lieing a graduate of (he Chicago High School.
VVhiie still a schoolgirl she began the cultivation
of her voice, which even in those days showed
Ihe promise of its later development, and studied
for seven years under Eniil Leibling. She was
Iwo years sight reader and accompanist at the
Chicago Conservatory of Music. It was after
this that Miss McKenzie decided to use her vocal
talents to more advantage and made her stage
debut as a member of the Calhoun Opera Com-
pany. An engagement with John Griffith in
" Faust " followed this, and then for two years
she sang the leading soubrelte roles in repertoire
opera al the Schiller Theatre. Chicago. It wa?
during this engagement that Miss McKenzie met
Otis B. Thayer, and she starred under his man-
agement for quite a lime. She then played one
of the leading parts in " Hotel Topsy Turvy," in
which she acted as understudy to Marie Dressier.
after which she appeared under Broadhurst and
Currie. playing Stella Comstock in " Rudolph and
Adolph.'" Miss McKenzie was next seen as
Flora Jane Fibby in "The Tenderfoot," support-
ing Richard Carle, and later created the role of General Jinjur in "The
Woggle Bug." and .succeeded May de Sousa as the jack o( Hearts in " The
Land of Nod." More recently she has devoted her talents to the vaudeville
stage, in company with Waller Shannon, presenting operatic sketches, their
latest offering being. " Slop the Ship." a most entertaining novelty. Miss
McKenzie, as can easily be seen, has been most fortunate in her stage career.
having tilled (irst-class engagements exclusively, and all credit to her that
slie has upheld so high a standard in her work.
