Nikita Balieff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nikita Balieff
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Nikita Balieff by Sergis Alberts
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| Born | 1877 Erzerum, Ottoman Empire (disputed)
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| Died | 3 September 1936 New York City, U.S.
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| Occupation | Vaudeville, stage performer, writer, impresario, director |
Nikita F. Balieff (born around 1873 – died September 3, 1936) was a talented Russian-Armenian performer. He was known for his work in vaudeville, a type of theater with many different acts. Nikita Balieff was also a writer, a director, and an impresario (someone who organizes shows). He is most famous for creating and hosting the theater group called La Chauve-Souris.
Starting a Theater Career in Moscow
Nikita Balieff was likely born in Erzerum, Ottoman Empire in 1873. He moved to Moscow in 1906 and began working at the Moscow Art Theater. For many years, he only had roles without speaking lines. He really wanted to perform comedy, not serious drama.
So, Balieff teamed up with Nikolai Tarasov to start his own theater group. They set it up in a basement near the Moscow Art Theater. He named the group La Chauve-Souris, which is French for "the bat." He chose this name because a bat flew out of the basement door and landed on his hat!
Chauve-Souris became very popular in Moscow. But then, the Russian Revolution of 1917 happened. Balieff moved to Paris and started putting on vaudeville shows there with other Russians who had left their home country. A British theater producer named Charles B. Cochran noticed his shows and brought the group to London.
Big Success in the United States
In 1922, Chauve-Souris came to the United States for the first time. They toured from Washington, D.C., all the way to California for 65 weeks in a row! Between 1922 and 1929, Balieff returned to America to tour six more times. He performed on Broadway in New York City many times. His shows included songs, dances, and short funny plays. Most of these acts had been performed in Russia first.
One of his most famous acts was called The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers. It used a popular tune by Leon Jessel. The act told a story about Tsar Paul I. Legend says the Tsar once left his parade grounds without telling his soldiers to stop marching. Without the "halt" order, the soldiers marched all the way to Siberia before someone remembered them and ordered them back! Balieff's version of Wooden Soldiers was a favorite in Chauve-Souris. Later, it even became part of The Rockettes dance group's performances. This act was filmed in 1923 and is now kept at the Library of Congress.
Nikita Balieff was known for pretending he didn't speak much English on stage. He would give his speeches and introductions using a mix of Russian, French, and English words, along with lots of hand gestures. But in private, his English was actually quite good! His company also toured Europe and South Africa, performing in many big cities. He was married to Helena Komisarjevska, who was part of one of his theater companies. In 1927, he was even featured on the cover of Time magazine.
In 1934, Balieff created a new Chauve-Souris show, which was his last big theater project. That fall, he made his final stage appearance in a show called Continental Varieties. He also appeared in the film Once in a Blue Moon in 1935.
Death and Funeral
Nikita Balieff passed away on September 3, 1936, at the age of 63. He died from a kidney problem in New York City. His funeral was held at the Russian Orthodox Church of Christ the Savior. Members of the Russian Opera Company sang, and nearly 1,000 people attended the service. Balieff is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in New York.
A famous drawing of him was made by Alex Gard for Sardi's, a well-known restaurant where many Broadway performers gathered. This drawing is now kept at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
