St. Paul daily globe., 1896-04-10
AT THE THEATERS.

La Loie Fuller swirled her diaphanous
robes about her 1issonie figure at the Metro
politan opera house last night. The audi
torium and stage were plunged into the
depths of Cimmerian darkness, while beams of
effulgent light illuminated La Loie the
serDentine dancer, famed in the old world
and the new. The people gazed upon the
spectacle with admiration. Nothing so fasci-
mates the eye as the play Of rich and varied
hues OF light except, perhaps, the sight of an
interesting woman. When the colors of the
rainbow envelop the interesting woman, the
combination is irresistible. Therein lies the
potent attraction of La Loie. Serpentine
dances are not novelty nowadays, and the
st. Paul public has witnessed an approach
to the illuminating effects produced by Miss
Fuller, but nothing more than an approach
Still the limitations have necessarily detract7
ed from the surprise and establishment that
such spectacle as La Loie presents would
create IL nothing similar to it had ever been
witnessed. But one must admire the in
ventive genius of this first exponent of the
serpentine dance, called. The skill and
grace with which she manages the profusion
Of silken draperies so as to produce exquisite
ly fantastical forms, and picturesque effects,
are inneed rare and remarkable. The opera
ton of the lights is little short of marvellous.
the front of the stage. The beams that shoot
up through the glass plate upon which the
dancer stands, meeting and mingling with
those that proceed from point directly over
her head, produce indescribable effects. The
draperies become fairly saturated with the
light. In the fire dance which is the most
picturesque, the material enveloping the
dancer appears to be all afame, so realistic
does the illusion become.
But withal it is difficult to comprehend what
there is in Miss Fuller's exhibition to Justify
the furore which she seems to have created in
the capitals Of the world. 1t is undeniably
pretty, original, unique and even remarkable,
but it does not appeal to any mental or emo
ticnal quality other than the admiration all
have for that which delights the eye. 1t might
be urged, too, as criticism of the entire pro-
grsmme that fifteen minutes of La Loie and
seventy-ive minutes of her assistants is not
the proportion that the theater-goer expects
when he pays to see La Loie 1t is question
able, however, whether prolongation of Miss
Fuller's speciality would enhance the value
of the entertainment Possibly 1t would be
more satisfying if she interspersed her dances
throughout the programme, though that
would involve resetting the stage two or three
times. ID
OF the aggregation of entertainers who while
away the first hour and asquarter, the palm
must be awarded to Miss Fannie Wentworth,
whose piano and vocal specalties possess the
merit of novelty and exceeding cleverness of
execution. The limitations illustrating how
Mendelssohn, Mozart, Chopin and List would
have amplified and ''fantasied' that popular
concert hall ballad, Her Golden Hair Was
Hanging Down Her Back" were irresistibly
ingenious and comical.
Sowing the Wind" Sydney Grundy's re-
markable sex against sex'' drama, comes to
the Metropolitan tonight, tomorrow matinee
and night and Sunday night. The final cur
tain falls not later than 10:40, though four
absorbing acts have to be gone through. The
Boston Journal, during the of the play at
the Hub, called attention to the fact that
in fifty nights the curtains did not vary three
minutes in their regularity. For this admir-
able condition of things, Charles Frohman's s
good management is primarily and Frederick
Strong Immediately responsible. In addition
to his clever management of the stage, Mr..
Strong plays the prominent part of Lord
Petworth."
Charles A Gardner will be seen in Father
land'' only three more times here. There will
be matinee at the Grandi tomorrow after
noon, and the engagement closes with tomor-
row nights performance.
Who. among those Who follow things the
atrical, does not remember with pleasure the
first time they saw Dan SuffS in ''The Corner
Grocery" This favorite actor has revived the
old and one of the best of fifarces, and will
present it at the Grand alp next week com
mencing Sunday night!o Hejhas greatly bet
tered the comedy. so that inIits present form
it is said to be even more laughable than 1t
was before