// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Phyllis La Fond fond of people?
Phyllis La Fond | |
|---|---|
 Phyllis Baranco, from an 1897 publication; photo by Sarony | |
| Born | about 1875 |
| Other names | Felicia Baranco, Phyllis Baranco, Phyllis la Fond, Felice Valbuena, Selice Valbuenna |
| Occupation | Singer |
Phyllis La Fond (born about 1875)[1] was an American singer, also known as Felicia Baranco,[2] Phyllis Baranco[3] and Felice Valbuena.[4] She lived in New York City, appeared on Broadway, and toured in the United States. During World War I, she entertained American troops.
Early life and education
[edit]La Fond may have been born in France, and educated in Germany and Russia, initially as a violin student.[5][6]
Career
[edit]In the 1890s, Baranco appeared in The Fete Campetre [sic] conducted by Oscar Hammerstein on the Olympia Roof,[3] and in The Ballet Girl (1898) at the Columbia Theatre in Brooklyn.[7] On Broadway, she was a "Spanish dancer" in the revue Fiddle-Dee-Dee (1900–1901),[8] and she appeared in musicals including The Three Dragoons (1899),[9] The Little Duchess (1902), starring Anna Held,[10] and The Rollicking Girl (1905).[8] She was in a traveling company of Cleo in 1907,[11] and DuBarry in 1908,[12] both starring Mrs. Leslie Carter.[13]
La Fond, a soprano,[14] sang in concerts in New York[15][16][17] and toured the midwest in the 1910s, often accompanied by Edna Rothwell.[18][19][20] "Miss La Fond charmed her listeners with the finish and beauty of her delivery, clarity of diction, and general artistic style," noted a 1917 report.[21] During World War I, she sang for the troops at American bases,[22] and she spoke in favor of women's trousers, saying "Many women have wanted to wear breeches for years, and now is their chance".[23] She encouraged younger singers to maintain good health, wear loose clothing, and study languages.[24] She also supported the work of American composers.[25]
As "Felice Valbuena", she sang the role of Santuzza in productions of Cavalleria rusticana in 1921 and 1922.[4][26][27]
References
[edit]- ↑ 1920 United States Federal Census, via Ancestry.
- ↑ "An American Stage Beauty" The Illustrated American (1898).
- 1 2 "Stage Gossip". Dayton Daily News. 1901-07-12. p. 14. Retrieved 2025-08-09 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 "Opera at Stuyvesant High School". Musical Courier. 82 (16): 26. April 21, 1921 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Phyllis la Fond to Sing Russian Songs". Musical Courier. 76 (1): 45. January 3, 1918 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Phyllis La Fond on Russian Temperament". Musical Courier. 76 (3): 48. January 17, 1918 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Columbia Theatre". Times Union. 1898-04-05. p. 4. Retrieved 2025-08-09 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 Dietz, Dan (2022-07-15). The Complete Book of 1900s Broadway Musicals. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. pp. 21, 82–83, 286–287. ISBN 978-1-5381-6894-3.
- ↑ "Things Theatrical". Times Herald. 1899-03-11. p. 8. Retrieved 2025-08-09 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "The Little Duchess", The Cast (1902): 17.
- ↑ "Music and Drama". The Buffalo Commercial. 1907-01-05. p. 5. Retrieved 2025-08-09 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "At the Theatres: 'DuBarry' at the Boyd". The Omaha Evening Bee. 1908-01-17. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-08-09 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Say Costumes Didn't Fit Them; Members of Mrs. Leslie Carter's Company Testify for Her In Suit". New-York Tribune. 1909-03-26. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-08-09 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Artists Join in Concert for East Side Coffee Stand" Musical America (May 6, 1916): 45.
- ↑ "Phyllis La Fond Soloist at Symphony Concert". Musical Courier. 74 (23): 32. June 7, 1917 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Phyllis La Fond Wins Favor at Her Concert Appearances". Musical America. 27 (20): 43. March 16, 1918 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Phyllis La Fond Scores at Stadium". Musical Courier. 77 (33): 9. August 15, 1918 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Phyllis La Fond Faces Busy Season" Musical Courier 75(11)(September 13, 1917): 31.
- ↑ "Cincinnati Hears Phyllis La Fond" The Musical Courier (September 20, 1917): 29.
- ↑ "Continued Success of Phyllis La Fond" The Musical Observer (May 1917) 55.
- ↑ "Successful Appearance in Recital of Phyllis La Fond". The Musical Observer. 15 (1): 60. January 1917.
- ↑ "Phyllis la Fond to Sing for Boys in Khaki" Musical Courier (October 4, 1917): 35.
- ↑ "Phyllis La Fond at Mountain Lakes" Musical Courier (September 6, 1917): 29.
- ↑ "'Hard Work Essential', Says Phyllis la Fond" Musical Courier (October 18, 1917): 29.
- ↑ "Phyllis La Fond Plans Soirées in Interest of American Composers". Musical America. 27 (12): 39. January 19, 1918 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Opera at the Academy". Times Union. 1921-09-19. p. 11. Retrieved 2025-08-10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Programmes for the Week". Times Union. 1922-05-28. p. 30. Retrieved 2025-08-10 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
[edit]- Phyllis La Fond at the Internet Broadway Database
- Felicia Baranco on a cigarette card, from the Ohio State University Libraries Digital Collections