Muriel Rahn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Muriel Rahn
Muriel Rahn as Cora in The Barrier. Photograph by Carl Van Vechten.
Born	Muriel Ellen Rahn (1911-06-12)June 12, 1911 Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died	August 8, 1961(1961-08-08) (aged 50) New York City, United States
Occupation	singer, actor, musical director
Years active	1929–1961
Spouse(s)	Charles Rountree (divorced) Dick Campbell (c. 1932–1961) (her death)

Muriel Ellen Rahn (1911–1961) was an American singer and actress. She helped start the Rose McClendon Players with her husband, Dick Campbell. Muriel Rahn was one of the most important Black concert singers in the mid-1900s.

She is perhaps best known for playing the main role in the original Broadway production of Carmen Jones. Rahn also worked as a musical director for a theater in Germany.

Muriel Rahn's Early Life and Education

Muriel Ellen Rahn was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1911. Her parents were Willie and Elizabeth "Bessie" Rahn. After her father passed away, she moved with her mother to New York City.

In New York, her mother Bessie met and married Cornelius M. Battey. He became the director of photography at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Muriel finished her high school studies at Tuskegee.

She then went to Atlanta University. Later, she earned a degree from the Music Conservatory of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Muriel also studied at Columbia University and trained her voice at the Juilliard School of Music.

Muriel Rahn's Career Highlights

Muriel Rahn began her professional career in New York City in 1929. One of her first appearances on Broadway was in the musical Come of Age. This show was written by Clamence Dane with music by Richard Addinsell.

In 1950, Rahn made another notable appearance on Broadway. She played the role of Cora Lewis in the musical The Barrier. This show was based on the play Mulatto by Langston Hughes. She acted alongside the famous opera singer Lawrence Tibbett.

Later, she also appeared in an off-Broadway play called The Ivory Branch. In this melodrama, she acted with Diana Barrymore.

A very important moment in her career happened in 1959. Muriel Rahn became the first Black musical director of the Städtische Bühnen Frankfurt in Germany. This was a significant achievement.

Muriel Rahn passed away on August 8, 1961, in New York City.

Muriel Rahn's Performances

Muriel Rahn performed in many different shows throughout her career. Here are some of her selected performances.

Theatre Productions

Television Appearances

Motion Pictures