of
Giafar al Barmeki!!
Khatoun....by.... MRS. SHAW
5th night of the
LONG LOW
Black Schooner
A new Nautical Drama founded on the late extraordiary Piracy! Mutiny! & Murder!
4th night of that wonderful and astonishing Artiste, "IL SIGNOR ANDREAS," (The Flying Phenomenon) Whose clasical and picturesque feats have been received by crowded houses with the most enthusiastic applause.
2d appearance of ...THE INFANT PHENOMENON,... LE PETITE ADREAS.
Friday Evening. September 6th, Will be presented, for the 17th time on any Stage, a new Asiatic Historical Drama, in 4 sets, written expressly for this Theatre by the late MRS. LOUISA H. MEDINA HAMBLIN, authoress of "H. MALEDETTO," and other popular Plays, entitled
GIAFAR AL BARMEKI, ----OR THE---- FIRE WORSHIPPERS! -----Dramatis Personae.----- Haroun al RaschidCaliph of Bagdad, Mr. Proctor Giafar al Barmeki, his Visier....................Barry Fadhud[i]la Satrap...............................Milner Moerour,Chief of the Eunuch Guard...........Addis []ahia Ben Khaled, a chief Conspirator of the House of Ali.....................................Powell Black Hassan, a Mute, faithful to Khatoun, Blakely Mahmoud....................................McClusky Chief Dervise.......................................Hall Mahammed....................................Sowerby Iran, the High Priest, or Spirit of Fire.........Foster Kishla, the second Gleber,.....................Taylor Constantine, the Roman Ambassador.........Lewis Ghebers, Imauns, Dervises, Persians, Malays, &c.
Khatoun, Priestess of Mithra, ..Mrs. Shaw Fidhel, the Slave..................Mrs. Shaw The Lost Heir of Ali..............Mrs. Shaw
Princess Abassa...........................Mrs. Proctor Zornaide.....................................Mrs. Verity Haidee.........................................Mrs. Price Bulbul.....................................Mrs. Turnbull Ladies of the Harem, Female Dancers, &c.
----Progamme of Scenery, Inceidents, &c.---- The piece opens with A VIEW OF BAGDAD THE RETURN OF THE PILGRIMAGE FROM MECCA. Grand March and Procession.
1st. A band of Black Eunucks, dressed in white, with Shawls of India around theri waists, and bracelets and collars of gold--marks of splendid slavery. 2d. The Circassians of the Guard, with their Banners and Miliarty Ensings. 3d. A squadron of Malays, from the Indian Archipelago, with Flags and Trophies. 4th. The Kezel Bash, or Red-heads, in bright mail, the Body Guard of Haroun, with the Night and the Shadow, the banners of the House of Abbas. 5th. The Sultan, attended by the Officers of his Court. 6th. The Princess Abassa, in a splendid Palanquin, attended by the Ladies of the Harem. 7th. Venerable Band of Dervises, in robes of blue, with flowing white beards.
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The silver bells of the Muezzin are heard from Bagdad. The Christian Trumpet is heard, and the Caliph receives a messenger from Bagdad, within his SPLENDID TENT! The Sultan, stern and terrible, demands an answer from the Romans---The Vizier produces it.----The sword's sharp edge. THE SHRINE OF MITHRA! Khatoun, the adopted child of the Sun, doomed to fulfil a fatal mision, THE INVOCATION. THE VISION----The Superstition of the Age! The Prophecy! THE MYSTIC SPELL.-------From the sacred Mount of Flame, HALL IN GIAFAR'S PALACE. Khatoun sold for a slave. THE WARNING----"Trust me not." Grand Council Hall of the Sultan! The receptian of the Roman Embassy. THE DEFIANCE!! Blood alone can wash out the stain! THE REGAL ANTI-CHAMBER ________
Turn Over.
Reverse of Playbill:
The Princess Abassa, the rose of Persia, promised to Giafar on his Bride. A dark spot upon the face of pleasure. Love and torture. "Beholding Heaven and feeling hell."
THE ZENANA.
SONG AND CHORUS.--In the Harem's happy Halls,
GRAND BALLET.
Principal Dancer.......................... ......Miss Turnbull
Song---KHATOUN.---See'st thou the dew, as it falls on the flower!
THE BETROTHAL--------Song and Chorus.
THE NUPTIAL BLESSING---The Spirit of Fire forbids the rites!
GRAND TABLEAU.
The Caverns of Mithra!
STREET IN BAGDAD,
The house of Jahia Ben Kaled, brilliantle illuminated. The Traitors signal. The Vizier, in disguise, gains admittance.
GRAND BANQUET HALL---THE CAROUSAL.
CHORUS.----Wine! Wine! Fill high with rosy wine!
The Pledge---- The Vizier discovered and doomed to die. He stands upon the verge of the grave. The mysterious slave aids him in the hour of peril. Fidelity is freedom.
GRAND COMBAT OF 12!!!
GARDENS OF THE BARMEKI PALACE.
BANKS OF THE TIGRIS, by Moonlight,
THE VAULT OF AZRAEL!
The Murdered and the Murderer.
Cave of Death----Where the Ghevers perform the funeral rites.
The Vengeance of Khatoun.
A CHAMBER IN THE PALACE.
The Caliph's Signet Ring. The Pledge produced in vain.--A lesson of Virtue is easy to read, bu tmost difficult to practice. Wild emotions of sorrow and revenge. Giafar dies at Sunset!
PROCESSION OF THE DOOMED!
to the MAGIC ROCKS OF EBLIS.
The Pledge redeemed--The Magic Spell and fearfull doom!
By the dreadful spell--by the magic spoken-- : Blaze forth in destuction, all-glorious fire!
By the last lone link of Royalty broken--- : And be the Temple of Mithra one funeral pyre!
The high Rocks sind with a might crash, and discover
The Temple of Living Fire!!
GRAND TABLEAU.
After which,
IL SIGNOR ANDREAS
Will appear on the Corde Volante, and introduce his original Allegory of
"CUPID AND ZEPHYR,"
In which Le Petite Andreas, only 2 years and a half old,
will appear.
To conclude with, 5th time, an entire new and deeply interesting Nautical Melo-Drama, in 2 acts, written expressly for this Theatre, by a popular author, entitled
THE BLACK SCHOONER
-or the-
Pirate Slaver Armistad!
Pedro Montes, Captain of the Schooner, and owner of the Slaves ..........Mr. Foster
Cabrero, ...... Mate of the Schooner ................................................Powell
Juan Ruez, Supercargo of the Schooner, and son-in-law of Montes ...............Hall
Lazarillo, overseer of the Slaves .......................................................Gates
Zemba Cinques, an African, Chief of the Mutineers, .............................Proctor
Cudjo, a deformed Dumb Negro .....................................................Taylor
Diego...........................Sowerby : Sancho....................................Nelson
Officers, crew of the Washington, Sailors, Slaves &c.
Inez, daughter of Pedro, and wife of Juan....................................Mrs. Phillips
Synopsis of Scenery, Incidents, &c.
The Schooner at Anchor in the Harbor of Havana!
CHORUS - A jovial glass.
The Armistad gets under weigh, passes the Moro Castle, and stands out to sea.
CABIN OF THE SCHOONER - THE HISTORY OF ZEMBA!
The hold of the Schooner - The wretched Slaves! - Zemba Cingues and
Cabrero - A guilty conscience! - The Blow - A friend at hand.
THE OATH OF VENGEANCE.
The Cabin - Apprehension of Danger!
Deck of the Schooner by Night - The rising STORM.
THE SLAVES, LED BY ZEMBA CINGUES, FORCE the HATCHWAY!
MUTINY and MURDER!
TABLEAU.
ACT 2 - The Cabin of the Schooner - Inez the Captive of Zemba Cingues - Her terrible doom - The timely rescue - Cudjo forced to surrender his intended victim. "A friend in need." The Hold - The Captives, Pedroand Juan. Lazarillo a man of some influence and consequence. The course of the vessel changed. Prospects of liberation.
The Cabin of the Schooner! The Council of Zemba Cingues - His determination to
Blow up the Schooner!
"No you dont', - the Yankees are on board of you - Boys and all, here they come!"
The descent through the Sky-light! - The Pirates surrounded by
The Gallant Tars of the United Staes Brig Washington.
Denoument --- Fate of Cingues! -- GRAND TABLEAU.
The Manager has the pleasure of announcing an engagement, for a limited number of nights, with the celebrated.
M'lle. Celeste
Due notice will be given of her first appearance.
