Fwd: [78-l] need advice on Thomas Jones LaRue

[Joel Bresler <jbresler...>]

Can anyone help?

Please reply to Donna directly, with a cc to the list.

Thanks,

Joel

>Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2001 22:52:56 -0400 (EDT)
>To: Xanajew (at) aol(dot)com
>Cc: 78-l (at) topica(dot)com
>From: Donna Halper <dlh (at) donnahalper(dot)com>
>Subject: [78-l] need advice on Thomas Jones LaRue
>Reply-To: 78-l (at) topica(dot)com
>
>We briefly talked about this a while back, but it is still on my 
>mind.  Somebody has to have some further info about it:
>
>The New York Age (a black newspaper) of 8 April 1922 had an interesting 
>profile of Thomas Jones LaRue, said to be the only African-American cantor 
>in New York City, and probably the first black Jew to sing on the Broadway 
>stage.  (Thomas Jones LaRue was born Jewish, btw-- his mother had 
>converted to Judaism and she even sent him to Orthodox Day School).   Mr 
>LaRue was not only a cantor, but he also recorded several Hebrew songs and 
>acted in the Yiddish theatre.   According to the article I read, on 5 
>April 1922, at the Lenox Theatre, 111th Street and Lenox Avenue in New 
>York, a benefit concert was given in his honour.  At that time, he was 
>starring in a play called "The Wedding Gown."  Attending the benefit were 
>some of the music and theatre industry's big names, including the 
>legendary Jewish Cantor Josef (Yossele) Rosenblatt and impresario David 
>Belasco.
>
>I have looked in all sorts of places trying to find confirmation of this 
>event-- given that big names attended, one would think some other 
>newspaper would have mentioned it, but so far, I can't find it mentioned 
>in the NY World, the NY Times or the Herald-Tribune.  Who might have 
>written about it-- what other New York newspapers of April 1922 wrote 
>about Jewish music or Yiddish theatre?  And I wonder if any recordings 
>were made as a result of this event, which evidently included quite an 
>impressive programme of both sacred songs in Hebrew and selections from 
>opera in various languages.
>
>When I was in NY recently, I asked at the NY Public Library, but they were 
>not especially helpful (they weren't especially friendly either)-- And the 
>NYPL collection of Judaica had nothing on Cantor LaRue  either; much of 
>the Judaica collection (at least the materials available in English) was 
>about events from the 30s and beyond.  I checked Yossele Rosenblatt's life 
>story, hoping for a mention, but didn't find one there either.  I'm open 
>to suggestions.  Got any?



Joel Bresler
250 E. Emerson Rd.
Lexington, MA 02420 USA

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