Donna in Grand Rapids, MI, at the Powers Theatre – Feb 20-21, 1920
Hotel Herkimer abt 1912 Via Pinterest from eBay |
No great birthday celebration for Donna for her twenty-seventh birthday. She was working as the Chin Chin cast were opening at the Powers Theatre in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The cast, probably stayed at the Hotel Herkimer, a “refined home for professionals” a few blocks away. The Herkimer was a regular accommodation place for vaudeville shows. This was a return engagement, so most of the cast knew where things were in town. “Chin Chin” spent two nights at the Powers Theatre. Articles, press releases and advertising were scant in the Grand Rapids [evening] “Press,” but this city of about 135,000 had three other newspapers, the morning “Herald,” the evening “News,” and a weekly, the “Chronicle.” Pre-show newspaper articles in the “Press” indicated that they had new scenery and new costumes since the previous season’s showing in Grand Rapids. Between the first and second nights, the paper called out Donna by name.
“Chin Chin” on Return Date at Powers
“Chin Chin” at Powers Saturday and Sunday is not the “Chin Chin” of yesterday, but many who viewed it were apparently satisied. Walter Wills and Roy Binder, as Chinese clowns, are the heart of the show. Tom Brown’s clown band under the leadership of Lew Gould, and radiant Donna Montran as the “goddess of the lamp,” are also shining lights of comedy.
The Powers Theater
Construction of the original Powers’ Opera House began in 1873 and the theater opened on 12 May 1874. The original theater had a seating capacity of about 1300. The main floor was above ground level. That building succumbed to a fire in 1892 that gutted the interior, The interior was rebuilt and new four-story with rounded bays was added to the east end of the building. On September 13, 1901 the theater was again aflame. This time, the fire totaled the building which caused it to be rebuilt completely as the Powers’ Theater. The rebuilt design put the main theater floor at ground level and increased capacity.
Powers Opera House Courtesy: Grand Rapids Historical Commission |
Sources:
Grand Rapids Press (Grand Rapids, MI), Feb 23, 1920 – Page 6, via via Genealogy Bank
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