Tracey Lee (female impersonator)
Encyclopedia
Tracey Lee (1933-1990) was an internationally acclaimed Australian cabaret artiste and female impersonator who was active from the 1950s to the 1980s.
was one of those star-struck kids who used to paper their bedroom walls with movie star pin-ups". Reportedly attending the local cinema at Balgowlah
three times a week, Ritchie became obsessed with "leading ladies of any calibre", including Ginger Rogers
, Margaret Rutherford
, Dorothy Lamour
and Ruby Keeler
. In later life, he admitted that "from a child, I'd had this talent for mimicking and miming". Ritchie's first recorded foray into female impersonation took place as a teenager, when he entered a talent quest at the Manly Theatre dressed as Carmen Miranda
, and won first prize.
, south of Sydney. He created the persona of Tracey Lee in 1959, while appearing at Andre's nightspot.
for an extended season.
Lee also toured extensively through Africa. He became the first professional female impersonator to perform on stage in South Africa, and also appeared in Rhodesia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Senegal and Kenya.
One appearance in New York City was acclaimed by critic Henry Edwards of After Dark
magazine, who (having already seen Lee perform in London) stated that "The man is a genius". It was also reported that actress Sylvia Miles
was one of Lee's biggest fans.
During his extensive world travels over several decades, Lee met (and even befriended) some of the Hollywood actresses whom he had idolised as a child, including Judy Garland
, Marlene Dietrich
, Bette Davis
and Katherine Grayson. Not all of them, he freely admitted, lived up to his expectations. Dorothy Lamour
became a close friend after the two performed together in the United States, and she later agreed to write the forward for Lee's proposed autobiography.
. In 1975, he was given his own one-hour television special, titled Hello Hollywood, in which he appeared with stage actress Gloria Dawn and pop vocalist Normie Rowe
. He went on to perform a one-man show in the guise of actress Margaret Rutherford, in which he sang two original songs, "I like gin" and "The Tumbarumba Rhumba", that he composed himself. During the 1980s, Lee made several well-received appearances at the Bondi Pavilion Theatre, playing the female matriarchs in Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit
and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest
. His performance as Lady Bracknell in the latter play (in which he was billed as "the world famous Mr Tracey Lee") was lauded in the press as "a brilliant portrayal", in which the actor "creates one memorable moment after another".
reportedly bidding for Lee's Bette Davis scrapbooks.
Tracey Lee died almost a year later, on 8 April 1990. A brief newspaper notice stated that he was survived by six of his seven siblings and was "loved uncle to their families and beloved of his many friends". Lee's funeral took place at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium on 12 April.
in October 1973. However, neither the book, nor the proposed film adaptation, ever appeared.
In later years, Lee donated memorabilia associated with his professional life, including photographs, scrapbooks and recordings of his performances, to the Dennis Wolanski Library of the Performing Arts at the Sydney Opera House. In 1997, this collection was transferred to the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney. These papers include the typescript of Lee's unpublished autobiography, under the title "I dared to be different".
A small collection of theatre programmes and related ephemera from Lee's career is also held by the National Library of Australia at Canberra.
Queensland-based artist Libby Woodhams, who knew Lee when she worked in Sydney in the late 1980s, paid homage to him with a piece of artwork entitled Four places and only one chair. Described as "a tribute to Tracy Lee, a drag queen, who did so much for the gay community", the artwork was inspired by a visit to Lee's "sparsely furnished house where, in the dining room, was a table exquisitely laid for four with lace tablecloth, glasses and cutlery - and only one chair".
Early life
Born in Sydney in 1933, Maxwell Ritchie was the youngest of eight children of strict parents. As a Sydney newspaper reported four decades later, "as a boy of ten, little Max from ManlyManly, New South Wales
Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:Manly was named...
was one of those star-struck kids who used to paper their bedroom walls with movie star pin-ups". Reportedly attending the local cinema at Balgowlah
Balgowlah, New South Wales
Balgowlah is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balgowlah is located 12 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region...
three times a week, Ritchie became obsessed with "leading ladies of any calibre", including Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
, Margaret Rutherford
Margaret Rutherford
Dame Margaret Taylor Rutherford DBE was an English character actress, who first came to prominence following World War II in the film adaptations of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest...
, Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour was an American film actress. She is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope .-Early life:Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise Dorothy...
and Ruby Keeler
Ruby Keeler
Ruby Keeler, born Ethel Hilda Keeler, was an actress, singer, and dancer most famous for her on-screen coupling with Dick Powell in a string of successful early musicals at Warner Brothers, particularly 42nd Street . From 1928 to 1940, she was married to singer Al Jolson...
. In later life, he admitted that "from a child, I'd had this talent for mimicking and miming". Ritchie's first recorded foray into female impersonation took place as a teenager, when he entered a talent quest at the Manly Theatre dressed as Carmen Miranda
Carmen Miranda
Carmen Miranda, GCIH was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, Broadway actress and Hollywood film star popular in the 1940s and 1950s. She was, by some accounts, the highest-earning woman in the United States and noted for her signature fruit hat outfit she wore in the 1943 movie The Gang's...
, and won first prize.
Early career in Australia
Ritchie initially began working as a commercial artist for a city department store, but, as he later put it, "I couldn't see myself for the rest of my life sitting in an office in the back of a store, so I suppose that's what drove me into this line of work". He commenced his career as a professional female impersonator in 1953, with an appearance at the Stork Club at Tom Ugly's PointTom Uglys Bridge
Tom Uglys Bridge is one of three major road crossings of the Georges River in southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It consists of two separate bridges that carry the Princes Highway, linking the St George area at Blakehurst to the Sutherland Shire at Sylvania.- Origin of the name :Tom Uglys...
, south of Sydney. He created the persona of Tracey Lee in 1959, while appearing at Andre's nightspot.
International breakthrough
It was actually outside Australia that Lee obtained his first big break, when, after he had "managed to scrape together enough money for a trip abroad", he travelled to Europe and appeared on stage at the famous Carrousel all-male revue in Paris. He subsequently became a member of the venue's touring company, and performed with them on the French Riviera and in Italy. Becoming sufficiently well-known to embark on a career as a solo performer, Lee remained in Europe for seven years, appearing in London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Zurich, Berlin, Hamburg, Florence, Naples and Milan. These included appearances at some of the world's leading cabaret venues, including the Follies Pigalle and Drap d'Or in Paris, and Chez Nous in Berlin. In London, he performed at the Room at the Top and the Winston Club in Mayfair, where he replaced Danny La RueDanny La Rue
Danny La Rue, OBE was an Irish-born British entertainer known for his singing and drag impersonations.-Early life:...
for an extended season.
Lee also toured extensively through Africa. He became the first professional female impersonator to perform on stage in South Africa, and also appeared in Rhodesia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Senegal and Kenya.
One appearance in New York City was acclaimed by critic Henry Edwards of After Dark
After Dark (magazine)
After Dark was an entertainment magazine that covered theatre, cinema, stage plays, ballet, performance art, and various artists, including singers, actors and actresses, and dancers, among others. First published in May 1968, the magazine succeeded Ballroom Dance Magazine...
magazine, who (having already seen Lee perform in London) stated that "The man is a genius". It was also reported that actress Sylvia Miles
Sylvia Miles
-Early life and career:Miles was born Sylvia Reuben Lee in New York City, the daughter of Belle and Reuben Lee, a furniture maker....
was one of Lee's biggest fans.
During his extensive world travels over several decades, Lee met (and even befriended) some of the Hollywood actresses whom he had idolised as a child, including Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
, Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
, Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
and Katherine Grayson. Not all of them, he freely admitted, lived up to his expectations. Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour was an American film actress. She is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope .-Early life:Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise Dorothy...
became a close friend after the two performed together in the United States, and she later agreed to write the forward for Lee's proposed autobiography.
Later career in Australia
In 1967, Lee appeared at Melbourne's Lido Theatre Restaurant in a limited-season revue entitled Hello Australia. The show was billed as "the most spectacular revue in Australian theatre restaurant history", with Lee himself billed as the "controversial impressionist and singing personality from the famous Carousel Nightspot in Paris". From the early 1970s, Lee mostly performed in his native Sydney, appearing in cabaret, pantomimes and stage shows. In one notable instance, he "created a precedent on the Australian stage by playing Bette Davis as Margo Channing in the stage play All about EveAll About Eve
All About Eve is a 1950 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve", by Mary Orr.The film stars Bette Davis as Margo Channing, a highly regarded but aging Broadway star...
. In 1975, he was given his own one-hour television special, titled Hello Hollywood, in which he appeared with stage actress Gloria Dawn and pop vocalist Normie Rowe
Normie Rowe
Norman John "Normie" Rowe AM was a major male solo performer of Australian pop music in the 1960s. Known for his bright and edgy tenor voice and dynamic stage presence, many of Rowe's most successful recordings were produced by Pat Aulton, house producer for the Sunshine Records, Spin Records and...
. He went on to perform a one-man show in the guise of actress Margaret Rutherford, in which he sang two original songs, "I like gin" and "The Tumbarumba Rhumba", that he composed himself. During the 1980s, Lee made several well-received appearances at the Bondi Pavilion Theatre, playing the female matriarchs in Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit
Blithe Spirit (play)
Blithe Spirit is a comic play written by Noël Coward which takes its title from Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "To a Skylark" . The play concerns socialite and novelist Charles Condomine, who invites the eccentric medium and clairvoyant, Madame Arcati, to his house to conduct a séance, hoping to...
and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations...
. His performance as Lady Bracknell in the latter play (in which he was billed as "the world famous Mr Tracey Lee") was lauded in the press as "a brilliant portrayal", in which the actor "creates one memorable moment after another".
Retirement and death
By the late 1980s, Lee had retired from performing and spent much of his time working for AIDS-related charities in Sydney. In April 1989, some of Lee's movie memorabilia collection was offered as part of the Hooray for Hollywood auction in Melbourne. The auction generated interest from around the world, with actor Roddy McDowallRoddy McDowall
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series...
reportedly bidding for Lee's Bette Davis scrapbooks.
Tracey Lee died almost a year later, on 8 April 1990. A brief newspaper notice stated that he was survived by six of his seven siblings and was "loved uncle to their families and beloved of his many friends". Lee's funeral took place at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium on 12 April.
Repertoire
Tracey Lee performed impersonations of:- Clara BowClara BowClara Gordon Bow was an American actress who rose to stardom in the silent film era of the 1920s. It was her appearance as a spunky shopgirl in the film It that brought her global fame and the nickname "The It Girl." Bow came to personify the roaring twenties and is described as its leading sex...
- Bette Davis
- Marlene Dietrich
- Eartha KittEartha KittEartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
- Margaret Rutherford
- Cecilia Sisson (silent film star with a speech impediment, also impersonated by Carol ChanningCarol ChanningCarol Elaine Channing is an American singer, actress, and comedienne. She is the recipient of three Tony Awards , a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination...
)
Stage
- Hello Australia (Lido Theatre Restaurant, 1967) - ensemble revue
- The Spice of Life (Doncaster Theatre Restaurant, 1970) - revue, with Gloria Dawn and Johnny Ladd
- Three's Company (Manly Music Loft, 1973) - revue, with Gloria Dawn and John Begg
- All about Eve (St James Playhouse, 1973) - as Margo Channing
- Cellar Folk (Journey's End Wine bar, 1976) - cabaret
- Cinderella (St James Playhouse, 1977–78) - as Ugly Stepsister
- An Evening with Margaret Rutherford (Playhouse Theatre, 1979) - one-man show
- Duke's Place: A Tribute to John Wayne (Coogee Comedy Theatre Restaurant, 1979)
- Blithe Spirit (Bondi Pavilion Theatre, 1980) - as Madame Arcati
- Pool's Paradise (Bondi Pavilion Theatre, 1981) - as The Bishop of Lax
- The Importance of Being Ernest (Bondi Pavilion Theatre, 1986) - as Lady Bracknell
Television
- This Day Tonight (1973) - guest appearance as Bette Davis
- The Bert Newton Show (1973) - guest appearance as Margaret Rutherford
- Hello Hollywood (1975) - TV special, with Gloria Dawn and Normie Rowe
- Chopper SquadChopper SquadChopper Squad is an Australian television series produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation for the 0-10 Network .The series was based around the work of a helicopter rescue team operating on Dee Why beach in Sydney...
(1978) - as "Patches" - Show Biz (1979) - interviewed by movie critic Bill Collins
Legacy
In October 1972, it was reported that Lee was working on an autobiography, to be titled From Under My Wig. At the time, it was stated that several American publishers had "already shown great interest in it" and, furthermore, that one unnamed impresario had expressed interest in adapting the book as a feature film. Early the following year, it was announced that the book (now titled simply Under My Wig) would be published by the Sydney-based Angus & RobertsonAngus & Robertson
Angus & Robertson is a bookstore chain in Australia. Its first bookstore was opened in 110½ Market Street, Sydney by Scotsman David Angus in 1884; it sold second-hand books. In 1886, he went into partnership with fellow Scot, George Robertson with whom he had worked earlier.- Bookselling history...
in October 1973. However, neither the book, nor the proposed film adaptation, ever appeared.
In later years, Lee donated memorabilia associated with his professional life, including photographs, scrapbooks and recordings of his performances, to the Dennis Wolanski Library of the Performing Arts at the Sydney Opera House. In 1997, this collection was transferred to the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney. These papers include the typescript of Lee's unpublished autobiography, under the title "I dared to be different".
A small collection of theatre programmes and related ephemera from Lee's career is also held by the National Library of Australia at Canberra.
Queensland-based artist Libby Woodhams, who knew Lee when she worked in Sydney in the late 1980s, paid homage to him with a piece of artwork entitled Four places and only one chair. Described as "a tribute to Tracy Lee, a drag queen, who did so much for the gay community", the artwork was inspired by a visit to Lee's "sparsely furnished house where, in the dining room, was a table exquisitely laid for four with lace tablecloth, glasses and cutlery - and only one chair".