One of the most popular turn-of-the-twentieth-century prima donnas in America,[citation needed] Hall left school at the age of 14[2] and began her career as a dancer in her native Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1875.

Shortly thereafter, Hall joined the Alice Oates Opera Company, leaving it to spend time touring in straight plays with Mary Anderson.

By 1880 she was working for Edward E. Rice, who cast her in several of his musical productions, giving her, among others, the trouser role of the hero Gabriel in a revival that year of Evangeline.

She performed Erminie a record-breaking 800 times while on Broadway and touring around the United States, which made her a household name.

[citation needed] She appeared in revivals of Robin Hood and The Geisha in 1912 and 1913[4] and in Ziegfeld productions near the end of her career.