Toma Hanlon
American actress
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Toma Hanlon Kershaw (about 1867 – November 11, 1929) was an American actress, singer, songwriter, and male impersonator[1] who performed on vaudeville programs and in Broadway shows, mostly in the 1890s and 1900s.
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Toma Hanlon | |
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Toma Hanlon, from a 1909 publicity photo | |
| Born | about 1867 |
| Died | November 11, 1929 (age 62) New York, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | Toma Hanlon Kershaw |
| Occupations | Actress, singer, comedian, male impersonator |
Early life and education
Hanlon was the daughter and namesake of Thomas Hanlon.[2][3] Her father was born in England, and a member of the Hanlon Brothers, an acrobatic and comedy troupe.[4] She was on stage from childhood, playing children's roles at Booth's Theatre in New York.[5]
Career
Hanlon appeared in the original production of Hendrik Hudson in 1890,[6] with Fay Templeton in the title role.[7][8] She sang in musical revues including He, She, Him, and Her (1888–1889),[9][10][11] Her Fidelity (1893),[12][13] Nadjy (1894),[14] At Gay Coney Island (1898),[15] Paris By Night (1904),[16][17] The Maid and the Millionaire (1907),[18] and The Belle of Avenue A (1908).[19] "She has considerable dramatic talent, unusual to one accustomed to playing musical comedy, is pretty and vivacious and a great favorite wherever she appears," reported The Tammany Times in 1908.[20] In 1909 the Houston Post said that "Miss Hanlon makes a very handsome man" in her act, singing "chappie" songs.[21] In 1909 and 1910 she toured nationally in vaudeville with her impersonation act,[22][23] and performed while recovering from a bout of ptomaine poisoning.[24] She also wrote songs.[15][25]
In 1904, she was called to testify at an inquest when a saloon keeper named Frank McNally died by gunshot in his apartment in Brooklyn. She admitted that they were involved, but denied having a key to his apartment or being in his company when he died.[26][27]
Publications
- "The Bird's Reply" (1889, words by Hanlon, music by J. Clarence West)[25]
Personal life
Hanlon was rumored to be engaged to an English actor, Gerard Warriner, in 1891.[5] She was also rumored to be involved with her costar, George H. Adams, in 1893.[11] She married an actor named Charles H. Clarke before her involvement with Frank McNally.[26] She was later married to Arthur Kershaw.[28] She was a widow when she died at Bellevue Hospital in 1929, at the age of 62, from the effects of alcoholism.[29][30]