Public Amusements.

Arthur . " The principal scene , the transformation , drew forth the most hearty and well-merited applause , its beauty and brilliancy filling the vast audience at once with surprise and admiration ; and the same remark may be applied to much other scenery presented during the evening , Altogether , the pantomine was a decided success , and the house was filled to overflowing . ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA , COVENT GARDEN .

The performance at this house commenced with the operetta of "The Marriage of Georgette , " the principal character in which was , of course , allotted to Miss Pyue , wdio rendered the music in her usual delightful manner . The pantomime was necessarily the great feature of the evening . It is from the pen of Mr . J . A . Bridgman , and is entitled "Blue Beard ; or , Harlequin and Freedom in her IslandHome . " The transformation scene fully developed one whichfor magnificence and effectcan scarcely be equalled

, , , much less surpassed . The scene alone would-he sufficient to render tho pantomime one of the most attractive of the season ; but it is so full of other " novel features " ancl striking effects that it must enjoy a very long run . The dialogue was fully up to the average , if not somewhat in advance , of the usual productions of the class , and at various points much applause was elicited , and au unusually strong pantomimic company has been engaged .

DRURY-LANE . The comedy of "Adventures of a Billot-doux , " ~ on AVednesday , was followed by the new grand comic Christmas Annual , under the title of " Peter AVilkins ; or , Harlequin and the Flying Women of the Loadstone Island . " The transformation scene represents the great gathering of the winged women at the trysting place by the spreading banian tree , with the descent of the Giumms and Gawrles , borne through the air on their beautiful wings . This is

really a . masterpiece of the scenic art ; the artistic taste evinced hi the varying tableaux , the splendid costumes , and the beautiful effect of the artificial lights introduced are splendid ; though , on the first representation , we cannot expect that tile machinery will work with perfect regularity . The "Elfin Land in the Crystal Sphere " was also very prettily executed ; and , indeed , the whole of the scenery reflects much credit upon Mr . William Beverley . Indeed , the pantomime may be regarded as a complete success .

HAYMARKET . The " little theatre" in the Haymarkct has always been a favourite with the public , and no house has suffered less from the mutations of fashion and the changes in the manners and habits of the people . At Christmas we have rarely anything to record with regard to the opening piece of the evening , but on this occasion there is an exception to the rule , inasmuch as Miss Stirling made her first appearance on these boards as Miss Hardcastle in

Goldsmith ' s celebrated comedy of " She Stoops to Conquer , " which was most admirably east ; and , notwithstanding the holidays , received great attention . She is young and pretty , and having evidently studied in a good school , made all her points with an archness and vivacity that at once established her as a favourite with the audience , who repeatedly applauded . But the grand event of the evening wasof coursethe pantomimewhich is

, , , entitled " Queen Ladybird and her Children ; or , Harlequin and the House on Fire . " The transformation scene , exhibiting the effects of real water , was most gorgeous , though there was some difficulty with the mechanical arrangements . On the whole the new pantomime , despite the drawbacks incident on the first representation , must be pronounced a decided success , and when the machinery is brought into proper working order , ancl the comic , business judiciously

curtailed , Mr . Buckstone will be enabled to congratulate himself on having produced an entertainment which will be sure to run tbe full time allotted to pantomimes , and till , we doubt not , to overflowing the treasury of the theatre .

LiCEUM . The lovers of scenic display who thronged this theatre on AVednesday night , must have been fastidious and cynical indeed if they left with any feeling of disappointment . The novelty of the evening was a grand comic extravasanza entitled , " Crvstabelle , or the Rose without a Thorn ; " and aided by Mr . Callcott's brilliant scenery , Mr . Loder ' s excellent music , the decorations of Mr . Bradwell , the beauty of the actresses , the grace of the ballet , and the

clever and tasteful general supervision of Madame Celeste , it was , we are happy to record the fact , a complete success . The extravaganza was well -played throughout . . Miss Ternan was graceful , Miss Hudspeth pretty , Miss Lydia Thompson sprightly , and all the other young ladies more or less attractive . Mr . J . Rouse played his part with considerable vigour . But the best acting in the piece was that of Miss Clara Denvil , a very juvenile aspirant for histrionic honours . !—

OLYMPIC . The high repute which this house has long enjoyed is not likely to be in any degree lessened by the style and quality of the entertainment provided by its managers , with the laudable desire of gratifying the taste and satisfying the appetite of a Christinas audience . Indeed , the genius of burlesque seems to have exerted all his mysterious powers in responding to the call made upon him , and the result is asuccesswhich will doubtless soon place the new extravaganza

of " Timour the Tartar" in the same category as the " Yellow Dwarf" and other well-known favourites of the play-going public . As usual , Mr . Robson's acting was a grand exhibition in itself of extraordinary and diversified power , and was fully appreciated by a crowded and attentive audience .

PRINCESS'S . The Christmas entertainment provided at this theatre is one of the old-fashioned pantomimes , in which the big-headed , little-bodied , sepulchral , and cracked-voiced characters knock each other about in the most reckless manner . Its title is , "Robinson Crusoe ; or , Harlequin Friday and the King of the Caribbee Islands , " and the opening , written by Mr . Henry J . Byron , is about as grotesque a production as can well be imaginedforming at the same time a

, rich burlesque of Defoe's well-known tale . The entire scenery of the pantomime , by Mr . Telbin and Mr . Gates , combines artistic excellence with the necessary amount of glitter deemed indispensable at Christmas . Everytliing that trouble , taste , and liberality can do has been done , and Mr . Harris may look forward hopefully to a success even surpassing that of his last year ' s pantomime , " Jack the Giant Killer . "

NEAV ADELPHI . After the performances of " An Ugly Customer " and the favourite drama of " Colleen Bawn , " the holiday public were entertained by a new and original burlesque extravaganza , by Mr . Henry J . Byron , entitled , " Blue Beard from a New Point of Hue "—the Christinas piece at this establishment . The success of the piece , as far as the first representation goes , rested chiefly on the good acting of Miss AA oolgar ( Airs . Alfred Mellon ) and Mr . Toole , wdio

were ably assisted in the minor parts by Miss Laidlaw and Mr . Paul Bedford , the flunkey porter of Bluebeard ' s palace . The scenery and stage equipments were all that could be desired . The house was crammed to excess .

ST . JAMES'S . The Christmas piece produced on AVednesday at this theatre , now under the management of Mr . Alfred A \ igan , was an extravaganza , by Mr . AVm . Brough , founded upon Keates's poem of " Endymion , " and composed of a curious admixture of classical and mythological ingredients . The different characters in the extravaganza were very efficiently supported , and the success of the performance , as a whole , was undoubted . Miss M . Taylor made a capital Endymion ,

acting with much vivacity , anil singing sweetly the numerous songs and cluets which were allotted to her ; Miss Herbert , brilliantly attired , looked charmingly as Diana , and won golden opinions from the audience by her graceful and winning manner . The part of Actsoon was assigned to Mr . Charles Young , who threw into it an immense amount of genuine drollery ; and Mr . Emery elicited loud laughter by his impersonation of Atpheus , the classical type of an above-bridge waterman . Miss Clara St . Casse was as slyactive

, , and mischievous , as Cupid , as could possibly be desired ; and Pan , by Air . Belmore , and the more subordinate characters , were also ably sustained . The scenery and other stage accessories redounded to the credit of the management , particularly the lust scene , which represented Endymion and Diana ascending in the silver throne of Luna , and brought down the curtain amidst loud cheers .

THE EXHIBITIONS . Apart from the theatres—of which we find there are no less than 23 open within the four-mile radius established as the limit of the sixpence a mile allowed by Act of Parliament as Cabby ' s proper allowance , and nearly all of which may be reached by every denizen of the metropolis whose mind on economy is bent by the leveller of allsocial distinctions , the "' bus , " for threepence , or , at the most , fourpence—far less than a penny a mile—the various exhibitions of

the Great Babylon appeal at this season for support to a large number of her Majesty's liege subjects , who , caring not to make choice amongst the eighteen grand comic and legendary pantomimes , or thofiva classical , mythological , fairy extravaganzas , the invitation to view which is posted on every wall , and yet have a mind bent upon amusement , if it be only for the gratification of those men and women of years vet to come , and who , as yet , not knowing anything of the tightness of money or the cares of household duties ,

are all agog for the enjoyments of the holidays , which have been anticipated with so much of expectation in the hours of relaxation from study for the last five months and a half . Of the merits of a few of these we shall take an early opportunity of speaking .