Abbie Mitchell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abbie Mitchell Cook
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Abriea "Abbie" Mitchell |
| Born | September 25, 1884 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 16, 1960 (aged 75) |
Abriea "Abbie" Mitchell Cook (born September 25, 1884 – died March 16, 1960) was an American soprano opera singer. A soprano is a singer with a high voice. She played the role of Clara in the first show of George Gershwin's famous opera Porgy and Bess in 1935. Abbie Mitchell was also the first person to record the song "Summertime" from that musical.
About Abbie Mitchell
Abbie Mitchell was born in New York City. Her mother was African-American and her father was Jewish-German. She was raised by her aunt, Alice Payne, in Baltimore, Maryland. Abbie went to a Catholic school there.
Abbie did not finish her schooling in Baltimore. After her father passed away, she went to New York to visit another aunt. She was only 14 years old at the time. One day, she was singing from her aunt's fire escape. The famous composer Will Marion Cook and writer Paul Laurence Dunbar heard her. They chose her for a part in their short musical comedy called Clorindy: The Origin of the Cakewalk (1898). This show was very popular and played for a whole season.
A year later, Abbie married Will Marion Cook. She then played the main role in his show Jes Lak White Folks (1899). She also appeared in his production The Southerners (1904). Abbie and Will had a daughter, Marion Abigail Cook, in 1900. Their son, Will Mercer Cook, was born in 1903.
Performing in London
In 1903, Abbie Mitchell performed in London in the musical In Dahomey. This show was created by George Walker and Bert Williams. Abbie's husband, Will Marion Cook, wrote the music. The show featured a dance called the cakewalk. At first, the performers thought the cakewalk was old-fashioned. But audiences loved it, and it became a popular dance in the United Kingdom.
Abbie Mitchell became famous around the world for her performance. She was even invited to perform for King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra at Buckingham Palace. This was a very special honor called a Royal Command Performance.
Later Career and Achievements
Later, Abbie Mitchell performed with a famous group called the "Black Patti's Troubadours". She also appeared in an operetta (a light opera) called The Red Moon (1908). This show was by Bob Cole and J. Rosamond Johnson.
In 1913, Abbie was in a film called Lime Kiln Field Day with Bert Williams. However, the film was never finished or released. In 1919, Mitchell traveled to Europe with her husband's Southern Syncopated Orchestra. When she returned to New York, she performed in concerts and operas.
Abbie Mitchell also acted in several plays on Broadway, which is New York's famous theater district. These included "In Abraham's Bosom" (1926), "Coquette" (1927) with Helen Hayes, and "The Little Foxes" (1939) with Tallulah Bankhead.
Her most famous role was Clara in the first show of George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess (1935). This was her last musical role on stage. She was also the first singer to record the beautiful song "Summertime" from the opera. After this, Abbie taught many singers in New York. She also acted in many plays where she spoke her lines instead of singing. In 1939, she played a trusted servant in The Little Foxes on Broadway. She also taught at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
In 1922, Lee de Forest made a short film of Abbie Mitchell singing. It was called Songs of Yesteryear. He used his new DeForest Phonofilm process, which was an early way to add sound to movies. This film is kept safe at the Library of Congress.
Abbie's daughter, Marion, was raised by family members, just as Abbie had been. Marion later married a dancer named Louis Douglas. Abbie's son, Will Mercer Cook, became a professor at Howard University. He was also a translator and later became a United States Ambassador to Niger and Senegal.
Abbie Mitchell passed away in New York on March 16, 1960. She had a Catholic funeral.
