The NY Times archive is proving an absolute treasure trove.
Here's an extract from an article from February 5, 1869:
"THEATRICAL.; The Burlesque Madness.
An epidemic, which the Board of Health is powerless to arrest, has seized upon New-York and infects it in every part, counting its victims by the tons of thousands. It may be called the Mania for Burlesque. Slight touches of it have always been felt among us. Once there was an infected spot called Mitchell's Olympic, where it flourished in every season; after that nest was swept away by advancing civilization, it came upon us intermittently - like some worse things - in the heat of the Midsummer term, at Wallack's and other places. A French variety seized upon the vitals of this city over a year ago and held tenaciously to its stake; then the last - the most overwhelming and the most irresistable kind of the disorder, the English, (Blonde) in the moment of our weakness, swooped upon us, and we are now hopelessly ill of it, even if we are not yet quite sick of it!
At Niblo's Garden it has broken out with unparalleled intensity; at Wood's Museum it has renewed its vigor; at the Theatre Comique it riots amid fresh victims, and the wise ones tell us that it will soon break out at the Waverly Theatre - by which name the once Hope(less) Chapel is to be hereafter known.
The distinguishing symptom of the epidemic is a singular and easily detected appearance of masses of light and golden hair on the stage of the afflicted theatre; after this symptom the spectator is appalled by observing a tendency in the patients to dispossess themselves of their clothing, and it requires the greatest exertion to keep anything on them; then follows a series of piercing screams called comic singing, distorted and incoherent ravings called puns, and finally, strong convulsions, denominated breakdowns and walk-arounds. Exhaustion supervenes after a fit of two or three hours each night"
Here's an extract from an article from February 5, 1869:
"THEATRICAL.; The Burlesque Madness.
An epidemic, which the Board of Health is powerless to arrest, has seized upon New-York and infects it in every part, counting its victims by the tons of thousands. It may be called the Mania for Burlesque. Slight touches of it have always been felt among us. Once there was an infected spot called Mitchell's Olympic, where it flourished in every season; after that nest was swept away by advancing civilization, it came upon us intermittently - like some worse things - in the heat of the Midsummer term, at Wallack's and other places. A French variety seized upon the vitals of this city over a year ago and held tenaciously to its stake; then the last - the most overwhelming and the most irresistable kind of the disorder, the English, (Blonde) in the moment of our weakness, swooped upon us, and we are now hopelessly ill of it, even if we are not yet quite sick of it!
At Niblo's Garden it has broken out with unparalleled intensity; at Wood's Museum it has renewed its vigor; at the Theatre Comique it riots amid fresh victims, and the wise ones tell us that it will soon break out at the Waverly Theatre - by which name the once Hope(less) Chapel is to be hereafter known.
The distinguishing symptom of the epidemic is a singular and easily detected appearance of masses of light and golden hair on the stage of the afflicted theatre; after this symptom the spectator is appalled by observing a tendency in the patients to dispossess themselves of their clothing, and it requires the greatest exertion to keep anything on them; then follows a series of piercing screams called comic singing, distorted and incoherent ravings called puns, and finally, strong convulsions, denominated breakdowns and walk-arounds. Exhaustion supervenes after a fit of two or three hours each night"
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