Jane Byrne

Jane Byrne 1934-, American politician, b. Chicago as Margaret Jane Burke. She was Chicago's consumer sales commissioner (1968-77) under Mayor Richard Daley before she became the first woman to win election (1979) as mayor of the city. During Byrne's single term, the city faced severe financial problems. In 1983 she ran for reelection but lost the Democratic primary to Harold Washington .

Enter Madame (1920), a comedy by Gilda Varesi and Dolly Byrne. [Garrick Theatre, 350 perf.] Gerald Fitzgerald ( Norman Trevor) has been married for more than twenty years to the great prima donna Lisa Della Robbia (Varesi) but has tired of following her all over the world in the wake of her sycophantic entourage. When one newspaper calls him Gerald Della Robbia and another nominates him as “President of the Only Her Husband's Club,” he decides enough is enough. When Gerald meets a sedate widow, Flora Preston ( Jane Meredith), and falls in love with her, Lisa agrees to a divorce, although she still loves him. After the divorce comes through, Lisa invites Gerald and Flora to dinner. Turning on the charm, she persuades him to leave Flora and marry her again. Heywood Broun noted of the Brock Pemberton production, “Here is an excellent light comedy. . . .The story is slight, but it is briskly told.” The play was revived for a successful road tour in 1930 with Helen Menken as the prima donna. Actress, playwright Gilda VARESI was the daughter of the celebrated opera star Elena Varesi and acknowledged that much of the play derived from memories of her own childhood with her mother.