Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-01-26
luck W0NFOR
GRACE LA RUE
....r OF Star, Here Tonight
'.ds From Choir to Broadway
". European Vaudeville

N Via L
:, ambition, pluck, and persever-
:. over planted a girl on the top
beap-it did Grace La Rue!
started buck and wing dancer
doing flip-flops for living and
4 ,ondcd-some years later a
Sioofeld Follies favorite, musical
z,soav star. a vaudeville 'headliner,'
concert artistic and feature act
] the highest class music halls OF
,Jon and the continent. eN9w She
i ,o.sta,ring with Hale Hamilton in
1 1obr Golden comedy, Dear Me, ;"
bs seen at the Rylander tonight.
Hsr story is an interesting one.
,rn on a Missouri farm she start
singing as far back as she can
As,namber. At eleven, she had the
picp of boy soprano SO secured
\ nnsition in a church choir in Kan
Civ, But in a year or so her
Eoice broke just as boy sopranos
The La Rue's hadn't world of
Honey but Grace had ambitions, so
"a had to rely on dancing to send
SprseIf along. She learned to buck
4 Ii wing (jazz and the shimmy were
Snknown in that day. and secured an
/ cagement with a company. She
Sade her own dresses so that every
Hare dollar might be saved for sing
H. lessons-grand opera was her
Nal.
In this way she came to study with
Bictor Morrell in New York and Her
San peVries in Chicago. She then
Hi Nine Lankow, who had been
Nina donna with the Royal Opera
4 Berlin and was a first class OPP
&atic coach. Nine. Lankow wanted
4 er to 90 to Berlin to study, but Miss
Rue felt the time had not yet
bme.
Better and better engagements in,
Musical comedy came her way and
&paly, owing to the combination Of
I r well-trained voice and ability TO
Hesjgn and wear dashing gowns and
sts she became a 'headIiner' in
#bpdpviIlr the featured performer in
New York, Chicago and other big cit
rs on the Keith circuit, She was
Never without offers, but believed
& bat the time had now come to study
Il Europe.
u She retired from the stage on this
4 de and studied under Nine. Dous-
NJ in Paris. Later she went to Lon
H. and sang for seven months at
le Empire. probably the. greatest
usic hall in The world. On her re-
&rn to this country Andreas Dippeb
bmer director Of the Metropolitan
&era house sent her on a costume
bnccrt tour-after the manner of
&yette Guilbert. In This she was eX-
+ Fmely successful, for there Is no
&pman on the American stage today
ho can sing a song of the ballad
&pe-a personality song-as can
Rrace La Rue.
d But with herself firmly established
4 vaudeville, in musical comedy and
n the concert stage, Miss La Rue
Hecided there were other fields to
spnquer. She wanted to be a success
A the dramatic stage. She met Hale
hamilton, himself a New York and
london favorite of no little magni-
Pde, and he had the piay-also the
Rart for her. Miss La Rue became
Prs. Hale hamilton,-but that is
snother story.
The play was Dear Me" and next
Ping was to find producer. Man
agers IN New York were anxious to
Ear the genial, popular Hale Ham
ztoh, but not so Grace La Rue. "She
sflongs IN musical comedy. Or why
aPeSnt she stick to vaudeville where
w. can get $4,000 a week." they
IT, But Hale Hamilton was firm.
is wife must star with him, or they
RouIdnt star at all Furthermore it
Ras his play.
FINALLY they went to John Golden.
alS astute manager is always ready
j take chance. He took one with
II 1lfst play, Turn to the Right"
III he took one with Frank Bacon's
&ay' "Lightnin'," and with "The
list Year" and Three Wise Fools"
~ nalt a dozen other big successes.
Ouia ne star them jointly? Sure he
&oula' but on one condition. Miss
Rue must be given an opportunity
L sing few of her famous songs
#lu 10 wear a froek of her justly
FHous gowns in the justly-famous
'"ce La Rue way. They play was
i ,"FiIten and the rest is history, for
spear Me" ran six months in New
ofK' 1--we months in Chicago and it's
fonaon engagement starts next Sep
fmber.