The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-17
AT THE THEATERS.

Henry E. Dixey is a living exempliaca+ion
of the truth of the Darwinian theory as an
Piled to the stage. Not that Mr.. D:xey
bears any closer relation to the simfan fam
lily than anybody else in the large audience
that delighted in him at the Grand opera
mouse last night. On the contrary, he seems
to be several degrees further removed from
his primordial ancestors than MANY oe tbcse
who go to see him. But, professionally. his
is case CT evolution in histrion, SIN. Imam
the occasion of his first appearance in Rice's
EVanSellne' In his7inot Rice's-boYhood
days, Dixey's heels Gained sole attention IN
the helfer dance. Today his hands do dex
ferrous duty. his mobileii expressive features
adapt themselves to the expression of bu-
man characteristics, his flexible voice fits
any character, his grace of movement nro
Vokes the admiration Of the eye Mr.. Djxev
performs sleight bf hand tricks; Mr.. Dixev
capers nimbly about the stage; Mr.. Dixcv
gives an imitation of Sir Henry Irving that
years ago captured the Lcndon public Mr..
Dixey, in short is whole show He fairly
1iluminates his own entertainment. His feats
oi hecromancy are oTer4hadowed by his dra-
matte achievements. He is an actor first
His legerdemain is an afterthought.
The bill of the play labels him sDixev
the Magician" 1t might more appropria, civ
style him 'Dixey, the Entertainer. ~ There
Is more magic in his transformation from
henry Dixey to Henry Irving than there is
IN the trunk trick. impossible as the latter
looks Yet Mr.. Dixey made the former shift
IN full view Of the audience without 1eav-
ing the stage" as he put It, Mr.. Dixev,s
Mr. Irving Is concentrated caricature of
the eminent English actor 1t possesses tho
convincing truth of the cartoon that often
does more justice to a man than his pboto-
graph ever did. AS an imitation NJ Mr.
lrv1ngs acting 1t is not intended: as an
embodiment of his personality and manner
isms 1t Is startling,y lifelike. While Mr.
Dlxey was putting On" the makeup neces-
sary to the taking off, of Irving. he f,Ied
in the time with few miscellaneous anec-
dotes and witticisms that concealed tho Iansa
OF time without detracting from the interest
with which the spectators watched the appli
cation of the various grease paints
1t Is fair assumption that the majority NJ
the people who assembled at the Grand last
night expected to see somebody beside Divev
They looked for a vaudeville entertainments
with Dixey as the star. Not vaudevill-ain
made his appearance. Two petite and shaneIv
young women and two active and enthusiastic
colored boys constituted Mr.. Dixev's on1v Wis
ible assistants. One CT the co!ored TOYS. whom
DiXey has christened "Pizzazzes." borrowed
the rings, watches and handkerchiefs from the
audience. and the shapely young women in
page costumes adorned the stage in the first
part, and obediently and mysteriously van
ished in mid-air upon subsequent occasions
These illusions were Elusive as we'll as
spectacular. The young women vanished
into the air. without warning So comnIeta
and sudden was the disappearance of the
ethereal young lady who retired behind a
white sheet in the Black Art scene. and so
startling was the disclosure Of a real. roar
ing, rampant lion in her place as to suggest
the unpleasant suspicion that the beast had
swallowed the beauty-but the same young
lady will vanish again tonight.
The performance opens and closes with a
sleight Of hand entertainment In the first
part Mr.. Dixey appears in his immaculate
Adonis costume-in the last he wears the
black full dress. with knee breeches, that re-
minds one of the late Hermann. Throughout
these portions of the programme, Mr.. Dixey
INDUCES in a spicy comment that gives sauce
to every feat he performs. His puns are ex-
travagant enough to be good, his Jokes are
clever, and he never once observes:
Now you see it, and now you don't"
Ae.or seeing Dixey, one Is compelled to say
that the stage was intended for artists, not
artisans. Who cares to see a genuine
plumber, for instance, mend gas pipe, or Joe
Murphy shoe horse on the stagef