New York nights

Reggie DeVeulle had tried his hand at acting in London with little lasting effect. Perhaps by 1908 he get that he had outstayed his welcome in the West End but in any case he decided that London's loss would be New Yorks gain. In September 1908 he sailed on the S.S. New York from Southampton to New York city. The authorities registered all arriving aliens including of course, Reggie who was required to answer a number of questions about his situation and intentions.

This was Reggie's first visit to the USA and his final destination was New York. He had paid for his own ticket and had funds of at least $50 in his possession.

Reggie was English, of fair complexion, 5 feet 9 inches in height with brown hair and grey eyes. For some reason I imagined Reggie would have been a smaller man.

I don't know whether Reggie had already arranged a theatrical engagement in New York. However he had already been denied the intriguing possibility of playing himself on the London stage.

In early October 1908 Sir Charles Wyndham the legendary actor manager appeared as Lord Bellamy in the stage version of 'The Magnificent Bellamy' at his own Wyndham Theatre. This was the play chosen to reopen the theatre and was well received. Sir Charles Wyndham was over 70 in 1908 and playing a Lord Bellamy much younger than his own years. Lord Bellamy, his valet Stevens, Lady Bellamy and the double dealing, blackmailing detective were all present but there was one prominent character from the novel who was missing from the cast list at the Wyndham Theatre: Reggie Vandeleur.

Is is too much of a leap to suggest that a slighted Reggie, knowing that a character so obviously based on himself had been edited out of this extravaganza 'showed them all what he was made of' and headed off to the promised land of Broadway?

Instead of the Wyndham theatre Reggie found himself an engagement in a farcical musical that caused quite a sensation on Broadway. Although it went on to be toured across the USA it so outraged the Mayor of Boston that after he honourably and selflessly viewed it himself on Broadway he decreed that it could not be seen on any stage in Boston due to its impropriety.

"Queen of the Moulin Rouge" ran at the Circle Theatre on Broadway from December 1908 to April 1909. This small theatre on Columbus Circle was built as a music hall but hosted some short lived musicals. It was demolished in 1954.

Circle Theatre,  Columbus Circle

Finally Reggie could read his name in a review. The New York Times reviewed the show on December 8th. However the Broadway reviewers were as sniffy in 1908 as they are today:

"MOULIN ROUGE SHOW AIMS TO BE NAUGHTY; It Is Chiefly a Girl Exhibit and All Kinds Are Represented. SOME CLEVER DANCING Also Some Indelicacy and Many Fine Feathers -- Funny When It Tries to be Serious."

Reggie was not in the cat list but was mentioned in the review for his dancing of 'The Mattiche' or 'Kicking Polka'. This dance was familiar to the reviewer but: 

"not with such abandon as marks its dancing by Mme Auber and M. De Veulle, its allurement too has been somewhat discounted by its familiarity." 

Perhaps Reggie toured with the show perhaps not but there is again an intriguing glimpse of Reggie at '26 years and 9 months' as he claimed at immigration. Perhaps he was most flattered that he had been assumed to be a genuine Frenchman given the title of 'M' for Monsieur...