Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.

Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr, was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 21, 1867. Ziegfeld was the son of immigrant parents, and his father was a classical musician who founded the Chicago Musical Academy. Ziegfeld did not follow in his father’s classical footsteps but instead became a theatre producer. As he was searching for new talents to produce shows for, he discovered and ultimately married a popular French singer named Anna Held. Ziegfeld earned and lost money on a regular basis with most of his shows. This theatre impresario was most known for the Ziegfeld Follies, a splashy revue-style extravaganza, which began in New York in 1907 and ran through his lifetime and even after. Following his divorce from Anna Held, he married actress Billie Burke (“Glinda, the Good Witch” in the 1939 film of The Wizard of Oz). They had one child, Patricia, and he remained married to Burke until his death in 1932.

Key Dates & Events

• 1893 - Ziegfeld helps his father run a nightclub, providing him with experience to create his own touring troupe of performers.
• 1896 - Ziegfeld co-produces his first musical in New York, a revival of A Parlor Match.
• 1897 - Ziegfeld begins a common-law marriage with actress Anna Held. They would divorce in 1913.
• 1907 - Ziegfeld began producing the revue-style extravaganza, Ziegfeld Follies.
• 1913 - The Ziegfeld Follies moves to the New Amsterdam Theatre on 42nd Street.
• 1914 - Ziegfeld marries actress Billie Burke.