Phyllis La Fond

Phyllis La Fond (born about 1875) was an American singer, also known as Felicia Baranco, Phyllis Baranco and Felice Valbuena.

Career In the 1890s, Baranco appeared in conducted by Oscar Hammerstein on the Olympia Roof, On Broadway, she was a "Spanish dancer" in the revue Fiddle-Dee-Dee (1900–1901), and she appeared in musicals including The Three Dragoons (1899), The Little Duchess (1902), starring Anna Held, and The Rollicking Girl (1905). and DuBarry in 1908, both starring Mrs. Leslie Carter.

La Fond, a soprano, sang in concerts in New York and toured the midwest in the 1910s, often accompanied by Edna Rothwell. "Miss La Fond charmed her listeners with the finish and beauty of her delivery, clarity of diction, and general artistic style," noted a 1917 report. During World War I, she sang for the troops at American bases, and she spoke in favor of women's trousers, saying "Many women have wanted to wear breeches for years, and now is their chance". She encouraged younger singers to maintain good health, wear loose clothing, and study languages. She also supported the work of American composers.

As "Felice Valbuena", she sang the role of Santuzza in productions of Cavalleria rusticana in 1921 and 1922.