About Us

Singers' Names: Blanche Fralinger, Janie Thompson, Elsie Able
Pam Ernst, Dottie Cook, Peggy Mankowski & Lily Walker

About Blanche

My name is Blanche, Blanche Fralinger, that is. And yes, it was my father Joseph who started the infamous Fralinger Taffy on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. But don’t go getting any ideas that I’m some rich millionaire. My father expected all of his little Fralingers to work in one of his stores and take over the business one day. Well, that was fun for awhile, but I quickly became bored and tired of being called the Taffy King’s little "Taffy Princess."

What I really wanted to do was to dance and to sing! When I wasn’t selling taffy, I was dreaming of becoming a Ziegfeld Follies girl. One day I was wrapping up some taffy fresh from one of that copper kettles singing “Second Hand Rose’ at the top of my lungs when I noticed a woman standing behind the counter waiting. I turned embarrassed and asked her if I could help her. Turns out this woman was *the* Fanny Brice and she loved my singing! She was in Atlantic City for the week vacationing with her husband, Nick, and said she wanted to introduce me to someone that might like to hear me sing. Long story short, that’s how I became one of the Ziegfeld girls for two glorious years, 1920 & 1921.

My father and mother wouldn’t speak to me and never answered any of my letters once I left. Once Fanny left the company in 1921, I was left out on the street with the only place to go was Atlantic City. My parents wouldn’t answer my letters or calls. So with what little money I had left, I went to buy a drink at the Traymore Hotel bar. That is where I met Mick. After a few drinks and cigarettes, we exchanged life stories. He was looking for another singer in his Mick’s Picks group and said he needed a real professional to show the girls the way. That’s where I’ve been now for five years… and the irony of it all, having to sing Fralinger commercials.

About Peggy

I was born in Philadlephia to a loving family--the first of four children. My father was coach for the Frankford Yellowjackets and my mother sang in church weddings and choirs all around the area. She would sing me to sleep each night. Mother died in child birth when my brother, John, was born in 1909,and I was left being a mother figure for my three brothers and my Dad. I continued the tradition of knitting scarves for them as my mother used to and made their nurturing an important part of my life. Times got tough during the depression. At that same time, the Frankford Yellowjackets were bought out and my father lost his job when the new owners created the Eagles(*) franchise. We all had to help our father with his financial situation as best we could. I heard Mick Hamilton was looking for another singer, and I auditioned and became a Mick's Pick, travelling around the US and performing, always with the memory of my mother's singing--the one thing in life that made me happy and content. The girls I sing with are like the sisters I never had. I feel like they are my adopted family that I can nurture and "mother" and make me feel significant as a person again. I hope to stay a Mick's Pick for a long time to come. Side note: In 1933 the Franford Yellowjackets were sold and a new club was christened "Eagles" in honor of the symbol of the New Deal's National Recovery Act.

About Janie

My name is Eugenie, but my friends call me Janie. I'm 19 years old and the youngest and newest Mick's Pick. It has been a dream of mine to sing and be on stage for as long as I can remember. I grew up singing for my Mom and younger sister Mary Lou and together we perform for each other. My mother was a wonderful pianist and often dreamed of stardom. Well...she met a man who told her all her dreams would come true if she moved to New York City with him and so she did. She left me and my sister with our Aunt while she tried to make it big. Over the last few years, my Aunt has become ill and it has been my responsibility to provide for my sister. I saw an ad in the newspaper about auditions for being a Mick's Pick and I went for it. To my surprise and glee, I was chosen!! This will be my first performance, first Marathon and hopefully first step to becoming a famous singer.

About Lily

Lily Leyland Walker I come from a large family 5 girls and 4 boys - the girls named after flowers and the boys after apostles. We lived on the ocean not too far from Boston in a house that's always been in my Dad, Hugo's family. My mom, Iris sang lullabyes to all of us kids even before we were born, and Dad, a fisherman used to sing while he worked. I’d hear music everywhere from the sea birds to the ocean waves inside the sea shells. I always had a tune in my head. I started singing as far back as I can remember - at first in church and school and then in contests and for various occasions. I got jobs singing jingles on the radio and in clubs around town. It was when I showed up to work at one of these gigs that I met my husband, Howard. He’s called Ward by his friends, but I call him Babe. Anyway, in I walk and at the bar are four servicemen including Ward, having a grand time. Sure - he was quite handsome in his uniform and all, but what really got to me was the connection I felt when our eyes locked; a connection that to this day has never been severed. He is the most gentle and loving man I have ever met. We married a year later and moved around to wherever the US Army sent us. We have two beautiful daughters, Rose, now a doctor in Manhattan, and Violet who is happily married and a mother to our only grandchild, Lily Grace, named after me. I kept up with my singing even after Ward retired from the service to attend Columbia to work toward a CPA. While he was studying I found some extra time to devote to my other passion – reading. Ward always said I could be blindfolded but still find the nearest library in any town we lived. When the depression hit Ward had to quit Columbia. Times were hard but as long as we were together we could face anything. Ward ran into an old army buddy who told him that Mick Hamilton – a guy we knew from radio, was looking for a floor manager for the marathons he was running and Ward would be a natural. Ward asked Mick to give me a listen when one of the Mick's backup singers decided she’d had enough of Mick's infidelity and left. It’s a paying singing job so I can’t complain. Besides, Mick lets me read even on the bandstand, anytime I’m not singing. My fellow “Mick’s Picks” as we’re called, are all really close although we are all pretty different. We all have our secrets but they mostly stay “on the bandstand”. I'm not happy about how Mick treats my husband, but Ward says as long as Mick doesn’t show me any disrespect we’ll get through this too.

About Elsie

I am Elsie Able, originally from Chicago Illinois. It was always my dream to sing opera (oh, La Traviata!), and at age 19, I travelled to New York - they said I had a chance. New to the city, I met and fell in love with Harry Able, a set designer for the New York City Opera. Our romance was a whirlwind, and we were married in six months. I was perfectly happy to just be my beloved Harry's wife and mother to our two children, Martha and Peter. Unfortunately, the stock market crash took everyhting, and left Harry incapacitiated from a mental breakdown; I was left to support the family. Martha was engaged (so she thought - read "sleeping with") Mick Hamilton at the time, and in a moment of compassion, he allowed me to sing with the Mick's Picks, though I was quite a bit older than the other girls. Martha soon discovered his indiscretions and left him, but, thankfully, he has allowed me to stay with the Picks. I very much miss my Harry when I'm on the road, but know that he gets excellent care with Peter and his wife Carrie. I have very ambivalent feelings toward Mick, and this certainly isn't opera, but at least I'm singing again, and it is a paycheck.

About Dottie

I come from a pretty typical middle class family. I was married for a time, but my husband, an alcoholic, lost everything we had and our marriage simply fell apart with the stress of it all. So now I live with my parents when I am not on the road with Mick and the Picks. I have a younger sister named Millie who has recently married. I am looking for my next husband to show up on the dance floor and sweep me off my feet! Anyway, desperate for money as most everyone is...I went on the Dance Marathon "circuit". I love to dance, especially with handsome men. I had flirted with Mick during several marathons and eventually became his lover. I thought I was pretty special. Then to my delight Mick asked me to sing for the marathon crowd. He thought I was fabulous. I was on cloud nine and life was great until I discovered Mick's dirty little secret -- he was married to Rita!! I ended our affair and in order to keep his secrets...that he was married to Rita (kept from the crowds) and that he was having an affair (kept from Rita)... he offered me a job as one of his "Picks". I was disgusted by him, but in these tough times I realized I couldn't turn down a regular paycheck. So I took the job! In order to keep my job I had to keep my mouth shut about his marriage AND about his affairs. My eyes were opened that I was nothing special and that he was a womanizer through and through. I have come to love my fellow "Picks". Their friendship helps me tolerate being around Mick so much.

The roles of the Mick's Picks singers will be played Mary DuBois, Cathy Blakey, Pam Ernst, Laura Smith-Weyl, Christine Blonsky and Kim Blood.