Between 1901 and 1912 , Foy played the leading comic roles in a series of musical comedies in New York City and on tour , including '' The Strollers '' ( 1901 ) , '' The Wild Rose '' ( 1902 ) , '' Mr. Bluebeard '' ( 1903 ) , '' Piff ! Paff ! Pouf ! '' ( 1904 ) , '' The Earl and the Girl '' ( 1905 ) , '' The Orchid '' ( 1907 ) , '' Mr Hamlet of Broadway '' ( 1908/9 ) , '' Up and Down Broadway '' ( 1910 ) , and '' Over the River '' ( 1912 ) . It was while on tour with '' Mr. Bluebeard '' that he became a hero of Chicago 's infamous Iroquois Theatre fire , December 30 , 1903 . A malfunctioning spotlight set fire to the scenery backstage , and Foy stayed onstage until the last minute , trying to keep the audience from panicking . Survivors later praised Foy for his bravery in trying to keep the crowd calm , even as burning debris fell onto the stage all around him . The theater 's safety features were inadequate , the theater personnel untrained , and some of the exits locked from the outside , and at least 600 people died . Foy escaped by crawling through a sewer
Iroquois Theatre fire
Iroquois Theatre fire
Eddie Foy Sr.