"Coon Shouter" SOPHIE TUCKER Sid Euson's Chicago Theatre 1909 Burlesque Program

Description

This is a rare March 21st, 1909 program (playbill) for the Burlesque bill
at Sid J. Euson's Theatre in Chicago, Illinois .....
Among the entertainers was SOPHIE TUCKER, "America's Greatest Coon Shouter" ..... Early career: Born Sofya Kalish,
SOPHIE TUCKER (
1886
– 1966)
was a Ukrainian-born American singer, comedian, actress, and radio personality. Known for her powerful delivery of comical and risqué songs, she was one of the most popular entertainers in America during the first half of the 20th century.
At a young age, she began singing at her parents' restaurant for tips.
Between taking orders and serving customers, Tucker recalled: "I would stand up in the narrow space by the door and sing with all the drama I could put into it. At the end of the last chorus, between me and the onions there wasn't a dry eye in the place."
In 1903, around the age of 17, Tucker eloped with Louis Tuck, a beer cart driver, from whom she would later derive her professional surname.
In
1905, she gave birth to a son, Albert, h
owever, shortly after Albert was born, the couple separated and Tucker left the baby with her family to move to New York.
In 1907, Tucker made her first theater appearance, singing at an amateur night in a vaudeville
establishment.
It was here that she wore blackface
during the performance, as her producers thought that the crowd would tease her for being "so big and ugly." By 1908, she had joined a burlesque
show in Pittsburgh but was ashamed to tell her family that she was performing in a deep southern accent wearing burnt cork on her face. While touring later that year, luggage including her makeup kit was lost, and Tucker was allowed to go on stage without the blackface.
She then stunned the crowd by saying, "You all can see I'm a white girl. Well, I'll tell you something more: I'm not Southern. I'm a Jewish girl and I just learned this Southern accent doing a blackface act for two years. And now, Mr. Leader, please play my song."
Tucker also began integrating "fat girl" humor, which became a common thread in her acts. Her songs included "I Don't Want to Get Thin" and "Nobody Loves a Fat Girl, But Oh How a Fat Girl Can Love." (Wikipedia) .....
The bill opened with a performance of "THE GAY MASQUERADERS" with SOPHIE TUCKER in the role of "Mrs. Flieder". Others in the cast included director HARRY A. EMERSON, WILL COLTON, JOE PETTINGILL, SID FOX, AL ZIMMERMAN, FRANK WALSH, JOHN SOHMAN, WALTER BRUAHL, Miss FOX, CORINNE DE FOREST, DAISY DEAN and JEAN DARROW. The play was followed by the performances of FOX and FOX "The Vaudeville Stars", SOPHIE TUCKER "America's Greatest Coon Shouter", COLTON and DARROW "Comedy Stars" and "WILSON - "THAT'S ALL" - "The Wonder of the Twentieth Century" .....
DETAILS: The eight page program measures 5 1/2" X 7 3/4" inches and includes production credits, list of entertainers, synopsis of scenes, musical numbers and wonderful vintage advertising, but no cast photos or bios ..... CONDITION: With the exception of two tiny pin holes at the top left,
light creasing
and minor edge wear, this rare program is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.