Theatre Register

Jessie Bartlett Davis

Shows · Jessie Bartlett Davis

Actor 1861–1905 On stage 18911903

Jessie Bartlett Davis, born Jessie Fremont Bartlett, (September 17, 1859 – May 14, 1905) was an American operatic singer and actress from Morris, Illinois. A contralto associated with The Bostonians, she is best known for creating roles in the three classic American light operas: Idalia in Victor Herbert's Prince Ananias, Dolores in The Serenade, and Alan a-Dale in Reginald De Koven's Robin Hood. In the latter opera she performed the song "Oh Promise Me" which became a staple at weddings. The tune, which was originally performed by tenor Tom Karl in the part of Robin Hood, had failed to connect with audiences until it was reassigned and transposed into a lower key for Davis. Her version beca…

On stage 3 productions, 12 years

1891 Robin Hood Standard Theatre · Revival · directed by Harry Dixon 40 perf.
1897 The Serenade Knickerbocker Theatre · Revival 79 perf.
1903 Erminie Casino Theatre · Revival 42 perf.

Each row is a staging this name appears in the cast list of, read from the production record rather than from the person record. The person record names works instead, and a work cannot say which run somebody was in — that is how Elaine Stritch ends up filed under Show Boat 1927 when she was in the 1994 revival. No row here says what part was played, because no cast list records it.

Worked with more than once4 names

William H Macdonald 2 productions
Henry Clay Barnabee 2 productions
George B Frothingham 2 productions
Eugene Cowles 2 productions

Both names in the same cast list, more than once. It is not evidence of a partnership — a long-running company puts the same forty people together every night — but it is where one would start looking. 2 of these names are not links because we hold no record behind them; the name is set from the identifier and its punctuation may be wrong.

In the literature1 passages

  • Cast : Tom Karl, Eugene Cowles, Caroline Hamilton, Jessie Bartlett Davis, W.H. MacDonald, Henry Clay Barnabee, George Frothinghamebooks/Green, Stanley/Broadway Musicals, Show By Show - Seventh Edition - Stanley Green & Cary Ginell.txt

Passages naming this person, found by keyword across 178 books. A keyword match is not a biography, and a common name will pull in the wrong one.

What this page does not know

  • What this person played. No cast list we hold records a character against a performer.
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