Lillian Lee was a stage actress in

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beginning in the early 1880s. She was in the cast of the original

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' were a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934, 1936, 1943, and 1957. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as '' The Ziegfeld Foll ...

in 1907.

Acting career

Lee was only a child when she was assigned the part of ''Meenie'' in ''

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'', in a company led by

Joseph Jefferson Joseph Jefferson III (February 20, 1829 – April 23, 1905), often known as Joe Jefferson, was an American actor. He was the third actor of this name in a family of actors and managers, and one of the most famous 19th century American comedians ...

. The

troupe Troupe may refer to: General *Comedy troupe, a group of comedians *Dance troupe, a group of dancers **Fire troupe, a group of fire dancers *Troupe system, a method of playing role-playing games *Theatrical troupe, a group of theatrical performers ...

was then touring in

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. She proved a skilled juvenile actress. She grew into a very competent adult theatrical performer. Her first character of importance came when she replaced an ailing Rosa Rand in a play during the 1884 season. Myra Goodwin played the

leading lady A leading actor, leading actress, or leading man or lady or simply lead (), plays a main role in a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person w ...

in ''Sis'', an 1885 production of the

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Theatre. The company of Edward Kidder also took seven plays on the road that year. One of them, ''Niagara'', was scheduled to arrive in New York City at the beginning of 1886. Lee was engaged for the production as were Mattie Ferguson,

Rose Eytinge Rose Eytinge (November 21, 1835 – December 20, 1911) was a Jewish American actress and author. She is thought to be the first American actress to earn a three figure salary. Biography Eytinge was born November 21, 1835 in Philadelphia ...

, Harry Dalton, and others. The ''Irish Minstrel'' by Frederick Marsden was staged at Poole's Theatre, 8th Street near

Broadway (Manhattan) Broadway () is a street and major thoroughfare in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The street runs from Battery Place at Bowling Green (New York City), Bowling Green in the south of Manhattan for through the Boroughs of New York ...

, in October 1886. W.J. Scanlan played the

leading man A leading actor, leading actress, or leading man or lady or simply lead (), plays a main role in a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person w ...

with Lee being the primary female player. She was in a cast of actors who presented ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' at

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, in July 1888. The outdoor play was performed evenings with electric light effects. As ''Mrs. Jennings'' in ''Lover's Lane'' (1901), she was involved in a production which deals with rural life. The venue was the Manhattan Theatre on 102 West 33rd Street. In 1907 the building was demolished and replaced by a

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department store in 1909. ''Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch'' had its New York City debut at the Savoy Theatre, 112 West

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, in the late summer of 1904. The stage of the theatre had been recently expanded to enable the staging of the most detailed productions. The play was an adaptation of both ''Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch'' and ''Lovey Mary'', written by

Anne Crawford Flexner Anne Crawford Flexner (June 27, 1874 – January 11, 1955) born Anne Laziere Crawford, was an American playwright. Early life and education Anne Laziere Crawford was born in Georgetown, Kentucky, the daughter of Louis G. Crawford and Susan Far ...

. Lee acted the character of ''Mrs. Eichorn''. Joe Weber headed a cast of actors who staged ''Dream City'' and ''The Magic Knight'' at Shubert Park in

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, in April 1907. Lee was one of the supporting players as were Lillian Blauvelt,

Cecilia Loftus Cecilia Loftus (born Marie Cecilia Loftus Brown; 22 October 1876 – 12 July 1943) was a Scottish actress, singer, mimic, vaudevillian, and music hall performer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Early life Loftus was born in Glasgow, ...

, and William Hodge. The ''Follies of 1907'' were described as a "satirical musical review" when they opened at the '' Jardin de Paris''. The venue was atop the New York Theatre and

Criterion Theatre The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588. Building the theatre In 1870, the caterers Spiers and Pond began developmen ...

. Entertainment included twenty musical numbers and many vaudeville acts. The chorus was composed primarily of

Anna Held Helene Anna Held (19 March 1872 – 12 August 1918) was a Polish-born French stage performer of Jewish origin on Broadway. While appearing in London, she was spotted by impresario Florenz Ziegfeld, who brought her to America as his common-law ...

singers, who had played the

Broadway Theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), many of the List of ...

only a week earlier. In addition to Lee,

Emma Carus Emma Carus (March 18, 1879 – November 18, 1927) was an American contralto singer from New York City who was in the cast of the original Ziegfeld Follies in 1907. She frequently sang in vaudeville and sometimes in Broadway theater, Br ...

and Grace Larue were featured. She was a part of ''The Deluge'', a play given at

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in the summer of 1908. Dress rehearsals were first held in May 1906, with an audience of 1,000 invited guests. The show began with the building of a model of Noah's Ark, followed by a simulation of the deluge, and finally, a depiction of the millennium. Lee played ''Dollbabia'' in ''The Lady Of The Slipper'', a musical fantasy in three acts, written by

Anne Caldwell Anne Marsh Caldwell (August 30, 1867 – October 22, 1936), also known as Anne Caldwell O'Dea, was an American playwright and lyricist. She wrote both pop songs and Broadway shows, sometimes working with composer Jerome Kern. Biography An ...

and Lawrence McCarthy. Presented by the Globe Theatre (

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, originally the Globe Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 205 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was designed by C ...

), in October 1912, a newspaper critic commented about the ''dull lines'' given both Lee and Queenie Vassar, the two wicked stepsisters of ''

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

''. Lee appeared in ''Cinders'' at the Dresden Theatre, atop the

New Amsterdam Theatre The New Amsterdam Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 214 West 42nd Street (Manhattan), 42nd Street, at the southern end of Times Square, in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Manhattan in New York City, New Yor ...

, in April 1923. The musical comedy was written by Edward Clark with music by

Rudolf Friml Charles Rudolf Friml"Mrs. Rudolf Friml to Receive Divorce"
...

. An ''intimate'' theatre had been constructed from a thorough remodeling. ''Cinders'' was the first show held on the New Amsterdam Roof after the ''Midnight Frolics'' ceased production, when

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became law in 1920.

Silent film role

She appeared in the 1923 silent film ''No Mother to Guide Her'' in the role of Donald Walling's Sister.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Lillian American child actresses American film actresses American silent film actresses 19th-century American actresses American stage actresses 20th-century American actresses American musical theatre actresses Actresses from New York City American vaudeville performers American music hall performers Year of birth missing Year of death missing