Maybelle Marston Explained

Maybelle Marston
Birth Name:Mabel Zenobia Berretta
Birth Date:May 14, 1895
Birth Place:Philadelphia
Death Date:February 22, 1983
Nationality:American
Occupation:Opera singer

Maybelle Zenobia Berretta Marston (May 14, 1895 – February 22, 1983) was an American contralto singer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Early life

Mabel Zenobia Berretta[1] was from Philadelphia. She won a "cutest baby" contest at the New Jersey shore in 1896.[2]

Career

Maybelle Beretta Marston sang with the Philadelphia Civic Opera Company, at the Philadelphia Academy of Music and other large venues. In 1925 Marston sang Gilbert and Sullivan roles in H.M.S. Pinafore (1925) The Mikado (1926 and 1941), and Iolanthe (1927). She also sang parts in Feuersnot (1927, its U.S. premiere), Die Walküre (1928 and 1929), I gioielli della Madonna (1928), Ariadne auf Naxos (1928, its U.S. premiere), Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1928 and 1930), Cavalleria rusticana (1928), (1929), Carmen (1929), Prince Igor (1929), Roméo et Juliette (1929), Das Rheingold (1929), Götterdämmerung (1930), Die Zauberflöte (1930), Le nozze di Figaro (1930), Robin Hood (1932), Hänsel und Gretel (1935), Rigoletto (1938), all in Philadelphia.[3] She and other Philadelphia Civic Opera singers appeared in Marc Blitzstein's Triple Sec (1929) in a show for the Society for Contemporary Music.[4] In 1932 she sang as a soloist in a performance of Henry Kimball Hadley's A New Earth.[5]

Other appearances by Marston included The Pirates of Penzance (1923),[6] a 1927 concert with the Reading Choral Society, where she shared soloist billing with Nelson Eddy,[7] and a 1930 production of The Chimes of Normandy with the Community Music Club of Collingswood, New Jersey.[8]

Marston was in demand as an oratorio and cantata soloist,[9] [10] gave recitals,[11] [12] sang on radio broadcasts,[13] and taught music later in her career;[14] she also directed the chorus of the Women's Club of Ardmore, Pennsylvania,[15] and the Alumnae Choral Club of William Penn High School for Girls.[16]

Personal life

Maybelle Berretta married a Philadelphia attorney named M. Randall Marston in 1917.[17] She had a son, M. Randall Marston Jr., born in 1918. In 1934 she had another son, after an affair with singer Nelson Eddy; the child was raised by adoptive parents to protect Marston's and Eddy's reputations.[18] [19] [20] Maybelle Berretta Marston died in 1983, aged 87 years.[21]

Notes and References

  1. News: Sing the Mikado. November 17, 1916. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 5, 2019. 7. Newspapers.com.
  2. News: Untitled news item. August 16, 1896. The Times. May 5, 2019. 14. Newspapers.com.
  3. Hamilton, Frank. Opera in Philadelphia: Performance Chronology, 1925–1949 .
  4. Book: Pollack, Howard. Marc Blitzstein: His Life, His Work, His World. Howard Pollack. 2012-10-01. Oxford University Press. 9780199977086.
  5. News: Strawbridge & Clothier Chorus. May 1, 1932. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 5, 2019. 87. Newspapers.com.
  6. News: Pirates of Penzance Longwood Saturday. May 30, 1923. The News Journal. May 5, 2019. 11. Newspapers.com.
  7. News: Few Seats Left for Strand Concert. Britton. William Wood. December 6, 1927. Reading Times. May 5, 2019. 22. Newspapers.com.
  8. News: Collingswood Club Scores with Chimes. Ramsay. John P.. January 29, 1930. Courier-Post. May 5, 2019. 3. Newspapers.com.
  9. News: Protestant Episcopal. February 28, 1920. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 5, 2019. 9. Newspapers.com.
  10. News: Notes of Music, Musicians. February 22, 1948. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 5, 2019. 64. Newspapers.com.
  11. News: Opera Singer to Appear Here. December 18, 1930. Standard-Speaker. May 5, 2019. 11. Newspapers.com.
  12. News: Maybelle Marston in Contralto Recital. June 2, 1937. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 5, 2019. 2. Newspapers.com.
  13. News: Memorial Park Orchestra and Vocalists. November 30, 1930. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 5, 2019. 66. Newspapers.com.
  14. News: Voice Study Popular at Granoff School. December 27, 1953. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 5, 2019. 70. Newspapers.com.
  15. News: Music Notes. December 18, 1938. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 5, 2019. 60. Newspapers.com.
  16. News: William Penn Grads to Dine on Saturday. April 19, 1942. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 5, 2019. 45. Newspapers.com.
  17. News: Marriage Licenses Issued. April 13, 1917. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 5, 2019. 6. Newspapers.com.
  18. News: MacDonald-Eddy: Stoking the Passions of New Fans. Lacher. Irene. 1995-03-01. Los Angeles Times. 2019-05-05.
  19. Book: Fleming, E. J.. The Fixers: Eddie Mannix, Howard Strickling and the MGM Publicity Machine. 2004-11-17. McFarland. 9780786420278. 168.
  20. Book: Rich, Sharon. Sweethearts: the timeless love affair--on-screen and off--between Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. 1994-09-01. Donald I. Fine. 9781556114076. 23, 40.
  21. News: Death notices. February 25, 1983. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 5, 2019. 34. Newspapers.com.

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