Pauline Hall
Encyclopedia
Pauline Hall born Pauline Fredrika Schmidgall, was a stage actress and singer. One of the most popular turn-of-the-century prima donnas in America, she left school at the age of 14 and began her career as a dancer in her native Cincinnati, Ohio
in 1875.
Shortly thereafter, Hall joined the Alice Oates Opera Company, leaving it to spend time touring in straight plays with Mary Anderson
. By 1880 she was working for Edward E. Rice
, who cast her in several of his musical productions, giving her, among others, the trouser role of the hero Gabriel in a revival that year of Evangeline.
Hall continued to be a favorite in comic and light operas around the country until 1890. However, her greatest success came when she played the title role in the first American production of Erminie
(1886-1888). She performed Erminie a record-breaking 800 times while on Broadway and touring around the United States, which made her a household name. Hall toured with her own companies from 1890-1896, and later entered vaudeville
, reportedly earning as much as $600 a week by 1898. In all, she played in over two dozen Broadway operetta
s. She appeared in revivals of Robin Hood
and The Geisha
in 1912 and 1913 and in Ziegfeld productions near the end of her career.
Although popular, as an actress and singer, Hall was never given good notices by reviewers, who thought she was mediocre. She had an alluring figure, however, and she maintained it until her death in 1919 while playing in David Belasco
's The Gold Diggers.
Hall was married to Edward White from 1881-1889. She was then married to theatrical manager George B. McClellan, Jr. from 1894-1902; she had a daughter by him in 1895.
Hall died of bronchial pneumonia
, at the age of 59, in Yonkers, New York
.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
in 1875.
Shortly thereafter, Hall joined the Alice Oates Opera Company, leaving it to spend time touring in straight plays with Mary Anderson
Mary Anderson (stage actress)
Mary Anderson was an American stage actress.-Early life:...
. By 1880 she was working for Edward E. Rice
Edward E. Rice
Edward Everett Rice was an American musical composer and theater producer active during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, known primarily for being a pioneer of American musical theater and introducing to Broadway a musical by African-American writers and performers.-Biography:Edward Everett...
, who cast her in several of his musical productions, giving her, among others, the trouser role of the hero Gabriel in a revival that year of Evangeline.
Hall continued to be a favorite in comic and light operas around the country until 1890. However, her greatest success came when she played the title role in the first American production of Erminie
Erminie
Erminie is a comic opera in two acts composed by Edward Jakobowski with a libretto by Claxson Bellamy and Harry Paulton, based loosely on Charles Selby's 1834 Robert Macaire...
(1886-1888). She performed Erminie a record-breaking 800 times while on Broadway and touring around the United States, which made her a household name. Hall toured with her own companies from 1890-1896, and later entered vaudeville
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...
, reportedly earning as much as $600 a week by 1898. In all, she played in over two dozen Broadway operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
s. She appeared in revivals of Robin Hood
Robin Hood (comic opera)
Robin Hood is a comic opera by Reginald De Koven , Harry B. Smith and Clement Scott . The story is based on the Robin Hood legend, during the reign of King Richard I . The opera was composed in Chicago, Illinois during the winter of 1888-1889.Robin Hood was first performed at the Chicago Opera...
and The Geisha
The Geisha
The Geisha, a story of a tea house is an Edwardian Musical Comedy in two acts. The score was composed by Sidney Jones to a libretto by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank. Additional songs were written by Lionel Monckton and James Philip....
in 1912 and 1913 and in Ziegfeld productions near the end of her career.
Although popular, as an actress and singer, Hall was never given good notices by reviewers, who thought she was mediocre. She had an alluring figure, however, and she maintained it until her death in 1919 while playing in David Belasco
David Belasco
David Belasco was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director and playwright.-Biography:Born in San Francisco, California, where his Sephardic Jewish parents had moved from London, England, during the Gold Rush, he began working in a San Francisco theatre doing a variety of routine jobs,...
's The Gold Diggers.
Hall was married to Edward White from 1881-1889. She was then married to theatrical manager George B. McClellan, Jr. from 1894-1902; she had a daughter by him in 1895.
Hall died of bronchial pneumonia
Bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia or bronchial pneumonia or "Bronchogenic pneumonia" is the acute inflammation of the walls of the bronchioles...
, at the age of 59, in Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
.
External links
- Pauline Hall at IMDbInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Pauline Hall at IBDBInternet Broadway DatabaseThe Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade association for the North American commercial theatre community....
- Photographs of Pauline Hall at NYPLNew York Public LibraryThe New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...