The Names Have Been Changed

It is not uncommon in show business for people to change their names. Serge Diaghilev thought nothing of renaming his dancers: Olga Spessivtseva became Olga Spessiva, Lydia Sokolova was Hilda Munnings, Alicia Marks became Alicia Markova, Anton Dolin was born Sidney Francis Patrick Chippendale Healey-Kay -- put that on a marquee.

Even today it is still being done: Jimmy Hicks is Scott Douglas, Antony Tudor was William Cook, Nora Kaye -- a Brooklyn girl named Nora Koreff, Michael Lland's original name was Holland "Nat" Stoudenmire, Mark Platt became Marc Platoff, Tula Finklea became famous as Cyd Charisse as well as many more names than I could include in this space...

(First published February 1996)

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