The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-05
THE STOUT MR.. E A
Facts About the Casinos Popular
Comedian.

After appearing in the theatres OF
the two a day" for three years Ceci.
Lean has returned to the stage again,
but more as the fatted calf than the
~prodigal son. for when Cecil Lean and
Cleo Mayfield do the big time" there
Is ample reward at the box office. How
ever. the welcome n rejoicing among
the patrons of the Casino on the open
ing night OF The Blue Paradise" we're
just as hearty az II ne had been a hun
CRY prodigal in reality.
at was not that | cared more To
play in vaudeville than in legitimate
musical comedy" said Mr.. Lean in
%vindication Of his long absence from
that field, but I had made UP my mind
after I played In The Man With
Three Wives that ! would not play in
musical comedy again until found a
role which | felt suited me. 1t came
In the role OF Rudolph Stoegcr in The
Blue Paradise n the verdict OF the
critics at least did not prove that 1
had chosen unwisely."
In describing his long career or the
stage he begins IN Detroit, where his
father was the president OF the West
ern Michigan University. At the early
age Of Q years he was a boy soprano in
the choir Of the Emmanuel Church on
Sunday and Il gallery god.
when ! was 10 years old" said Mr..
Lean. II made my first professional
appearance. IL was as the boy So
prano' with the Redpath Concert Blu
reau. on the bill with me were Bill
Nye. A. u. Burbank, Clara Murray and
Balaka. the pianist. When | wasn't
on our with this company i con-
Quoted a minstrel show. in which only
Detroit boys took part.
This minstrel show became one OF
thu big annual local events in Detroit
and the surrounding country. When
my voice broke and | was going
through that period when the boys
! voice changes into that Of a mans, |
OF course had to give up my profess
sional work. Then | turned to such
Jobs AS a boy usually gets at that age.
bill clerk in a railroad freight office
! and timekeeper on a construction gang
| with a gang OF 'wops.' as they were
called. | did not resume my singing
until | vas 10 years old, when | got
an engagement singing and dancing
with two girls for partners in various
Sumfner paIhS III 'ltee Il INV u
west.
MY first legitimate engagement was
, with the comic opera The Burgomas-
/; ter after which I Joined the Boston
! Lyric Opera Company and sans in a
! large repertoire of operas. Then !
Joined Ward and Vokes and later
| Frank Daniels In Miss simplicity
MY next engagement was one HE
, gave me my greatest training In musi-
| cal comedy. 1t was at the La Sale
| Opera House in Chicago, where the
same company produced some OF the
most notable musical comedy successes
Of ten years ago. II was here that
The Time. the Place and the Girl
paved for $50 performances. n run
never since ~equalled in Chicago. My
first appearance in New York In IA cad
ing roe was in The Soul kiss A year
later | produced my own musical com
.dy. both the music and book being
written by me, called The Military
Girl played in II eleven weeks in
Chicago and for the balance of the
season throughout the middle West.
after my appearance in The Man
With Three Wives where | met my
wife, cleo Mayfeld. who now plays
with me in The Blu Paradise my
wife and ! went on the Keith circuit
in sketches Of our own, and | suppos"
We would have been there yet II ! had
not been given the manuscript OF the
book of The Blue Paradise To read,
where. as | said. | at last found "A part
that appealed to me and oddly ana
fortunately a role that suited my wife.
: Well. the success Of The Blue Para
disc seems SO we'll assured that ! am
not worrying about cirrumnavisatlDg
the two "A day for a while yet.