The Washington herald., 1910-03-13
By CARLTON HOLT.

- ONE one who has a taste foI
such things has been making
up 8 list OF present day stellar
attractions in the operate
and musical comedy Industries who
began their public career in the cho-
rus. The compiler Of this interesting
collection-a woman. OF course-de-
clares that before she had completed
her self appointed task she was ready
TO ask. "Is there single one among
them ali who didn't start in the
ranks?"
Beginning with grand opera favor
ties, there's Bessie Abott. Since 1901
she has been ranked both at home and
abroad as one of the most successful
Of American prima donnas. Twas not
ever thus. Miss ABBOTT is an alumna
Of the University Of Hard Knocks. AL
though reared in luxury, she was re-
duced to a point perilously near pow
erty. and she and her sister were glad
to become members Of the chorus in
one Of the late Augustin Days musical
comedy productions. II was thus she
earned the money to have her voice
cultivated.
Alice Nelson and Gertrude Hofr-
mann. both salary absorbers of the
highest magnitude. were humble little
chorus maidens once upon time. The
time defying and still peerless Lillian
Russell made her primary venture IN
the chorus OF "Pinafore." 1t was not
long until she was discovered" and
that ~borY4z kA1are,a Tho stsaIfarf -.
ture" OF the fetching little opera Eva
Tanguay won't admit that she is a
chorus graduate, but she doesn't deny
that she made her first appearance on
an amateur night and that all the
American Beauties incident to that
evening went elsewhere. Anna Held,
who has been depicting American
pocketbooks for more than a decade,
admits freely that she did her first
turn in a Partisan cafe chantant and
for long time afterwaFd sang in a
chorus. Adrienne Augarde, who IS one
of the superlatives in ''The Dollar
Princess" was a chorus girl for sew
eral years and was so poorly paid that
she was glad to add an honest trife
TO her income by acting as dresser
10 the principals.
Although the inimitable FRITZ Scheff
never sang and danced in the chorus.
her mother-an estimable woman-did
that very stunt and managed to edu-
cate her charming daughter all at the
same time. Sweet Frances Cameron.
the brightest of all the Merry Widows.
began by being Maxim girl in one of
the early companies Of that popular
operetta- Billie Burke-yes, charming
Billie-now a delineator of legitimate
dramatic character Of the most up 10
date and accepted sort, made her be-
ginning in the ranks of musical come
dy. Nor did she make the shift from
chorus girl to her present eminence
with the hop, skip and jump which
characterized the metamorphoSis OF
Elizabeth Brice, who pumped into
Grace Van Studdiford's role and sub
sequent prominence in a single night.
while the latter lady was having II
out" with her manager. The show
went on. Miss Brice literally 1umped
into the irate Grace's shoes and cos
tune and achieved fame In less than
thirty minutes.
Near the end Of the list? Not at all
Only just beginning. How about Lulu
Chaser. who left her home in Pitts
burg one fine day and went to New
York IN quest Of dramatic honors?
Did she begin at once 10 scintillate as
a luminaEy of the first magnitude?
What she actually did. and she was
exceedingly fortunate TO accomplish it
In view of the congestion in the prima
donna timber market. was to secure a
position in the chorus OF 1.-The Lion
Tanner" az the Broadway. and Il was