The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-17
Hippodrome Singer Says She
Has Just Begun WOrk-As-
pires to Grand Opera.

A songstress since she was two years
old. yet just beginning her real work.
il the novel way In which Miss Virginia
Futrelle, now singing dual prima donna
roles on alternate days to matinee audi
eI.ces at the Hippodrome, sums up her
career.
. IL have my mothers word for II that
learned to sing bits of songs and carry
the tunes before l could talk" said
Miss Futrelle, land 1t must be so, for
every now and then meet friends of
my parents who recall, that 1 sang for
them when I was around two years
old-and that they could understand
what I was singing. And the marvel
of 1t was that my conversational
powers, according to- these truthful wit
nesses with long memories, were limited
to few words, which members of the
household accustomed to my methods
of enunciation had to interpret. Those
must have been glorious concerts and
the audiences must have been large, for
so many people know about them even
II don't"
All this happened in n house in Irving
place, where Mr.. and Mrs. Futrelle lived
about twenty years ago. Jacques Flu
trelle was then on the staff OF The NEW
YORK HERALD and was just starting on
the work that afterward made him fam
GUS as the author of THE Chase of the
Golden Plate" MY Lady's Carter" the
Thinking Machine" stories and scores
of others. When brought forth to meet
strangers, Virginia was wide-eyed, diff
hdent and sient-until asked to sing.
Then she would hold up her arms to be
. lifted to a corner of the square grand
piano, where she would sit with hands
clasped and sing parts of popular songs
of the day to accomplishments played
by her mother She could sing hundreds
of words in songs. yet for speaking pur-
poses she had command of less than
dozen.
All during her early school days here
and in Atlanta. Ca, where her par
ents were born and reared, Virginia
kept at her singing. her mother being
her principal teacher. Later she was
sent to convent school in Baltimore,
where her serious study of music began.
She was still in the convent when
her father, who with Mrs. FNutrelle had
been on an extended tour Of Europe.
lost his life in the Titanic disaster of
1911. Mrs. Futrelle was one of the
rescued 1t was this tragedy that caused
Miss Futrelle to take up music as a
career rather IMAM rs SoClely dcCOll-
plishment.
Immediately on leaving the convent
she began studying for the stage. Her
first engagement was in vaudeville
where she was so successful that Charles
Il. Dillingham; engaged her last season
as understudy to Miss Vida Bennett IN
ample Blossoms" Her success In this
musical comedy won for her the engage
ment she now has in Mr.. Dillingham's
production, Good Times" at the Hippo
6rome.
Besides singing the prima donna roles
at matinees, Miss F'utrelie plays minor
role in the evening performances and
keeps UP her singing lessons under two
instructors. She has been studying for
three years under Mime. Renard, who
taught Miss Anna Case, and has recently
taken I'D the study of italian grand
opera under Ferrucia Corodetti. who Is
musical adviser and coach for several
of the leading singers of the Metro
politan.
go. you see, am pretty busy these
days" said Miss Futrele, but am
lust a beginner in what ] have set out
to do. and that IA to sing In grand opera
at the Metropolitan. I know u means
lot Of study and work, but am used to
at IL since was two years
old, you know"