Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1904-02-27
TIE BIG ATTRACTION
" WILL DC HERE At FLKa' OF.
ERA HOUSE ON MONDAY NIGHT.
FEBRUARY g.

NANN
It Ia probably true that the most
o0ntontod actress ON the American
boafda today la a former star Who nov
soea her name printed Ou the biil iu
90 larger type than that OF tho most
iunmihCunt person 10 the cast This
is LILLIAN Russell who FOR tho past
three seasons has been a member Of
fae company % Weber a Fields. She
receives a handsome salary. can live
a. hor own home IN New York for
almost the entire year. and has no
anxiety about the search for new
pieces. or their reception when 30.
cured
Miss Russell is a native OF Cnntop.
Iowa, and the theatrical chronicles
give 1869 a. the year Of her birth.
3ho began hor professional career IN
Chicago by singing 10 an Episcopal
cnurch under her maiden name.
Holon Louise Leonard She studied
music DO Chicago with a teacher VIM
was a Cla8smate OF Annie LOuiGe Carr.
and lmbibod she ambition 70 appear
~ opera So she went TO New York
where all the Thosplnns aim TO start
and set out ON the arduous task Of
procuring an engagement And an
especially thomy road the young
girl found H. Il was hard enough a.
I got managers 20 listen 10 her. and
when she had accomplished this Der
culoan taaK. her nerves were 90 an.
strung by her auxioty "a please hat
/ she could not 40 herself Justice Men
/ like McCaull. 0f the Casino, aud
D'Oyley Carte. OF the Gilbert a Sui
I llvan operas. told her 10 her face that
she was not good enough for thom
| a. last Tony Pastor heard her sing
a a friends house ana offered her
an engagement NJ hls little variety
| thoater.
u want you 10 sing ballads" be-
I told ncr. and ! will advertise You
az an English girl.
There she tang songs Ike "rwiok.
cnham Ferry" and made a hit The
other managers came 10 hear her
one OF Thorn. the very Carte who had
once turned her down. failed 20 rocog
nlzo the girl. ana. believing her 10 BE-
an English girl. offered her three
times her salary 90 come with him
She dld not hesitate long about &C.
soptinF. and appeared nrgt IN "ra.
tlence' and later in THE Snake
Charmors' Then another OF the men
who had declined her with thanks
iohn McCaull offered her an oponing
~ tho Casino, where she sang with
success IN "Tho s0rcerer' and The
Princess OF Troo.zondo
AFTER that sho was in England Cor
season or two. and then came her
arst reai New York trlumpas AZ tho
Casino Ia "Nadiy. "The BriEando
The Grand DuChors and Poor
Jonathan Scr beauty and her voice
we're the talk Of the town, and OF
course a manager popped up 20 over.
bid the rates she was receiving This
vas q. Henry French, and the SUM
he was said 30 have paid her as a
star was one thousand dollars a week
with an interest ln the receipts She
opened AZ the Garden thoator IN Fla
Cigalo." but the bloom was worn on.
and although she continued under
. Mr. French for two seasons. the biz
boom she had enjoyed az the Casino
waa never repeated,
Her next managers were Abboy a
Grau and az what Is nov the Knick
orbockor theator she started 10 such
novelties a. "Tho Taignne" and '~Iho
Goddess OF Truth" also IN the French
pieces. THE Lttlo Duke and ia
Porichole" But sim receipts failed
to equal expenditures ana once mons
Miss Russell returned 20 the Casino
this time under new auspices She
created the title role la IAN Ameri
can Beauty" and later became q mem
az with Jefferson DE Angels and
Della Fox. Of the tristan organization
|, that presented ~rho Wedding Day
This last venture was not wholly d
satisfactory one, and on her return
from visit 10 Germany she closed
with the liberal offer made her By
Weber a Fiolda. From time 20 tim,
there have boon rumora Of new
ri LILLIAN Russell opera company. bul
when % comes 10 taking the dodnit,
step and signing a contract. Miae
Russell rocoila from leaving her pres
ent comfortable quarters and there b
one less costly enterprise Launched
on the theatrical sea.