Nikita Balieff
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Nikita Balieff | |
---|---|
Erzerum, Ottoman Empire (disputed) | |
Died | 3 September 1936 New York City, U.S. |
Occupation(s) | Vaudeville, stage performer, writer, impresario, director |
Nikita F. Balieff (c.1873– 3 September 1936), was a Russian Armenian born vaudevillian, stage performer, writer, impresario, and director. He is best known as the creator and master of ceremonies of La Chauve-Souris theater group.
Theatrical career begins in Moscow
Balieff is believed to have been born in
Chauve-Souris enjoyed much success and popularity in Moscow, until the
Success in the United States
In 1922 Chauve-Souris made its first tour to the US through an arrangement with the producer Morris Gest. Balieff and his company toured from Washington, D.C. to California for 65 consecutive weeks. Between 1922 and 1929, Balieff returned to America to tour six times, appearing on Broadway in 1922, 1923, 1925, 1927, and 1929, with one final show billed as New Chauve-Souris in 1931. His shows consisted of songs, dances, and sketches, most of which had been originally performed in Russia.[3]
One of his most popular acts,
Balieff was known for his feigned lack of English on stage. His monologues and introductions were delivered in a mix of Russian, French, and English language and slang coupled with much gesticulation. However, in private his English was better than that of his stage persona. His company toured Europe and South Africa, appearing in major capital cities. He was married to Helena Komisarjevska, a member of one of his theatrical companies. In 1927 he was featured on the cover of Time magazine. [citation needed]
In 1934 Balieff created a new Chauve-Souris production, which proved to be his last theatrical venture. The fall of that year marked his final stage appearance: Continental Varieties, a
Death and funeral
Balieff died of a kidney ailment on 3 September 1936, aged 63, at the Park West Hospital on West 76th Street in Manhattan.
References
- ^ a b c Time Magazine, "New Plays in Manhattan", 17 October 1927 (with Balieff on the cover)
- ^ Passenger lists for usa, Giving birth year 1873. "Ancestry.com". Ancestry.com.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Nikita Balieff at the Internet Broadway Database
- IMDb
- ^ The New York Times, "Nikita Balieff, 59, Stage Figure Dies", 4 September 1936.
- ^ The New York Times, "1,000 Attend Services for Nikita Balieff", September 8, 1936.
Sources
- The New York Times, "The Last Laugh Out of Russia", January 15, 1922
- Time Magazine, "New Revue in Manhattan", August 23, 1943