The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-01-09
Cinderella And The WorkinQ Girl

C0cNHERE are prima donnas and
 prima donnas. but a Hitchy-
 Roo prima donna must be just a little different from any other sort of prima donna.
 For the reason, that she has to do a lot more than merely sing; she must dance and pirouette about the stage like a sylph and she must have lot of "pep" and dash" and style, and all that and oh, we'll cant describe all the requirements-you must go and see for yourself
 Any way when I met pretty little Juanita Cunningham (don't you like her name?) Hitchy- Koos prima donna, yes terday, I somehow thought of the song that says
 It's not your nationality,
 It's what you do
 It's not your personality
 That always pulls you thro' - for. this tiny mite of "prima donna" not much bigger than a watch charm mot much taller that a good sized doll-n order to meet the requirements for a Hitchy-K co prima donna, had to be all sorts of things-had to do all sorts of things, in order to hold her job
 And what do you suppose she told me?
 That this is the very first time she has ever been on the stage in any kind Of show; she's brand new to the game never had to go thro' all the "show girl" period of musical comedy: never had to start at the bottom and climb to the top; never had to do anything but just walk, if you please. right into the de1ectable position of ''prima don na' of the big HitchyKoo Musical Comedy Revue she's now playing Tn.
 You see it was this way" smiled Miss Cunningham, living in Chicago and seeing all the big musical affairs and dramatic affairs there I had prima donna bee buzing in my bon net for, oh ever so long. In fact, six years ago I made up my mind that l was going on the stage. Then it was an operatic career which I had mapped out for myself. but later my voice developing and giving promise of really very nice things, I began to study with Madame Parry, who has splen- did reputation as a teacher.
 "1n the meantime Mrs. Guy Bolton, the lovely wife of the famous Guy Bolton, playwright, producer and all round splendid theatrical man, who is a great singer-her stage name be- ing Marguerite Namara," Miss Cum ningham said, and I became very great friends. She is a member, you know, of the Chicago Opera and through her l met Galli Curci, Mary Garden, Strac- ciaria. MT. Campanini and all the Chi cago Opera people and she assisted me very materially in my musical ambi- tions.
 The result was. that last summer I went to Atlantic City" she continued, where I was singing in the cabarets and one evening Raymond Hitchcock attended the show. He heard me sing and asked for an introduction and when we met he said he was looking for a prima donna for his Hitchy-Koo Musi- cal Comery Revue and he thought I was just the one to take the place. Of course I was pleased to death and inn mediately accepted.
 q went to New York so happy and delighted over my prospects, only to have a terrible wet blanket thrown over my dreams, for the 'actors' strike confronted me, and there was a pretty howdy-do! But, of course that is history now how it was all adjusted and things went merry as marriage bell. and my dreams came true. And here I am enjoying myself. thank you, very much as prima donna for the first time.
 q have no hard luck stories to tell of hall bedrooms and poor food and struggles to reach the top," Miss Gun ningham declared, but only the very most delightful experiences. Yes, know many girls never get to the top and things have a very discouraging way with them some times, but always they resolve themselves into the best for us Any way that's been my ex- perience.
 Irene Bordoni you know sang the original prima donna role in the pres ent Hitchy-Koo presentation in New York, said Miss Cunningham "and she had wonderfully pretty voice. Her song 'Madelon' will always be re- membered as perfect gem. In the present Hitchy-Koo show there is so rluch that is different; it is so changed that you'd never recognize it. Now of course, the performance is strictly up to the minute; the old stories and the old songs apropos then are done away with, and we are singing some really lovely new things and presenting some awfully clever vaudeville stunts, for that is what Hitchy-Koo is made up of My songs. "A Basket oi executive board of the National Fedora tion of Women's Clubs.
 Mrs. Ella S. White of Uniontown is the si'est of her daughter, Mrs. Victor Han.