The First use of Limelight in California ~ 1871
Mr WT Porter is given credit for first using Limelight as a special effect with his show "Monte Cristo !" at the California Theater in San Francisco in 1871. It was used for the Stalactite Palace scene and the end of the act before intermission when Edmond Dantes body is thrown from the Chateau D'If into the Mediterranean.
The publication "Figaro" for January 10, 1871 reported that the beacon light (a limelight) flaring from the water after Dante's plunge into the sea served as a signal for the manlier patrons to descend as a herd to the saloon for a taste of something stronger than seawater.
The evening's entertainment was topped off by a "Grand Pyrotechnic Display and Illuminated Tableau !"
Copyright 2000, George C. Hall