Editing Adele Astaire (section)

== Broadway career (1917–1932) ==
In 1917, after Fred carefully purchased a full-page advertisement on the back cover of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', the siblings landed a part in their first Broadway show, [[Lee Shubert]]'s ''Over the Top''. Adele was 21, while her brother was 18. The show opened on November 28, 1917,{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=23–24}} and the siblings received a weekly salary of $250 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|250|1917|r=-2}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}) for their assigned dance numbers and comedy skits.{{sfn|Riley|2012|p=53}} A critic from ''[[The New York Globe]]'' commented that the dancing of Adele and her brother was "one of the prettiest features of the show", and the production ran for 78 performances.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|p=25}} To prepare for her work singing in Broadway musicals during the late 1910s and 1920s, she took voice lessons with [[Estelle Liebling]] who was the voice teacher of many famous singers at the [[Metropolitan Opera]] and on Broadway.<ref name="Dean Fowler">{{cite thesis|title=Estelle Liebling: An exploration of her pedagogical principles as an extension and elaboration of the Marchesi method, including a survey of her music and editing for coloratura soprano and other voices|first=Alandra|last=Dean Fowler|year=1994|type=PhD|publisher=[[University of Arizona]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/liebling-estelle|title=Estelle Liebling: 1880 – 1970|encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women|author=Charlotte Greenspan|year=2009}}</ref>

[[File:Adele Astaire - Aug 1918.jpg|thumb|Astaire in costume for ''[[The Passing Show of 1918]]''|alt=|left]]
Adele and Fred performed in ''[[The Passing Show of 1918]]'', which ran for 125 performances.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=26–27}} Astaire was given an opening solo, singing "I Really Can't Make My Feet Behave".{{sfn|Riley|2012|p=55}} In November 1919, the Astaires appeared in the operetta ''[[Apple Blossoms]]'', beginning a professional relationship with Broadway producer [[Charles Dillingham]]. The show was successful, running for 256 performances. Fritz came to see his children perform. Their weekly salary was now $550, which rose to $750 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|550|1918|r=-2}} & ${{Inflation|US|750|1920|r=-2}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}) when ''Apple Blossoms'' began its post-Broadway tour from September 1920 to April 1921.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=28–30}} Unlike her brother, who struggled with shyness offstage, Astaire's outgoing personality made it easy for her to speak to reporters.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=28–30}}

[[File:AdeleFred1921.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Astaire with her brother [[Fred Astaire|Fred]] (1921)|alt=|left]]
Although their next show ''The Love Letter'' was a commercial flop, opening in October 1921 and running for only 31 performances,{{sfn|Riley|2012|p=64}} Astaire and her brother continued to garner appreciation from audiences, and here they introduced what would become one of their signature exit moves, the Runaround. Standing shoulder to shoulder at the end of a dance number, the siblings would put their arms out as if grasping the handlebars of bicycles, running around the stage together in ever-growing circles while the orchestra played "a series of oompahs".{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=30–31}} At last, Adele and Fred would disappear into the wings.{{sfn|Riley|2012|pp=65–66}} Audiences loved it. Fred attributed the popularity of the Runaround to his sister's comedic timing and expressions, and the siblings found ways to incorporate the move into almost every show of their subsequent career together.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=30–31}} While visiting New York for the first time that year, English playwright [[Noël Coward]] saw ''The Love Letter'' and was impressed by the Astaires. He came to meet them backstage, urging them to consider taking their performances to London.{{sfn|Riley|2012|pp=65–66}}

In 1922, Adele and Fred landed their first proper speaking roles in the Broadway musical ''For Goodness Sake'', playing the best friends of the lead characters. They received positive reviews from critics,{{sfn|Levinson|2009|p=32}} and sang the hit song "The Whichness of the Whatness", concluding the piece with their increasingly popular Runaround exit. With the success of this show, Fred began taking more of a lead in choreographing their routines.{{sfn|Riley|2012|pp=67–68}} The siblings finally received star billing in the short-lived ''The Bunch and Judy'', earning $1000 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|1000|1922|r=-2}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}) weekly. Drama critic [[Heywood Broun]] called the Astaires "the most graceful and charming young dancers in the world of musical comedy".{{sfn|Levinson|2009|p=33}}

As the siblings continued to rise professionally, Adele quickly became known for her comedic expressions and "adorably squeaky" soprano voice.{{sfn|Mordden|2013|p=115}} She often ad-libbed onstage.{{sfn|Riley|2012|pp=4–5}} She gave high-spirited performances, delighting audiences with her zany humor; Fred developed his own more understated style in response, dancing with a characteristic "pretence of nonchalance" that he would carry on using throughout his dancing career.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=39–40}} Adele and her brother developed a dancing style involving complex steps performed rapidly and gracefully, often compared to "a whirlwind" by critics and audiences.{{sfn|Riley|2012|p=69}}

[[File:Adele Astaire LCCN2014715792 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Adele aboard an ocean liner (photo undated, probably mid-1920s)]]
After the idea of performing overseas was suggested, Adele and Fred agreed to take ''For Goodness Sake'' (renamed ''Stop Flirting'') to the [[West End theatre|West End]] in London. On May 30, 1923, their show opened at the [[Shaftesbury Theatre (1888)|Shaftesbury Theatre]] and received a standing ovation.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=34–35}} ''Stop Flirting'' ran for 418 performances. It moved to the [[Sondheim Theatre|Queen's Theatre]], followed by the [[Novello Theatre|Strand Theatre]].{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=36 & 38}} [[Edward VIII|The Prince of Wales]] attended the show ten times, and both he and his brother [[George VI|the Duke of York]] became friends with the siblings. Adele taught Edward some new tap dance steps, and the pair once danced together at a club.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=36–37}} As the Astaires' popularity grew, both Adele and Fred were featured in major advertising campaigns.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|p=36}} While in London, [[Peter Pan]] creator [[J. M. Barrie]] asked Adele to play his creation on stage, but contractual reasons forced her to turn down the part.{{sfn|Riley|2012|p=87}} In early 1924, Adele received word that her father, Fritz, had died from cancer.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|p=38}}

Returning to New York in late 1924, Adele and her brother starred in ''[[Lady, Be Good (musical)|Lady, Be Good!]]'', the first Broadway musical scored entirely by [[George Gershwin|George]] and [[Ira Gershwin]]. It was a hit with audiences, running for 330 performances. The siblings earned $1750 per week. One critic called Adele the most charming and entertaining musical actress seen "in many a moon".{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=39–40}} In the spring of 1926, Adele and her brother took ''Lady, Be Good!'' to London, opening at the [[Empire, Leicester Square|Empire Theatre]] to enthusiastic reception. The siblings renewed their acquaintance with the British royal family, receiving an invitation from the Duke and [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother|Duchess of York]] to meet the newborn [[Elizabeth II|Princess Elizabeth]]. King [[George V]] and [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]] also made a special visit to see the Astaires perform.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=43–44}}

[[File:Adele Astaire & Tilly Losch (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Astaire (left) with ''The Band Wagon'' co-star [[Tilly Losch]]]]
In 1927, Adele and Fred joined forces with the Gershwin brothers again in New York for their new musical ''[[Funny Face (musical)|Funny Face]]''. The show was another hit.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|p=45}} Shortly after the opening, the Astaires arranged for a film screen test with [[Paramount Pictures]]. The film studio hoped to feature Adele and her brother in a film version of ''Funny Face'', but the siblings were both unsatisfied with the initial screen test results, and the project never went ahead.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=46–47}} On the Broadway stage, ''Funny Face'' ran for 250 performances, closing only due to a summer heatwave in 1928 that made theaters too hot for audiences and performers. That summer, Adele was injured in an accident on [[Long Island]] when a motorboat engine exploded, scalding her upper body with burning oil. Although her career was put on hold for a few months, she made a full recovery.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|p=47}}

The Astaires' London debut of ''Funny Face'' took place in November 1928. The show ran for 263 performances, and British newspapers hailed "another outbreak of 'Astairia'" as audiences embraced the American duo once again.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|p=47}} On the night of their final performance in London, Adele was introduced to [[Lord Charles Arthur Francis Cavendish|Lord Charles Cavendish]], the second son of [[Victor Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire|the 9th Duke of Devonshire]].{{sfn|Riley|2012|p=119}}{{sfn|Levinson|2009|p=48}} Cavendish was several years younger than Adele. The pair were quickly attracted to each other, spending time together in Paris before Adele returned to America with Fred. They met again soon afterwards when Cavendish came to New York and took a position with [[J.P. Morgan & Co.]]{{sfn|Levinson|2009|p=55}}

Although their next show, ''Smiles'' (1930), was a commercial flop, Adele and her brother soon made their comeback with another hit, starring in their final Broadway show together, ''[[The Band Wagon (musical)|The Band Wagon]]'', which opened on June 3, 1931, and ran for 260 performances.{{sfn|Levinson|2009|pp=49 & 53}} Other members of ''The Band Wagon's'' cast included [[Tilly Losch]], [[Helen Broderick]] and [[Frank Morgan]].{{sfn|Riley|2012|p=135}} Critics applauded the creative, decidedly modern writing and set design of the show, which included a custom-built "double revolve" turntable stage: the turntable revolved in two directions at once, revealing new scenes quickly and smoothly while the performers danced and sang.{{sfn|Riley|2012|pp=136–137}}