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Della May Fox (October 13, 1870 - June 15, 1913) was an American singing comedian, whose popularity peaked in the 1890s when the diminutive Fox appeared opposite the very tall De Wolf Hopper in several musicals. She also toured successfully with her own company. ==Biography== Fox was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of Andrew J. Fox, a leading St. Louis photographer who had a specialty of theatrical subjects, and Harriett Swett. She made her first appearance on stage at age 7 as the Midshipmate in a St. Louis production of ''H.M.S. Pinafore''〔("Della Fox Dead Here," ) ''The New York Times, June 17, 1913, p. 11.〕 and subsequently played children's roles with Marie Prescott's company. In 1880 she appeared as Adrienne in ''A Celebrated Case'' and came to the attention of Augustus Thomas and his Dickson Sketch Club.〔Susan F. Clark, "Della May Fox" in ''American National Biography Online, accessed 12 January 2008.〕 When Thomas dramatized Frances Hodgson Burnett's story ''Editha's Burglar'', he engaged Fox to play the leading role, her first professional engagement. Thomas had the play expanded from one to a three-act play which gave Fox more prominence.〔Strang, p. 199.〕 From 1883 through 1885, the play toured the U.S. Midwest and Canada, and Fox was chaperoned by Nellie Page (a leading lady) and tutored by Thomas. Although her parents wanted her to attend boarding school, Fox was determined to become an actress. In the late 1880s, she appeared with Comley Barton and the Bennett and Moulton Opera Company, with which she played soprano roles in operettas such as ''Fra Diavolo'', ''The Bohemian Girl'', ''The Pirates of Penzance'', ''Billee Taylor'' and ''The Mikado''.〔Strang, pp. 199-200.〕 In February 1889, she appeared for the first time in New York, at Niblo's Garden. Her operetta roles brought her to the attention of Heinrich Conried, who had her play Yvonne, the soubrette part in ''The King's Fool'', singing the song "Fair Columbia".〔Browne, Walter and E. De Roy Koch. ''Who's Who on the Stage'', pp. 177–78, B. W. Dodge & Co, New York, 1908〕 Conried also provided Fox with the only acting lessons she received.〔Strang, p. 200.〕 When the newly formed De Wolf Opera Company was seeking a supporting cast, George W. Lederer of the New York Casino Theatre suggested Fox.〔 In May 1890, Hopper opened in Gustave Kerker's ''Castles in the Air'', with Fox playing Blanche. Her first big success occurred in 1891 when she played Prince Mataya together with Hopper in his production of ''Wang'', singing "Another Fellow".〔〔 The show was so popular that Fox and Hopper continued to play in it through 1892. In 1893, Fox re-teamed with Hopper in ''Panjandrum'', followed by ''The Lady or the Tiger'' in 1894. In 1894 she starred Clairette in William Furst's ''The Little Trooper'', and in 1895 the same composer's ''Fleur-de-Lis'', continuing to play in comic opera and operetta.〔 Also in 1895, Fay Templeton dedicated her song, ''I Want Yer Ma Honey'' to Fox, as did Franc L. Grannis with his song ''My Little Secret''. In 1897 she appeared with Lillian Russell and Jefferson De Angelis in ''The Wedding Day''.〔 By 1898, Fox succeeded in forming her own company, producing and starring in ''The Little Host'' which played with success from December 26, 1898 through March 1899. The diminutive, plump Fox became known for her childlike persona and her bobbed hairstyle: the "Della Fox curl" was later imitated by girls across America.〔("Della May Fox" ), ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' online, accessed January 12, 2009〕 Beginning in 1899, Fox suffered from ill health and the effects of alcohol and drug abuse, and on October 28, 1899, she was reported to be dying of peritonitis, but survived and returned to the stage.〔 In June 1900 she suffered a nervous breakdown but returned to the stage by September for ''The Rogers Brothers in Central Park''. In December 1901, Fox married Jacob David Levy, a diamond broker, in Boston. After the marriage, she appeared mostly in vaudeville houses.〔 In 1904, she was committed to an institution, the Brunswick Home on Long Island.〔"Della Fox in a Retreat; Actress a Patient in a Long Island Institution"], ''The New York Times'', May 15, 1904〕 She recovered and made two more appearances on Broadway: in ''The West Point Cadet'' (1904), and her final show, ''Rosedale'' (1913). Fox died at a private sanatorium in New York City in 1913, aged 42.〔 She is buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.〔("Della May Fox" ) at Find-a-grave〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Della Fox」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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