Edw. Le Roy (Edward Le Roy) Rice

author

Edw. Le Roy (Edward Le Roy) Rice

1871–1938

A colorful figure from the worlds of vaudeville and music publishing, this American writer is best remembered for chronicling Black stage entertainment in the early 20th century. His work captures performers, productions, and theatrical culture from a lively and fast-changing era.

1 Audiobook

Monarchs of minstrelsy, from "Daddy" Rice to date

Monarchs of minstrelsy, from "Daddy" Rice to date

by Edw. Le Roy (Edward Le Roy) Rice

About the author

Born in 1871 and dying in 1938, Edward Le Roy Rice was an American writer and theatrical man whose name is most closely linked with Monarchs of Minstrelsy, from "Daddy" Rice to Date. That book has remained notable as a record of performers and stage history connected with minstrelsy and popular entertainment.

Rice also moved in the wider world of show business rather than staying only on the page. A 1911 portrait and biographical records place him firmly in the entertainment culture of his day, helping explain the firsthand, insider tone associated with his writing.

Today, Rice is mainly of interest to readers exploring theater history, vaudeville, and the complicated legacy of American popular performance. His surviving work offers a period snapshot of how that world presented itself in the early 1900s.