The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-17

Down" SHAKE head" Pause Very
slow VERY distinctly" Turn your
back to audience and wave your hands
| Or leading the chorus), "A la Salvation
| Army Turn to audience" Turn back.
same business Turn front" start to
exit after final note of song and count
eight steps until steps of Chinese restau-
rant are reached; that will bring you to
the word light; then tun 20 the au1ience
and stand perfectly still, sing But Always
Follow Me- and exit
Then there are many other nctat:ons
scribbled on the score, such as ''o-;s t h, .
warning her not to say the word too
quickly, and other directions as to the
pronunciation of words or the SUSTAIN
ing of certain notes.
You can see from all this how Miss
Mays Belle of New York" was care
fully built up But she must have all
credit, too, for being a very apt pupil, and
seconding her managers efforts TO bring
into full development all her natural
gifts.
In speaking of how Miss May was ''dis-
covered" by her manager. Mr.. Lederer
said to me yesterday: "It all came about
this way. Her sister in law was in my
company at the Casino, and told me that
Edna could sing fairly well, and that, al
though she was only seventeen years I'd,
she wanted to make start IN the pre-
fession- I put her in with the lunch, or
as it is otherwise known. the merry,
merry chorus I was preparing The
Belle of New York and 1 couldn't find
the right sort Of girl for the Salvation
lassie-one who in appearance filed my
idea of the picture. All my leading ar
lists were appearing in the touring conn
panies, and took a look through the
chorus, having had Edna May in my
mind
Miss Petite I said to F1er-that was
her name but changed it afterward to
Edna May-I understand from your sister
in law that you possess a fairly good
voice She replied in a childish, anna
flourish way Well I don't know The
answer convinced me that 1 was right.
Here was girl who had the personality
and occurrences that I wanted for the
role. viii you sing something for me-
asked
Yes, If you can accompany me IN any
song that know, she answered.
g found one from THE Lady Slavey'
that she knew and after she sang it
made Up my mind that with hard work
I could build her up in the character of ,
the Salvation lass. The next day Hugh
Morton attended rehearsal and when 1
told him my plans for Miss May he was
raving mad, declaring that I was going
to ruin the piece. for he considered her
Numerically opposed to the idea he had
formed for the part
All the same 1 went to work with Miss
May. 1 can't begin to describe to you
the almost brutal reharsals we had TO go !
through before 1 got her to do the part
just as I wanted her to. When Morton
dropped in later in the rehearsals and |
heard her sing the Follow Me song, he |
was in absolutely carried away |
with the girls personality and my con- |
ception of the role, which was entirely |
different from the way in which he had /
intended to give it.
when il leaked out in the company |
that that chorus girl was going to be |
given the leading role there was as much |
CONSERVATION among the members of the |
shown But everybody saw it my way |
after a while, and when had got through |
rehearsing her, even putting chalk marks |
on the stage to show her where She was
to walk, the result was all that 1 had |
ANTICIPATED
1.-The success of the Belle OF New York
in NewYork and London every one knows
as we'll as the fact that no woman has
such a firm hold on the English speak /
ing public today as that chorus girl of
three years ago, Edna May.
What 1 like about her is that. not
withstanding her extraordinary success,
she is still the same simple, modest little
woman that she was on her first stellar
appearance in New York. She has none
of the big head so prevalent among ac-
tors. Her success in society abroad-she
has sung at any number of drawing room
due to the fact that
she has the happy faculty of being able
to look wise and say little. She can yes
and no in a pretter and more fetching