|
|
L. was born on 13 December
1840 in Yekaterinoslav, Ukraine. His father was a
cantor. Until age eighteen he learned in cheders, and at
the age of twenty-two founded the first Yiddish quartet
in Odessa [Levin (tenor)], Katshanov (baritone),
Tsendler (baritone), and Fishman (bass), who used to
perform in wine cellars and in cafe cabarets.
In 1880 the quartet was
engaged for Spivakovski to perform in Minsk in the
governor's garden as an divertissement for the Russian
productions. In 1881 the quartet left and L. went to
Libova, where he entered into the local Yiddish troupe
(Director -- Leon Berger).
In 1884 he immigrated to
American and soon [umorgns] after his arrival, he
debuted as "Tsingetang" in "Shulamit" in Brooklyn's
Singer Hall. In 1885 L. became manager of Shwager Hall
in Newark, and he engaged as a troupe the actors Sabina
and Charles Weinblatt, Tornberg, Charles Nathanson, Sam
Levenvirt et al. In 1886 L. became engaged to Baltimore
in the Germanic Hall, where he acted for four seasons
with various troupes.
In 1900 L. took over the
Front Street Theatre in Baltimore, but soon, at the
opening, a false fire alarm broke out and during the
tumult, twenty-six people perished.
After that catastrophe L.
retired from theatre activity. |