The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-04-05
AM USEMENTS.
Frou-Frou at the Academy of Music.

The comedy OF Ffou-Frou, which was played
for the first time at the Academy OF Music las
night, is the result OF the Joint labors OF MI
Meilhac and Halevy, TWO of the most popula
play.wrights OF the gay capital Of France. II
Paris it was the rage, and, when transported u
this country, 1t achieved, in It's English Suse,
speedy and natterIns success. The version usually
played in this country is that OF Augustir
DAILY, the dramatic author, now the lessee OF tht
Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York. But VIC may
be permitted 10 doubt whether that accomplished
dramatst has retained the life and sparkle oil tht
original, as well as Is done by Miss Laura keene
This lady is good lingust, as we'll as n polished
actress, and in her translation of "Frou- -Fron,
her dramatic experience gives point and zest te
her pathological knowledge. No one but q master
OF stage situation as we'll as OF the French tongue
could have so happily translated into English the
| peculisr events and ndescrlbable dialogue OF the
curious original.
The words .sFrou- frou," although almost un-
translatable are really an Ononiatopoetlc phrase'
describing the rustllng sound made by siikcn
| robe, or mantle. as Its wearcr sweeps along
corridor or over polished floor. AS nickname
1t NAV be taken as the French equivalent oil
the English "Harum Scarum.n The play to Which
it gives o name. Is 4 family picture after the
French style-that Is with as much FASHION, ,anu as
little family as an indulgent society Will allow.
The heroine Gilberts or F5o-Fr0'i tMss Keene,) IS
dashinc high. spirited girl, who cares little for
love and less for lovers, yet secs matrimony In
the distance as an unpleasant something
which cannot we'll be avoided. lie CoRe De
Yaheas (Mr. otis) ono OF the golden youths who
= of lro,y
Is desperately enaulored Of FrouFrou. His
youthful loves Of which he has q score,
Like heap OF paper set Oh fire,
moment flash, and then expire.
But Frou.Frov is his grande passion, and, in real
earnest, he demands permission to become
suitor for her hand. AT the same time SartorVS
(Mr. Mordaunt,) rather goody and impassive
nobleman, makes q similar proposition. Both
gentlemen are referred by the father OF FToa
Frox (Mr. Wallls) to the lady herself. one oil
then StrtorVs, asks the counsel and all OF Louise
(siiss Anderson the sister Of Frou-Frou, who IS
herself in love with her sister'a attractive lover
Sacrificing. however, her own happiness to the
welfare OF her sister, LoatSe promises to help
Sartorys, and does, in fact, persuade Frou-Frou
to marry him. The loyeless marriage Is toleraoly
unhappy Froal-F1ou Is anectionate TO her child ny
Jerks and to her husband not OF all. The gay world
and it's distractions are oil her care. A sentl-
mens Of weakness causes her 10 avoid TalreaS rs
much as possible, but she is pretty often In his
company. Sartorys, who Is jolly miserable, at
last persuades Louise to make his house her
home. This good young person takes the keys,
aud Is soon found to hold the first place In the love
OF Fro,s Frou's little son. Frou-Frou feels that
she has done her best to be proper. But this ean-
not last and now that her sister is under the roof
of Sartorys, tue man whom she always loved; now
that she has usurped the mothers place In the Of
feetions Of the child; and most likely, the wife's
place in the love Of the husband, FTou-Frou tells
Louise that she will longer prevent the fruiton
OF her happiness. This highly Gallo announce
ment means that Frolt-F'rou elopcs with paheds.
After few weeks OF delirious bliss, the pangs OF
remorse close upon the heart OF the crring fTou'
Frou AS soon as he RECEIVERS from an illness
caused by her misconduct, Sarto,ps seeks his vile,
requires her to retain dowry OF two millions,
which she had scornluly returned, and allows 1t
to be known that he intends to challenge Vahras.
This, the agonized pleading OF Ffou.FToG cannot
prevent. The duel Is fought, and Yal'eas Is Killed.
Overwhelmed with shame and contri;ion, Ffoa-
Frou Is on the point OF death, when, at the In
tercession OF sister-in-law Louise, her injured
husband assures her OF his forgiveness. Happy
at the last Frou Erou dies In the arms Of her III.
nocent child and S-icf-stricken husband. This is
the whole plot, which has been thoroughly angli-
cizcd in tone, and adapted, as much as might DC,
to the wants and conditions OF q society some
what different from that for which the play was
written.
The play, rs presented last night, eXcelled in
artistic acting, as well as Ia the dramatic sltua'
tions with which it abounds, any sensatloHa al
drama that we have yet seen produced In Charles
ton. The part OF Fr'ou-Frou Is admirably suited
to disriay to good advantage Miss Keene's versa
tity as an actress.
First the gay and hcartless Parslan 'tgirl OF the
periodn-then the frivolous wife and fond, yet
careless mother; then the victim OF mad jeal.
ousy which eventually leads her to plunge
INTO the abyss, on the brink OF which she
had long been lingering, and finally the
.wretched and disgraccd exile from her home,
to which she returns only to die, repcntant and
forgiven wlfe-these developments OF tile plot af:
forded scope for all the Intensity OF acting, lor
which Miss Keenc Is SO justly celebrated Indeed,
so finished and natural was her personation OF
Prou- Frou, In oil the successive phases OF her
career, that it would be hard TO say in which OF
the scenes her excellence was most marked. II
we are TO Judge by the enthusiastic plaudits OF
the audience, her greatest triumph was
when she 1ercey conlronts her innocent SIS
ter and, in the bitterness OF her heart,
reproaches her as the author OF all her voc.
Not only at this point, but again and again was
Miss Keene summoned before the curtain by loud
and prolonged applause. Mr.. nordaunt's good
taste and Judgment made the most OF the telling
part OF Henri de Sartorps, and, in the scene in
which he casts Off his stricken and desparing wife
as he goes forth to slay her seduccr, his acting
was really grand. Miss Anderson played the
part OF the hapless Louise with much feeling
The rest of the cast was uneXceptionable;
but the interest OF the drama hinges almost
! entirely upon the three leading parts
we have named. The mise en- scene was
good, and the view OF Venice, with the gon-
dolas plying to and fro In the distance, would
have done credit to any New York theatre. The
performance, as o whole, was so signal success,
that we shall be sorry II the company should leave
Charleston without repeating it.
e, For to night we are to have the ever pleasant
and popular play OF Peg Wellington.
SiSner Nubinf.
. This magician opened to good houss at the