New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-01-26
sTocKHoLDERy BAIL-GAIETY THEATER.


l. ~
1t is with some diffidence that we undertake de-
seription of the ball which was given at the Gaiety
Theater on Thursday night last by the stockholders
OF that elegant establishment. The conception and
the realization Of the ball weres entirely different
from any thing of the kind ever previously gotten up
in New Orleans, that the other balls of the past can
not be brought into comparison with it; and in des
cribng it, our ditidence is that which is naturally
felt upon venturing into new field of description
For some days previous to the ball, we were led to
believe that it would be magnificent AFFAIR." not only
from rumors of the lavish manner in which the COM
mittee of arrangements were making the prepare
tions but from the universal talk concerning the as
semblage which it was expected would be present.
Prepared as were, however, for something extra,
we must confess that were still surprised when we
visited the ball Thursday night, and saw 1t IN full
progress. Wewent there about ten o'clock. Ihe
streets were choked with carriages on every sde and
crowds of ladies and gentlemen focked along the
banquettes picking their steps with dainty tread TO-
ward the theater. We found the entrance crowded,
and great numbers of gentlemen manifesting the III
tenset anxiety to get rid of their hats cloaks and
canes 1t took us good half hour to get rid Of our
eneumbrances and get up stairs, SO dense was the
crowd. After perseverng struggle pushing ebowing
and wedging our slow way along, we got to the CEN
trail doorway, and there, whilst we were charmed
with the unusual beauty and brilliancy of the coup
doel presented by the interior, we were made to
doubt the expediency of attempting to push our way
any further The parquette had been covered with
stage, so that the dancng-room was very large ex-
tending all the way from the central or front part OF
the dress circle to the of the STAGE and to the
full width of the theater between the opposing sides
e&,r
ing down gradually from either end to the middle,
like the deck of steamboat thus giving the blaze
Of beauty and gallantry at either end opportunity
Of heholdng and vieng with the blaze at the other.
The whole interior of the theater was decorated in
the most beautiful and tasteful manner An Ameri-
can flag projected over each chandelier drapery of
pink hung all around the second tier relieved by es
toons of flowers and magnolia leaves, swinging grace
fully between the chandeliers with thick wreahs of
the same twined around all the columns of the dress
circle. The stage presented the appearance of huge
pavilion, or royal tent of pink and white muslin, in
alternating stripes-eompetely shutting out all view
of the stage works. though the stage lights in glass
globes projected through the muslin and shed sthe
light of day upon the scene. The of the stage
was beautiied by painting of palace scene, exc
cuted for the occasion by Mr.. Boulet Immediately
over the stage, land beneath the pavilion displayed
the beautiful gas arch, describing in suverng jets of
flame, the words Vive la Danse.' Having viewed
all the decorations in DETAIL we went into the second
tier that might take in and enjoy the whole at
glance-theater, decorations assembly and ALL The
scene was truly magnificent Nothing like it was
ever behed in New Orleans before, and we very much
doubt if anything approaching it was ever seen in
this country. The dress circle in its flush of flowers
and evergreens and its blaze of living beauty the
stage with its majestic pavilion the immense and
brilliant multitude on the floor; the golden light that
bathed the whole and caught up the prismatic hues
of the costumes and jewels; and the aggregation of
sounds that large and gay crowd of peoplecreate-
at times almost drowning the music of Meyers
ehestra, which had been augmented for the OCCASION
together, constituteda which charmed not us
alone but crowds of people who occupied the circles,
and gazed, hour after hour as if they could not see
enough. We have given pretty fair account OF the
theater and its decorations. We must now devote
some attention to the multitude present.
When we first calght a glimpse of the stage, OF
dancingfoor it appeared to be undulating sea of
human heads-the coifures of the ladies showing in
brilliant relief amid the dark crowns of the gentlemen
More than heads, it impossible to take in at a
sweep of the vision, so dense was the crowd. The
costumes could only be by nngling in the crowd
and only by short glimpses at that. No saw much
of the ball in its details, excessive the crowd
so ceaseless the rush. We never before saw half as
many people on dancing floor at one time. There
was actually, for time, room to dance. The most
persevering Of the ladies and gentlemen-about one
tenth Of those present. we should judge managed tc
force narrow space down the centre, in which they
went through condensed quadriles, compressed
waltzes and abbreviated polkas with zest which
paid little heed to the lack of ROOM The rest of the
assembly formed solid crowd circulating around to
get good view of itself, the gentlemen frequently
squeezing each other severely in their endeavors tc
avoid undue violence to the splendid dresses of the
ladies.
| The dancingroom was not the only place crowded
The dress-circle was crowded, back to the wal-the
second tier and private boxes were aises
were crowded-the lobbies were crowded-the stair.
ways were crowded-the dressngrooms were crowd
ed-the building, in short, was entirely choked up
with human beings In the dress.ercle it was posi-
bic to derive idea of the splendor in which the
ladies had enrolled themselves for the occasion bu
the foor the density of the assemblage smotheret
the beauty of the costumes
1t will of course be understood that the splendo
of the ball was in no manner inferior to its quality
The wealth, beauty and fashion, not only of Ney
Orleans, but of Louisiana and the neghborin
States, were largely represented. The dark eyeG
angel-formed creole beauties of New Orleans an
the adjacent Coast were there in their usual bewitcl
ing attire, but in unusually large numbers the uppe
section of the city as handsomely represented
the lower section; and there were not few ladie
from distant cities of the Union, who heightened til
charms Of the occasion with their rosy faces an
costly attire and We'd with the beauty of our ow
sunny cline. We many familiar faces that wer
strangely bewtching, and many beautiful faces thG
/ were strange. Among the gentlemen we recognize
any number of State and city notabtes all lookin
! happy elegant and gay. The sashes and epaulette
of some army officers from Baton Rouge agreeabl
relieved the black monotony Of the gentlemen
! dress.
The dressng-rooms of the theater having been 81
apart to the use of the ladies attending the bal
came in for their share of the excitement. The
were perpetually thronged by the ladies' who SCENE
to relish highly the novelty of finding themsclye
fairly within the penetralia of dramatic temple.
From 10 O'Clock till T. visitors continued to arriy
and the jam in the theater would have become nsu
portable, had not the opening of the supper,roo
afforded very considerable expansion. The stool
v holders club room, under the dresscircle of II
e theater, was used for the supper-room. The clu