Manilla Powers
Encyclopedia
Manilla Hartzle Powers was a star of variety shows, revues, vaudeville
, and musical comedies in the 1920s and 1930s.
She was from Janesville, Wisconsin
. Her family came to Janesville sometime between 1898 and 1900. Her father, Michael J. Powers, was a harness
maker and her mother, Josephine, was a dressmaker. Powers had at least six siblings.
club, Glee club
, and the girl's debating team. Powers was her class
vice-president as a high school sophomore, won a recorder
medal
as a junior and graduated in 1916.
Her first appearance as an entertainer was in March
1915. During the afternoon program of a meeting of the Janesville, Wisconsin
Summer Club of Home Economics, she gave two songs. Powers
sang Echoes of Love and Roses After Rain before an audience that
was very receptive. She participated in the recital
of Marguerite O'Brien
in Rockford, Illinois
the following November. Powers returned to Janesville from Chicago, Illinois in September 1917. She had studied music for several months under the tutelage of Karlton Hackett.
In November 1918 Powers and Alice Thomas performed
songs at a bazaar in Janesville. It was organized to raise money for the Fatherless Children of France.
In August 1919 Powers came back to her hometown, this
time from New York City
. She gave the second part of a program at the
Janesville Country Club. She had made great strides since a similar appearance at the same function a year before. A beautiful voice, joined with art and a magnetic personality that covered everything she sang, made the recital pleasing. Her teacher in New York forecast a bright future for Powers. She sang The Lord Is My Light during a
service at the Janesville Baptist Church in 1919.
New York City
in November 1927. The program was a revue in two
acts with twenty-six scenes. The principals included Ted Lewis
and
the German comedian Jack Pearl
. Powers was among the 100 Winter Garden Girls-100 which Lewis assembled along with his musical clowns.
In September 1931 she replaced Alice McKenzie in the role of Sonia in The Merry Widow. The production was staged at Erlanger's Theater on
Broadway (Manhattan). Erlanger's was built by Warren and Wetmore
for the Theatrical Syndicate
in 1927. Powers performed in The Red Robe (1928) at the Shubert Theater in
New Haven, Connecticut
. Joining her in the comedy show were Gloria Foy, Peggy Dolan, and John Goldsworthy.
Powers traveled with a troupe of vaudeville actors to Forest Park (St. Louis)
in 1932. They staged a romance of 20th century Turkey
entitled The Rose of Stamboul. George Hassell, Barbara Newberry,
Harry K. Morton, and Leonard Ceeley were in the cast.
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
, and musical comedies in the 1920s and 1930s.
She was from Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
. Her family came to Janesville sometime between 1898 and 1900. Her father, Michael J. Powers, was a harness
Harness
A harness is a looped restraint or support. It can also be referred to as an "hitcharness", especially by the Jordanian Armed Forces. Specifically, it may refer to one of the following harness types:* Bondage harness* Child harness* Climbing harness...
maker and her mother, Josephine, was a dressmaker. Powers had at least six siblings.
Early aptitude
In 1915 Powers was selected as one of six female students chosen to represent Janesville High School in a triangular girl's debating league. As a student she was active in the classical club, LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
club, Glee club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
, and the girl's debating team. Powers was her class
vice-president as a high school sophomore, won a recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
medal
as a junior and graduated in 1916.
Her first appearance as an entertainer was in March
1915. During the afternoon program of a meeting of the Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
Summer Club of Home Economics, she gave two songs. Powers
sang Echoes of Love and Roses After Rain before an audience that
was very receptive. She participated in the recital
Recital
A recital is a musical performance. It can highlight a single performer, sometimes accompanied by piano, or a performance of the works of a single composer.The invention of the solo piano recital has been attributed to Franz Liszt....
of Marguerite O'Brien
in Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
the following November. Powers returned to Janesville from Chicago, Illinois in September 1917. She had studied music for several months under the tutelage of Karlton Hackett.
In November 1918 Powers and Alice Thomas performed
songs at a bazaar in Janesville. It was organized to raise money for the Fatherless Children of France.
In August 1919 Powers came back to her hometown, this
time from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She gave the second part of a program at the
Janesville Country Club. She had made great strides since a similar appearance at the same function a year before. A beautiful voice, joined with art and a magnetic personality that covered everything she sang, made the recital pleasing. Her teacher in New York forecast a bright future for Powers. She sang The Lord Is My Light during a
service at the Janesville Baptist Church in 1919.
Stage entertainer
Powers was in Artists and Models at the Winter Garden Theater inNew York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in November 1927. The program was a revue in two
acts with twenty-six scenes. The principals included Ted Lewis
Ted Lewis (musician)
Theodore Leopold Friedman, better known as Ted Lewis , was an American entertainer, bandleader, singer, and musician. He led a band presenting a combination of jazz, hokey comedy, and schmaltzy sentimentality that was a hit with the American public. He was known by the moniker "Mr...
and
the German comedian Jack Pearl
Jack Pearl
Jack Pearl, born Jack Perlman , was a vaudeville performer and a star of early radio.Born in New York, Pearl made an easy transition from vaudeville to broadfcasting when he introduced his character Baron Munchausen on The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air in 1932. His creation was loosely based on the...
. Powers was among the 100 Winter Garden Girls-100 which Lewis assembled along with his musical clowns.
In September 1931 she replaced Alice McKenzie in the role of Sonia in The Merry Widow. The production was staged at Erlanger's Theater on
Broadway (Manhattan). Erlanger's was built by Warren and Wetmore
Warren and Wetmore
Warren and Wetmore was an architecture firm in New York City. It was a partnership between Whitney Warren and Charles Wetmore , that had one of the most extensive practices of its time and was known for the designing of large hotels.Whitney Warren was a cousin of the Vanderbilts and spent ten...
for the Theatrical Syndicate
Theatrical Syndicate
-Beginnings:One day, early in the year 1896, six men gathered for lunch at the Holland House in New York City. These men were Charles Frohman, Al Hayman, A.L. Erlanger, Marc Klaw, Samuel F. Nirdlinger, and Frederick Zimmerman...
in 1927. Powers performed in The Red Robe (1928) at the Shubert Theater in
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. Joining her in the comedy show were Gloria Foy, Peggy Dolan, and John Goldsworthy.
Powers traveled with a troupe of vaudeville actors to Forest Park (St. Louis)
Forest Park (St. Louis)
Forest Park is a public park located in western part of the city of St. Louis, Missouri. It is a prominent civic center and covers . The park, which opened in 1876 more than a decade after its proposal, has hosted several significant events, including the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904 and...
in 1932. They staged a romance of 20th century Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
entitled The Rose of Stamboul. George Hassell, Barbara Newberry,
Harry K. Morton, and Leonard Ceeley were in the cast.