Donna 100 Years ago – Binghamton Theater, Binghamton, New York

100 Years Ago
Donna Darling & Boys
By Don Taylor

[“Donna 100 Years Ago” is my reporting of items relating to my grandmother, Madonna Montran (aka Donna Montran and Donna Darling). Hers was the exciting world of 1920s vaudeville. She crisscrossed the country with her many shows.]

I first learned about Donna being at the Binghamton Theater from a clipping from the Donna Darling Collection that showed in the theater’s magazine. It told that the program for January 26, 27, and 28 included:

1. 1. Pathe News
   2. Dale & Young
   3. Peel & Corovan
   4. Farrell Taylor & Co.
   5. Donna Darling & Boys
   6. Loney Haskell
   7. Billy Bouncers Circus
   8. A Cosmopolitan Production “Just Around the Corner”

Another clipping indicated the year was 1922 and included,

“Donna Darling and Boys, as might be gathered from the title, is a musical number or rather a collection of musical numbers, all of them good.”

Finally, there was a small ad clipping that showed the same acts as the theater program. I don’t know which paper the clippings were taken from, but the same ad appeared twice in the 27 Jan 1922 issue of the Binghamton Press.

One hundred years ago, Donna played in her vaudeville act, “Donna Darling & Boys,” at the Binghamton Theater, Binghamton, New York.