The audiences to be seen here are always in full dress,
and the toilettes of the ladies, to say nothing of the beauty of many of
the fair ones, offer a great attraction to sight-seers.

Niblo's Theatre, or as it is generally called, "Niblo's Garden," is
situated in the rear of the Metropolitan Hotel, with an entrance on
Broadway. It is one of the largest and handsomest theatres in the city,
and by far the coolest in warm weather. It is devoted principally to the
spectacular drama. It was here that the famous spectacle of the Black
Crook was produced. Its revival is to take place before these pages are
in print, and it will probably be continued throughout the remainder of
the season.

[Picture: ACADEMY OF MUSIC.]

The Olympic is a large, old-fashioned theatre, on Broadway, between
Houston and Bleecker streets. It is devoted to pantomime, and is famous
as the headquarters of the erratic genius who calls himself Humpty
Dumpty.

The Old Bowery Theatre, situated on the thoroughfare from which it takes
its name, below Canal street, is the only old theatre left standing in
the city. Three theatres have preceded it on this site, and all have
been destroyed by fire. Within the last few years, the interior of the
present theatre has been greatly modernized. The plays presented here
are of a character peculiarly suited to that order of genius which
despises Shakspeare, and hopes to be one day capable of appreciating the
Black Crook. "Blood and thunder dramas," they are called in the city.
The titles are stunning--the plays themselves even more so. A writer in
one of the current publications of the day gives the following truthful
picture of a "Saturday night at the Bowery:"

[Picture: THE OLD BOWERY THEATRE.]

"I had not loitered long at the entrance after the gas blazed up, when
from up the street, and from down the street, and from across the street,
there came little squads of dirty, ragged urchins--the true gamin of New
York. These at once made a gymnasium of the stone steps--stood on their
heads upon the pavements or climbed, like locusts, the neighboring
lamp-posts; itching for mischief; poking fun furiously; they were the
merriest gang of young dare-devils I have seen in a long day. It was not
long before they were recruited by a fresh lot of young 'sardines' from
somewhere else--then they went in for more monkey-shines until the door
should be unbarred. They