Phyllis La Fond

Phyllis La Fond, born around 1875, was an American soprano and stage performer who appeared on Broadway between 1900 and 1905. She was also known under the names Felicia Baranco, Phyllis Baranco, and Felice Valbuena. La Fond may have been born in France and received her early education in Germany and Russia, where she studied violin. She lived in New York City and performed both on Broadway and on tour throughout the United States.

Her stage career began taking shape in the 1890s, when Baranco appeared in The Fete Campetre, conducted by Oscar Hammerstein at the Olympia Roof, and in The Ballet Girl at the Columbia Theatre in Brooklyn in 1898. Her Broadway work included a role as a Spanish dancer in the revue Fiddle-Dee-Dee during the 1900–1901 season, as well as appearances in The Three Dragoons in 1899 and the play Arizona. She performed in The Little Duchess in 1902, a musical starring Anna Held, and in The Rollicking Girl in 1905. Following her Broadway years, La Fond joined touring productions, appearing in a traveling company of Cleo in 1907 and DuBarry in 1908, both of which starred Mrs. Leslie Carter.

During the 1910s, La Fond pursued a concert career as a soprano in New York and toured the Midwest, frequently accompanied by pianist Edna Rothwell. She also sang for American troops at military bases during World War I. Beyond performing, La Fond spoke publicly in favor of women wearing trousers and encouraged younger singers to prioritize good health, wear loose clothing, study languages, and support the work of American composers. Under the name Felice Valbuena, she sang the role of Santuzza in productions of Cavalleria rusticana in 1921 and 1922.