A   HISTORY   OF   THE
NEW   YORK   STAGE

the coliseum

HE minstrel hall known as The Coliseum was
situated at 448 Broadway, near Grand Street, in
the City Assembly Rooms building, and was
originally a ball-room. It was occupied April 2,
1851, by White & Horn's Ethiopian Minstrels.
Buckley's Serenaders appeared here May 29, 1854,
in the burlesque opera, " Somnambula," with this
cast:

Dan Tucker (Rodolphe)     W. Percival I Liza.......J. J. Mullen

Lazy Joe (Alessio)   R. Bishop Buckley  Aunt Sally (Thereses) T. S. Waddington
Gumbo (Elvino)     G. Swayne Buckley | Deam Darkley (a Notary) J. A. Lonsdale

This house was destroyed by fire Dec. 20, 1854.

THE   CHINESE   ROOMS

A CONCERT hall known as the Chinese Rooms was situated at
539 and 541 Broadway, west side above Spring Street. The
Bloomer company gave their first concert in this country here Sept.
1,1851. They consisted entirely of ladies. The entertainment com¬
prised gems from the opera, English, Scotch, Irish, and French
songs, ballads, duets, and quartets, and several of the new Bloomer
waltzes, polkas, etc., and they appeared in Bloomer costume. Mile.
Nathalie Fitz James, a vocalist from Naples, appeared, and sang
several songs in costume.    The Bloomers closed Sept. 6.

In February, 1852, the name of this place was changed to The
Broadway Casino. A " farewell" concert was given at this house
by W. G. Dietrich, assisted by an orchestra of fifty performers.
Robert Heller, the magician, made his first appearance in America
here, Dec. 20, 1852. John E. Owens played here April 4, with his
entertainment "John Owens' Alpine Rambles," an ascent of Mont
Blanc, founded on events of his European tour, embodying sketches