The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-07-31

! ance Immediately disagree with me. and
say that I don't know strenuous act
Ing Is. but I do, and 1 know why 1t is
to be the Empress In Klralfy'G
Louisiana" but that is one Of the things
l learned behind the scene, and of which
l will speak later.
Music lover. bark ye! Do you hear the
7 merry jingle. that sound that maker you
thnk Of snow, crisp atmosphere and a
pair of prancins bays? All, here they
eome-not the prancing bays-but twenty
nvs uns9uestionable beauties. They are a
mind. Hark,. What is that they are play
ing? Marching. Through Georsia' and
Dixie Can l believe my ears?
Shade of the illustrious Washington.
were these the melodies that cheered you
in Valley Forge and led your men to lib
erty! have always been inspired with
these patriotic airs, but have away as
ISOLATED. them with the heroes of later
battlef1elds. However a little jar like that
to ones sensibilities does not matter. The
genius. Genius never wastes anything. 1t
shovels in experience by the million tons.
sorts it out and melts it down. and passes
out an lS-kdrat sparkler of art.
You do sort of rebel when the men in
green claim the center of the stage and
stand before the throne. between you and
the Empress-you want to see that mag
nificent robe-which requires six pages to
carry it.
MISS Electricity does a bit Of the siren
uous when she shocks the Evil Spirit OF
the Mississippi. She is a dainty bit of hu.
Spirit of the Mississippi fully realized when
he went to embrace her. She gave him
such a slap that he rushed of into the
dense forest bowling with rage
Are the radium dancers real live girls7
Very much alive, l should say. But they
do give you a sort of a creeping fee Ing.
and you think Of country Rraveyards and
haunted houses. and you wish it were not
quite so dark-not that you are afraid
but YOU could see the dancers much better.
Is that a trick horse?' asked my neigh
Dor on the right rs the horse and the
emigrants entered the arena
what is a plot?' asked the insistent
one.
"A plot is something to have in musical
N" What h ti is It made ofT'
Fudge. peanuts. chewing gum and
up and down the aisle, and the unsatis.
fed questions and the emigrants' prayer
were lost in the stupendous voice of the
retail business.
show. and its plot-you can see that for
Yourself: but you cannot get close enough
to those gorgeous costumes TO feel of
Everything in Kiraify's Louisiana" is
the real thing. The Empress is clad in
genuine satin and velvet and ermine. the
cAllEidHIS III IL AilSSy WoOIsSy OIL OCT
grandmothers' time. Kralfy assured me
that the wardrobe could not be duplicated
for $4,000, and ! am quite convinced that
1t could not. after examining the work
msnship on those costumes and visit to
the radium room
The robe worn by the Empress cost
lined with plush of the same color and
bordered with ermine. 1t is richly en-
broldered with gold and silver and jew
u1ia AND fUpnfv-nvn 1nn0 nnd unfOha
about sixty pounds. Now. do you wonder
why / nave said the Empress did the
most strenuous bit OF acting? Her dress
weigh forty pounds.
Think Of having to wear clothing weigh
Ing 100 pounds and having to have a
oteenly carriage and walk as If you were
six pages. / know the weight is all there,
for I tried the Empress gown and robe,
but l did not walk. This robe is. Kiral-
fy's delight. He keeps it wrapped In linen
as carefully as a bride would her wedding
gown
All the other costumes are equally as
good. The very best material and the skill
of artists are plainly written on every gar
ment. Think Of the yards and yards of
Liberty satin used in the unidentified
Gowns Of the n, French a dancing girls. and
the bolts and bolts of point de Nenise
lace on the lingerie.
When you think of all this. cant you
afford not to be disappointed If they don't
bring in the plot on a double truck wagon?
The Raidum Girls? / do hope am not
betraying n Kiralfy secret, but these
girls paint. They paint their clothes with
paint that costs $50 a quart. I went
down into the radium chamber. The
girls were busy Wit paint brushes. l
watched. I thought perhaps they were
trying to cover up the soiled spots. After
they painted their clothing they stood for
ten minutes before an intense light. as !
thought to dry the paint. But in this
I was mistaken. They absorbed the RAYS
OF light and they looked like lightning
bugs running around IN the lark halls
toward the stage.
When I asked why the girls looked so
bright = stage hand said they are full
of rad.um."
1 stood in the glare of the light until