Christie MacDonald

Christie MacDonald
Born	February 28, 1875 Pictou, Nova Scotia
Died	July 25, 1962 Fairfield, Connecticut
Occupation	actress singer
Years active	1892-
Spouse	William Jefferson Henry Lloyd Gillespie

Christie MacDonald (February 28, 1875– July 25, 1962) was a Canadian-American actress and opera singer. She was born in Pictou, Nova Scotia.^[1] and was the daughter of John MacClean MacDonald, a ship-builder, mariner and inn-keeper in the coastal town of Pictou and Jessie (née MacKenzie). She began in theatre in 1893 in New York when she was cast in Francis Wilson's popular play Erminie. She was thereafter successful in the operetta brand of musical theater. She was the star or co-star of The Belle of Mayfair (1906) co-starring Valeska Suratt, Miss Hook of Holland(1908) with Bertram Wallis and The Mikado (1910) with Fritzi Scheff. In 1910 she starred in one of her best known musicals The Spring Maid by Victor Herbert. In 1913 she popularised Herbert's Sweethearts.^[2] MacDonald made several gramophone records before retiring in 1920. She was married first to William W. Jefferson, a son of the famous actor Joseph Jefferson, in 1901 and ended in divorce several years thereafter. In 1903, Miss MacDonald conceived a child with prominent theatrical promoter and New York State Senator, Timothy Sullivan who was soon placed in the New York Foundling Hospital.^{[citation needed]} Miss MacDonald did not make any stage appearances until 1904. In 1911, Miss MacDonald married Henry L. Gillespie, the scion of a wealthy Pittsburgh contracting family and had one daughter, Christie. As of 1950 MacDonald was living with her daughter and grandchildren in Westport, Connecticut.^[3] Christie MacDonald died in Fairfield, Connecticut on July 25, 1962.

Selected musicals

• Erminie (1893)
• The Bride Elect (1898)
• The Toreador (1902)
• The Sho-Gun (1904)
• The Belle of Mayfair (1906)
• Miss Hook of Holland (1908)
• The Spring Maid (1910)
• The Mikado (1910) (revival)
• Sweethearts (1913)
• Floradora (1920) (revival)

References

1. ^ The Oxford Companion to the American Theatre 2nd Edit. by Gerald Bordman c.1992
2. ^ Pictorial History of the American Theatre 1860-1970 originally by Daniel Blum c.1953 ; expanded edition c.1970
3. ^ Great Stars of the American Stage by Daniel Blum c.1952

External links

• Christie MacDonald at the Internet Movie Database
• Christie MacDonald portrait NY Public Library Billy Rose Collection
• Christie MacDonald portrait Univ. of Washington, Sayre Collection
• Christie MacDonald portrait at the University of Louisville, Macauley Theatre Collection
• Christie MacDonald recordings 1911, 1913
• Collected Recordings of Christie MacDonald and Reinald Werrenrath

Persondata
Name	Macdonald, Christie
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1875
Place of birth	Pictou, Nova Scotia
Date of death	1962
Place of death	Fairfield, Connecticut