Page "Maude Adams" Paragraph 12

Charles Frohman had been pursuing J. M. Barrie to adapt the author's popular book The Little Minister into a play, but Barrie had resisted because he felt there was no actress who could play Lady Babbie.

On a trip to New York in 1896, Barrie attended a performance of Rosemary and at once felt he had found his Lady Babbie.

Bruce Adamson wrote: " On November 1, 1897 Maude Adams, Ethel Barrymore and John Drew performed in Rosemary, at the Opening Night of The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel before her close friends Jonas, Grace and Lillian Kissam, and the George W. Ely's.

Lillian's husband Henry Bidwell Ely was in charge of building the Astoria Hotel for John Jacob Astor.

Lillian's grandfather Abner Bartlett built The Waldorf Hotel for William Waldorf Astor.

" Frohman worried that the masculine aspects of the book might overshadow Adams's role.

With Barrie's consent, several key scenes were changed to favor Lady Babbie.

The play was a tremendous success, running for three hundred performances in New York ( 289 of which were standing room only ) and set a new all time box office record of $ 370, 000.

In one year, Adams had been transformed from a popular supporting player into one of the biggest stars on Broadway.