The Chinese child star who wowed the US in the late 19th century, before returning as an even more impressive young woman
- Chee Toy, the singer ‘daughter’ of a celebrated Chinese conjuror, captivated US audiences as a child. Returning a decade later, her fame only grew further
Child star of the American stage. Teenage ragtime singing sensation. Young adult opera diva-in-waiting. Middle-aged backup act to a bump-and-grind burlesque legend.
From the late 1890s through to the 1930s, more than a decade before legendary Asian-American film icon Anna May Wong arrived on the scene, Gee Tai, stage name Chee Toy, “daughter” of the celebrated Chinese conjuror Ching Ling Foo, challenged stereotypes, and helped establish others, all while carving out a career unique in entertainment.
Even as a toddler she could hold a crowd. During the storied magician’s barrier-breaking 1898-1900 tour of the United States, little Chee Toy quickly became a celebrated element of the legendary Foo troupe’s familial appeal.
During that first tour, from the crammed Chinese theatre at the 1898 Omaha World’s Fair, to 20th century performances on Broadway, night after night, transfixed audiences would exhale a collective gasp as the variously described “cuter than anything”, “little Chinese doll child” would appear out of nowhere, perfectly poised on her father’s previously empty outstretched palm.
But that was just the start of the fun. A Foo troupe performance was always much more than a magic show. After being gently lowered to the stage, with a hop, skip and a jump, Chee Toy moved towards the crowd, stopped, fixed her gaze on an audience member up in the gallery and began to sing a favourite song of the time.
The petite performer’s remarkably sweet and strong voice, dusted with just the slightest of childhood lisps, delighted the crowd.
