However attractive or not as a heading in a bill of the play, the Gaiety _Carmen_ is, on the whole, a merry, bright, and light burlesque-ish piece, though, except in the costume and make-up of Mr. ARTHUR WILLIAMS as _Captain Zuniga_, there is nothing extraordinarily "burlesque" in the appearance of any of the characters, as the appearance of Mr. HORACE MILLS as _Remendado_ belongs more to Christmas pantomime than to the sly suggestiveness of real burlesque. [Illustration: Scene from the Cigarette History of _Carmen_.] As Miss ST. JOHN simply looks, acts, and sings as a genuine _Carmen_, I can only suppose that her voice is not strong enough for the real Opera; otherwise I doubt whether any better operatic impersonator of the real character could be found. She is not the least bit burlesque, and though the songs she has to sing are nothing like so telling as those she has had given her in former pieces, yet, through her rendering, most are encored, and all thoroughly appreciated. [Illustration: In for a good Run on the "Bogie" System.] Mr. ARTHUR WILLIAMS as _Zuniga_ is very droll, reminding some of us, by his make-up and jerky style, of MILHER as the comic _Valentine_ in _Le Petit Faust_. Mr. LONNEN is also uncommonly good as the spoony soldier, and in the telling song of "_The Bogie Man_;" and in the still more telling dance with which he finishes it and makes his exit, he makes _the_ hit of the evening,--in fact the hit by which the piece will he remembered, and to which it owes the greater part of its success. In the authors' latest adaptation of the very ancient "business" of "the statues"--consisting of a verse, and then an attitude, I was disappointed, as I had been led to believe that here we should see what Mr. LONNEN could do in the Robsonian or burlesque-tragedy style. The brilliancy of the costumes, of the scenery, the grace of the four dancers, and the excellence of band and chorus, under the direction of that ancient mariner MEYER LUTZ, are such as are rarely met with elsewhere. Mr. GEORGE EDWARDES may now attend to the building of his new theatre, as _Carmen up to Data_ will not give him any trouble for some time to come. * * * * * OUR BOOKING-OFFICE. [Illustration] Only a Penny! And well worth every halfpenny of it. I am alluding to the Christmas Number of the _Penny Illustrated Paper_, in which appears _A Daughter of the People_, by JOHN LATEY, Junior, who is Junior than ever in December. Capital Christmas Number, and will attract an extraordinary number of Christmas readers. _The Rosebud Annual_, published by JAMES CLARK & CO., is quite a bright posy for our very little ones. Turning from novels, it is a relief to come across so inviting a little volume as the _Pocket Atlas, and Gazetteer of Canada_, which will be found of the greatest possible value to eccentric Londoners who purpose visiting the Dominion during the coming Winter.