Most people who know of Billie Burke today know her only as Glinda the Good Witch from The Wizard of Oz. But Burke was an extraordinary star of stage, screen (silent and talkies!) and radio. HOWEVER we are here today to speak of her devious escape from Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre.

It was New Year’s Eve 1913 and everyone who was anyone was at the party at the Hotel Astor- including Florenz Ziegfeld, his former partner Anna Held, his current tempestuous flame Lillian Lorraine, and a woman he’d never met before... named Billie Burke.

Burke got to the party at two-in-the-morning, locked eyes with Ziegfeld, and the rest was Broadway history. The dance floor hosted a circle game where when the whistle blew, you danced with whoever was closest. Burke danced with Ziegfeld each time. He had bribed the band leader.

Burke was such an important star to manager Charles Frohman, one of the most powerful producers in New York, that he sent a chaperone to watch her. The man stood in the corner of the Astor and yelled “Matinee tomorrow!” as she danced.

In the following months, Burke & Ziegfeld fell in love. They hid it from Frohman. Frohman HATED Ziegfeld, and would have fired Burke on the spot. There were no AEA protections to prevent this. Burke & Frohman weren’t even romantically linked- he just liked his ingenues unmarried.

That spring, Burke appeared under Frohman’s management in a play called Jerry at the Lyceum. In fact, the Lyceum was owned by Charles Frohman’s brother, Daniel Frohman. You know, the one who would wave a white handkerchief at his wife through the trap door if she was overacting?

Frohman DID know about Ziegfeld- he just didn’t know how serious things were. In fact, he cabled the actress:
“That Ziegfeld. No good. No good at all, Billie. No Ziegfeld. Or no Frohman. Billie chooses. American theatre is looking on, dear.”

And so, one Saturday of spring 1914, Billie Burke slipped out of the Lyceum stage door after a performance of Jerry. She and Ziegfeld took a ferry to Hoboken. And two of the most glamorous personalities of the New York stage got married without a society guest in sight.

Billie Burke returned to the Lyceum via Hudson River ferry as soon as her wedding ended... and was on stage for the evening performance of Jerry that night.

Frohman got his revenge by closing Jerry at the Lyceum, even though it was doing well, and forcing the production out on tour. Burke had to go with it, and Ziegfeld had to be in New York creating the next Follies. This poster hung at the engagement in Wisconsin.

The following year, Charles Frohman was on board the Lusitania when it was torpedoed and sunk.

There is still an image of Billie Burke hanging in the Lyceum Theatre lobby today, from her 1912 triumph there with Frohman. And of course, everyone who sneaks out the Lyceum stage door is doing the same thing done by the woman who tip toed off to marry Ziegfeld.

The majority of this info came from Ethan Mordden’s incredible book about Ziegfeld. I can’t recommend it enough.