hold ▁at ▁the ▁Moscow ▁Art ▁Theatre , ▁which ▁she ▁subsequently ▁joined . ▁The ▁daughter ▁of ▁Konst antin ▁Leon to v ich , ▁an ▁officer ▁in ▁the ▁Russian ▁Imperial ▁Army , ▁she ▁suffered ▁greatly ▁during ▁the ▁Revolution . ▁Her ▁three ▁brothers ▁( who ▁were ▁Army ▁officers ▁like ▁their ▁father ) ▁were ▁murder ed ▁by ▁the ▁B ols he vik s . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁she ▁" found ▁her ▁way ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁and ▁set ▁about ▁master ing ▁the ▁English ▁language ". ▁That ▁year , ▁she ▁joined ▁a ▁tour ing ▁company ▁of ▁the ▁musical ▁Bl oss om ▁Time ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁and ▁tra ve led ▁throughout ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Her ▁success ▁led ▁to ▁Broadway ▁st ard om . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁After ▁tour ing ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁Bl oss om ▁Time , ▁she ▁was ▁cast ▁as ▁Gr us in ska ia ▁in ▁the ▁Broadway ▁adaptation ▁of ▁V icki ▁Ba um ' s ▁novel ▁Grand ▁Hotel . ▁An ▁enorm ous ▁success , ▁the ▁play , ▁which ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁was ▁later ▁fil med ▁with ▁Gre ta ▁Gar bo ▁in ▁the ▁part ▁created ▁by ▁Leon to v ich . ▁After ▁Grand ▁Hotel ▁Leon to v ich ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁L ily ▁Gar land ▁( aka ▁M ild red ▁Plot ka ) ▁in ▁Tw enti eth ▁Century , ▁a ▁comedy ▁by ▁Ben ▁He cht ▁and ▁Charles ▁Mac Ar thur . ▁She ▁played ▁the ▁role ▁from ▁December ▁ 2 9