Ginger’s Stage Appearances of the Late 1920s

 

It has been quite a while since my last post here on this blog, but I would like to work on being a little more consistent in 2023. Below you will find what is essentially a digitization of one of my research notebooks from a few years ago. At that time, I was committed to discovering as many dates and as much information as possible about exactly where Ginger was throughout 1927-1929 in the theater world. This list details most of her stage appearances following her big Texas Charleston championship win, and ending with her first professional encounter with Jack Culpepper, who would become her first husband. I hope that some of you find this information interesting, and perhaps even recognize some of the theaters she performed in, maybe even in your hometown!

1926

January 19-21: Grand Theater in St. Louis, Missouri / Majestic in Chicago, Illinois

February (date unknown): Columbia Theater, Arizona

February 11: Pastime Theater, New Mexico

February 28-March 2: West Coast Theatre in San Bernardino, California

March 16-17: Yost Theatre in Santa Ana, California

April 3: performed in Modesto, California

April 22: Heilig Theater in Oregon

May 6: Wilma Theatre in Missoula, Montana

May 7: Bluebird Theater in Anaconda, Montana

May 9-10: Broadway Theater in Anaconda, Montana

May 11-12: Grand Theater in Great Falls, Montana

May 16: Babcock Theater in Billings, Montana

June 10-13: Electric Theater in Missouri

September 16-25 ?: Ginger Rogers and Her 8 Redheads perform at Midland Theatre in Kansas

October 8-9: The Strand in Kansas. At this venue, she introduces “the Valencia” and “blackbottom”

October 26: Memorial Hall in Missouri in connection with the Shrine Revue

November 1-2: The Orpheum in Neosho, Missouri 

November 21: Sedalia, Missouri

1927

Beginning of July: Performing with Al Short in Atlanta, Georgia. Papers describing her as “the Pep Girl.”

Late August: Performing with Frankie Masters and his band in Chicago 

Beginning of September: Performing as a singer/comedian with Frank Hamilton and Jimmie Ellard in “Kid Days” (musical revue) at the Capitol Theater

October: Performing in Al Short’s Publix Stage Show in Atlanta, Georgia

Late November: Performing with Ed Lowry in “Dancing Brides” at the Ambassador in St. Louis

1928

January: Performing with Billy Snyder in a stage show (“Her Wild Oat”) at the Fort Armstrong Theater in Rock Island, Illinois

Beginning of February: Performing with Paul Ash in “Under the L” at the Oriental Theater in Chicago

February: Appearing in “Hey! Hey! Hades!” at the Senate Theater in Chicago

Beginning of March: Continuing to perform with Paul Ash in the above production as well as “Spring Fever” at the Oriental Theater in Chicago

Mid-March, beginning of April: Performing with Paul Ash in “Bubbling Over” at the Oriental Theater in Chicago

End of April, beginning of May: Performing with Eddie Pardo in “Palm Beach Revels” at the Circle in Indiana

Beginning of May: Performing in “On the High C’s” at the Missouri Theater in St.Louis

End of May: Performing with conductor Al Kvale and Merry Mad Gang in “Top of the World” at the Oriental Theater in Chicago

End of June: Appearing in a stage show at the Michigan Theater in Michigan to introduce Frank Beaston 

May-July ?: Appearing with Dick Powell in “Revue in Blue” at the Circle in Indianapolis 

Beginning of July: Performing with Ed Lowry in a stage show in St.Louis

Beginning of August: Performing with Paul Ash in “Pow Wow” at the Publix Paramount Theater in New York

Middle of August: Performing with Paul Ash in “Bittersweet Blues” at the Publix Paramount Theater in New York

Beginning of September: Appearing in “High Hat” at the Metropolitan Theater in Boston

End of September: Performing in the above production at the Penn Theater in Pittsburgh

End of October: Performing in the above production at the Michigan Theater in Detroit

Beginning of November: Performing in the above production at the Indiana Publix in Indianapolis 

Middle of November: Performing with Ed Lowry at the Ambassador in St.Louis

November 12: Ginger makes a radio appearance

Middle of November: Performing in “High Hat” at the Indiana

Beginning of December: Performing in the above production at the Uptown Theater in Chicago

1929

Beginning of January: Performing in “Parisian Nights” at the Metropolitan Theater in Los Angeles

Beginning of January: Performing in the above production at the Granada Theater in San Francisco 

Beginning of February: Performing in the above production in Des Moines, Iowa

Middle of March: Performing in “Crazy Quilt” in Atlanta, Georgia

May: Ginger featured with Jack Culpepper in “Rhythm Mania” at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh

May 6: Ginger and Jack featured in Stanley-Warner Bros. Jubilee (radio)

More to be added in the future as I continue to look into this era of her life.

© Saga of Ginger and sagaofginger.com 2023 Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Saga of Ginger and sagaofginger.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.