Ring, Blanche

The Oxford Companion to American Theatre | 2004 | 700+ words | Copyright

Ring, Blanche (1876?–1961), singer. The Boston‐born daughter and granddaughter of performers, the tiny blonde belter of songs made her first appearance in a small role opposite Richard Mansfield in A Parisian Romance in 1892, and later played in companies headed by Nat Goodwin and Chauncey Olcott. She attained stardom overnight after introducing “In the Good Old Summertime” in The Defender (1902). Ring also sang “The Belle of Avenue A” in Tommy Rot (1902), “Bedelia” in The Jersey Lily (1903), and “I've Got Rings on My Fingers” in The Midnight Sons (1909). In all, she appeared in two dozen musicals between 1902 and 1938, as well as in several nonmusical plays. She was also a great favorite in vaudeville, where she was one of the first to get audiences to sing along with her and where her mimicry was as celebrated as her singing. Among the other songs she made famous were “Come, Josephine, in My Flying Machine,” “Waltz Me Around Again, Willie,” and “Yip‐I‐Addy‐I‐Ay.”

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Ring, Blanche." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Ring, Blanche." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-RingBlanche.html

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Ring, Blanche." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-RingBlanche.html

Learn more about citation styles