Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-28
THE WEEK In GOTHAM
Interesting Gossip About Theatrical
People and Stage Matters.
TWO INTERESTING EVENTS.
A High Kicker and a Calf Loser-Reminis-
cences of Mrs. Florence's Career-Her
Daughter by n First Husband-An Unrea-
sonable Woman at the Box Once.

Evening
New YORK, Nov. T.-Two things that have
happened this week in theatricals are more in
teresting than important. One Of them is the
unprecedented achievement In high kicking by
woman on the stage. Literally, she kicks
clear over the top Of her own head and stirs up
her back hair with her toes. She doesn't look
as though she could or would do such thing
as that, but doubtless big salary incites her.
She Is one figure in particularly Respondent
holiday spectacle and pantomime. The con-
ventional ballets are numerous and grand,
| the assemblages of variously CARRIED women
are gorgeous, but nothing excites the
spectators so much the feat, or feet, or
should we say foot of this kicker. She comes
out on the stage just after premier danseuse
OF the old-fashioned sort, with short gauzy
skirts. has gyrated on her toes in
the well-known fashion. She steps out from
among the horde of other women and is at once
| contrasting figure. because her shoulders and
| arms are covered and a skirt hangs to her
ankles. She is tall, slender and handsome
creature, with exactly the face and general air
attributed by noveists to high-born and exquis-
lteIy sensitive heroines. Gentle dignity and
rehned grace are suggested by sight of her.
She dances little bit ofa while like a ball room
waltzer, undemonstratively, and then she be-
gins to kick. Her feet fly up, one after another,
as high as her knees; then they reach the level
OF her waist; next her toes 60 up to the eleva-
ton OF her shoulders, and the beholder thinks
that she has kicked her utmost; but
1t is not SO, for her right foot here
develops its superiority over her left
foot, for with it she kicks, several times,
higher than her head. Then comes the climax
racing the auditorium and close to the foot
lights, she gives one mighty kick that carries
her foot clear over her head from the 'front.'
nm ha fnff of
back hair, and that triumphant big toe stirs
for an instant among the hirsute mass. All
this is done with perfect modesty, SO far as any
display of aught else than unconventional
agility Is concerned. Neither Sarah Bernhard
nor Mary Anderson ever got more rapturous APP
piause for five minutes Of histrionic exertion
than Is given to this queen of the kickers.
THE OTHER EVENT
was one Of asingle night. and not likely to be
repeated. 1t was something which your CORE
spondent has waited for, with mingled dread
and hope, during all the years of his acquaint-
ance with theatrical performances. As q boy
he coupled another great expectation with this
one. he had an idea that some time or other
he would see an athlete fall from trapeze and
ne watched daring feats of the air until one
night, while trapeZe man was hanging head
downward, with a trapeZe woman gripped by
the hands, he slipped from the bar and the
two performers fell like lead to the
foor. But this happened in a low-ceilinged
variety hall, and although the unfortunates
were stunned to insensibility they were not
seriously injured. Then came a lapse of many
years, until the correspondent CHANGED to be in
the Academy of Music when one of the Han
Ions fell fifty feet from the lofty dome to a net
which barely impcded his velocity, and he was
so nearly killed that it took him months to re-
cover In ahospital. Thus trapeze expectation
was satisfied
DID SHE FAINT?
The other anticipation was that sooner or
later this writer would see an actress with
false calf slipped down into bunch that would
betray her falsity to cruel publicity Well.
just that thing was the second interesting but
not important curious event Of this week On
the stage. 1t happened in a farce comedy then
presented tor the first time in Broadway
theater. The actress sang and danced When
the time came for her specially" she tripped
neatly forward to the footlights, clad in a
dainty dress that reached just below her
knees, and from thence downward
she showed as fine taper of limbs and flesh
colored tights as were ever displayed, except
that one calf seemed to have collapsed from
symmetrical similarity to its fellow and its
substance was massed just above the ankle.
Unconscious of the mishap, she began a
sentimental song, but the people in the au-
dience began, one after another. to discover
the abnormal condition of that leg and from
filters the merriment grew into laughter The
actress bravely forced her way to the end of
the song, quite unconscious of the cause of the
laughter, and doubtless attributing it to the
mpromptu antics of some comedian behind
her on the stage But she did not return for
an encore. and the theory Of at least one OBJ
server was that she had tainted in her dressing
room.
BILLY" FLoRENcE's WIDOW,
1t is matter OF open comment in theatrical
circles this week that the widow Of poor "Billy"
Florence has not fastened her departure from
England upon news of her loss. At first she
cabled over word that she would leave on the
2lst, but now 1t appears that she POSTPONED
sailing until today. The unquestioned expla
nation is that her grief overcame her, and that
prudence forbade her departure until she
should have become in a measure reconciled to
her loss. Mrs. Florence, it may be said, is not
In good health Her husband was over
sixty-one at his death. His widow is
nearly sixty-six, though that fact win
douftiess surprise most persons who last saw
her as Mrs. Cen Gi!tOry in ''The Mighty Dol
lar" Florence did not begin to act even as an
amateur until l84S, yet three years prior to that
date Malvina Pray was dancing at Brougham's
Lyceum In this city, and she was already
well-developed woman, and a fascinating one
too, SO some Of her old beaus declare to this
day. The fact that Florence fell in love with
her at first sight has often been related by her
to her intimates; but the younger ones have
never heard her tell that she was thus early q
wlfe, and very unhappy one. Nay, more than
that she was mother when Billy Florence be-
gan to court her. Their wooing was essentially
romantic. None Of Florence's obit-biographers
have told about it, yet it had many of the ele.
ments Of the love tales Of novelists.
THE STORY OF HER FIRST MARRIAGE.
little old lady, rather shabbily dressed and
with bead-like eyes, set In a wrinkled face,
passed your correspondent in the Broadway
throng the other day and set him to THINKING
OF Malvina Pray Florence. The little old lady
used to be Kate Ludlow when the stage knew
her She was petite, pretty and sprightly.
She could act with charming vivacity, and she
ran in her day the range Of all the footlight
heroines. from Shakespeare's to Boucicault's
There was time when Kate Ludlow was the
rage, but that was forty years ago. Mrs. Flor
ence will recall her, for Kate Ludlow was the
second wife Of Malvina Pray's first husband.
That husband, who had taken to wife brace of
actresses so clever these, was Joe Littell He
was an actor, Of course, and he was once a good
one. for he was a Bowery idol, and that emil
nence required great deal of force, some
points of manly beauty, and a profound sym-
pathy with the multitude. Littell filled the
bill. He was handsome and he stood over six
feet in his shoes. He might. indeed, have
become famous had he been good to himself.
but he had plenty of faults along with his
merits, and the faults in time killed him. Thew
began by blightlug his first marriage. Malviua
Pray, the dancer. and Joe Littell, the Bowery
hero, were an ideal couple for year or two
after their marriage, which must have occurred
about l847 She Was DlumD and uav hn -,