Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-21
How FregoE Manages to Effect His
Lightning Changes Of Costume.
ASSISTANTS NOT seen FROM FRONT
Over Dozen Clever People Re-
quired to Aid the Performer.
SYSTEM IN THEIR WORK

speaks of a man as being a whole show In
himself" This certainly applies to Leo
poldo Fregoli better than to any other man
alive. Fregoli is the young Italian actor
who has been surprising American audi
ences for several months by his remarkable
versatility. He appeared at the Lafayette
Square Opera House Monday evening and
made decided nit.
He had not been on the stage more than
five minutes when he had his audience with
him, and from then until the end of the
performance the amaZement of the Spec
tators increased steadily. During the
course of the evening he impersonated at
least fifty different characters, ranging from
r. d young school girl to a doddering old man.
He did serpentine dance that was vision
Of beauty, and when he appeared as John
Philip Sousa, to lead the orchestra the au-
dience cheered him as if he had been that
popular leader himself. For the better part
of two hours Iregoli had the stage all to
himself. His work covered such wide
field that the people in the audience natur-
ally wondered how he ever could do it. He
sings soprano, alto, tenor and bass. and all
equally we'll Such an exhibition of tireless
effort of nervous energy, of startling
changes, has probably never been seen on a
local stage. He tolls as few actors are ever
compelled to do. and il is small wonder that
when the curtain goes down Fregoli is
practically in state of collapse. The
performance is interesting to the last
degree, as seen from the front of the house.
Back of the Stage.
AS seen from the stage, where one has
the opportunity to see how he does it, It is
even more interesting. Through the court
esy of Mr.. Alfred Bradley, the manager for
Hayden and Greenwall, a Star reporter
spent the evening back of the scenes.
Fregol on the stage is FregoH all by him
self. Back of the scenes he is Fregoli as
sisted by more than a dozen clever people
all Italians, each of W hom has his own par
ticular work to 10 in order that Frcgoli
may make his tightening changes In the
rear OF the big stage were a score Of tables,
upon which were laid out with mathe-
NAUTICAL precision the innumerable articles
that Fregoi uses during the course of the
evening. one can readily understand how
much trouble would result if one or two
should be misplaced. Fregoli has four
men who are needed to dress him. They
are not ordinary Wallets, but skilled artists
IN their line. Fregoli is elegant in his tastes
ana ms assistants, none of whom appear
upon the stage, are attired in immaculate
evening dress, and there is as much style
and courtesy in evidence as there would be
at an evening reception in high society
His four dressers wear satin knickerbockers
ana black silk stockings, and a broad eX-
panse of white shirt bosom shows above
each crimson silk waistcoat
1t was about . O'Clock when slender
handsome young man tripped down the
stairs which lead from the dressing rooms
to the stage. Comment ce vao' said he to
the stage manager. "Bien, M'sieu."
4 Jnnus-Faced Youth,
1T was Fregoli. made up for his first ap-
pearahce. He was Janusfaced youth,
for with his own features he represented
a fair young maid. while his back was
made up as gay cavalier so that he was
all prepared TO sing a baritone and sop-ano
duet with himself
AS the applause broke forth showing
that he had completed his first number
FreSoli stepped quickly back through tho
door OF the fiat or back scene into the
maze or ropes, scenery and stage proper
ties, which is out of sight OF the audience.
Instantly mis- four attendants bounced upon
him. One removed his hat another his
shoes, off came his costume and in less
time than 1t takes 10 tell it Fregoli was
back upon the stage dressed as an Italian
music hall singer.
'Camaleonte' is Fregoli's masterpiece. 1t
Is tragic and dramatic comedy, involving
number of characters. all Of whom are
impersonated by Fregoli. 1t is literally
an all-star cast Fregoli takes the parts
OF the unsuspectins husband. the unfaithful
wife, the fond lover and the old servant
AS the first he comes on as a middle-ased
prosperous-looking man, who is starting off
on trip. piano is heard from the ad-
joining music room, where the wife has
just hidden him farewell. The husband
steps off to the left and quick as a wink
IN comes the young wife. 1t would seem
as II he hardly had time to run from one
door to the other. but in point of fact he
had stopped midway between the two
doors. where the four assistants pounce
down upon him, and instantly he was
TRANSFORMED into blonde-haired young
woman. The most remarkable thing about
1t was that all five did their work as
though there was no hurry at all. 1t vas
simply method and system carried to the
last degree. Eacn had his own share IN
the work, and there was no confusion and
none of the sort of haste that makes
waste.
Remarkable VentriIOquism.
After picking up the note which her lover
has tossed through the open window Ere
goli stands in the center of the stage in
tently listening with lips motioness, while
F'regoli the lover outside serenadcs Ere
gon the mistress inside The wife Is
facing the audience, and the voice GENES
from beneath the balcony. AS Fregoli the
mistress throws open the window the voice
of Fregoli. the lover. can be heard much
more plainly. 1t is ventriloqusm of the
very best. AS the young woman stands
by the window sill the deft hands of the
assistants reach in beneath the scene and
remove the stars shoes, Fregoli standing
on one foot at time. Eva retires to the
music room. and the sound of the piano is
again heard. OF course, some one else
is playing the piano, for four men are
transforming Eva into Zeferino. her admir-
or. The lover climbs through the bal
cony. 1t is Fregoli, but from hat to shoes
there is not single garment that Achille,
the husband. or Eva, his wife. had worn
upon the stage. and yet to the audience it
seemed as though no time elapsed between
the disappearance of the lady and the en-
trance of the lover
The husband had heavy baritone voice;
Achille dapper little Italian dude, spoke
a
in the center Of the stage enraptured, lis
tening to the voice of ,FregoIi the wife,
singing in clear. high soprano a love
song from the adjoining room. 1t is ven
triioquism again. Achille steals into the