Monarchs of minstrelsy, from "Daddy" Rice to dateRice, Edw. Le Roy (Edward Le Roy)
History
Monarchs of minstrelsy, from "Daddy" Rice to date
Rice, Edw. Le Roy (Edward Le Roy)
Actors -- United States; Minstrel shows
April 29, 1861, he opened with Lloyd’s Minstrels in New York, closing
May 25, following. Later he went to China in a government capacity, but
not liking the cooking in the Celestial Empire, returned to the United
States, arriving January 25, 1864.
(Charley) Morris and Wilson’s Minstrels opened at their permanent
home in St. Louis, April 10, 1865; the partnership was dissolved in
February, 1867.
Fred Wilson’s Minstrels toured for two or three years, and then Mr.
Wilson made another foreign trip; but returned in the Summer of 1871.
In 1872 he was with Cal. Wagner’s Minstrels, and in 1875 made another
foreign invasion, remaining abroad five years, returning in 1880 and
joining Haverly’s Minstrels. Subsequently Mr. Wilson, whose specialty
for many years had been clog dancing, except in 1852 when he was a
clown in a circus, took up executive duties with many minstrel and
other organizations. He also promoted several attractions of his own.
Fred Wilson was born in Boston, Mass., November 9, 1827.
SAM HAGUE, the famous English minstrel manager, began his career as a
clog dancer.
He visited the United States in 1850 with his brothers Thomas and
William; later he was a partner of Dick Sands, also Tim Hayes.
He toured the United States for several seasons with Hague’s Concert
Company, and in 1865, with Cal. Wagner, formed Wagner and Hague’s
Minstrels.
He also organized Hague’s Georgia Minstrels, a company of negro
performers, and gave the first performance at Macon, Ga.
Later they sailed for England, and opened at Liverpool, July 9, 1866,
and scored a failure. Subsequently Mr. Hague engaged white performers
for the principal parts, and retaining some of the colored men, gave a
performance that achieved success.
He organized a permanent minstrel company in Liverpool, and opened
there in St. James Hall, October 31, 1870, and remained eighteen years,
after which they made brief tours, up to the time of Mr. Hague’s death.
He visited the United States with Hague’s British Operatic Minstrels,
opening in Philadelphia, September 12, 1881.
Sam Hague was born in Sheffield, England, in 1828; he died in
Liverpool, England, January 7, 1901.
GEORGE L. HALL has the distinction of being the oldest living minstrel
balladist. His first appearance was at Georgetown, D. C., October 14,
1848, with the Beck Family.
Mr. Hall has long since retired from active theatricals, but during
his long career as a vocalist he was associated with some of the most
famous organizations in minstrelsy.
Among the most prominent ones that may be mentioned are: Sanderson’s,
in Baltimore; Sanford’s, in Philadelphia; George Christy’s, and
Bryant’s, in New York; Skiff and Gaylord’s, Johnny Booker’s, Sam
Price’s and Boyce and Mudge’s.
Wm. D. Hall, the well-known minstrel and author, in Philadelphia, is a
son of Mr. Hall.
Geo. L. Hall was born in Baltimore, Md., May 5, 1828.
CHARLEY FOX was one of the most popular comedians and banjoists of his
day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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