German born stage actress, singer, producer and theater manager. She was popular on Broadway in the 1880s until the 1920s. 1920s audiences saw her as the hypochondriac Mrs. Cohen in the long running play Abie's Irish Rose.
Cottrelly's father was conductor of the Hamburg Staatsoper (The Hamburg State Opera) in her native Hamburg, Germany. She was on the stage acting at an early age and by 16 she was married and singing roles in light opera presentations. in 1866 she married George Cottrell was an English circus acrobat of world-wide reputation. He used the name Cottrelly professionally as most circus performers used "Italian" names. He died from a fall at a circus in Russia in 1871, and she continued to act and sing before coming to America in 1875. After starring in German theaters around the United States she joined McCaull's Comic Opera Company in New York. Though English was her second language Mathilde was never hampered by her German accent. In reviewing her first Broadway performance in English (Oct. 1882) The New York Times stated "Her mastery of the adopted tongue is complete," and a reviewer for the New York Sun (Dec. 1882) wrote "considering her nationality [Cottrelly] talks amazingly good English."
She became McCaull's leading comedian and wore many hats while with his company being a stage director, costume designer and, at times, handled the company's finances. McCaull made her a partner in the organization and musical comedy became her forte in the 1880s. In the 1890s and reaching her forties, Cottrelly settled into being a character actress which she remained for the rest of her career. Her talent and versatility kept her in demand (more than 30 productions between 1895 and 1926) and while many of her roles called for German or Yiddish accents she also won critical praise for portrayals of French, Spanish, and Swedish characters.
Mathilde Cottrelly was married four times, first to circus performer George Cottrelly (1866-1871, his death); second marriage unknown, third to Leopold A. Weste, a horse trainer for Barnum's Circus (1881-1885); and last to Thomas J. Wilson (1893-1923, his death). She and Cottrelly had one child, a son Alfred, who died in 1903. She died of a heart attack on June 15, 1933, at her home in Tuckerton, New Jersey.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathilde_Cottrelly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cottrelly is the most good natured of women, who, in days of prosperity, is not puffed up, and, when times are hard, never loses her good spirits. Two years ago she took to herself a third husband, Mr. Thomas J. Wilson, the son of a Philadelphia clergyman.
Following is from "The Oxford Companion to American Theatre" - 2004 - Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak:
"Cottrelly, Mathilde [nee Meyer] (1851 - 933), singer and actress. Born in Hamburg, where her father was an opera conductor and several other family members were performers, she made her stage debut at the age of eight, and at sixteen she was singing important roles in contemporary light operas. Cottrelly also appeared in nonmusical plays and performed in circuses with her husband. In 1875, several years after her husband's death, she came to America, and within a few seasons she was a popular player in German language productions at the Irving Place Theatre as well as in similar theatres around the country. Shortly thereafter she joined McCaull's Comic Opera Company, becoming not only its leading comedienne but also one of its leading directors and costume designers. Her business acumen was such that McCaull made her his silent partner and generally allowed her to determine the company's budget and handle its finances. In the mid 1890s she abandoned musicals and embarked on a career as a character actress. Her first major role in this field was Mme. Vinard, the heroine's friend, in Trilby (1895). Because of her accent she was often assigned Jewish parts and played in many of the comedies of the Potash and Perlmutter series, making her final appearance in Potash and Perlmutter, Detectives (1926). Her most famous characterization was probably Mrs. Isaac Cohen, who can talk of little but her operation, in Abie's Irish Rose (1922)."
Cottrelly's father was conductor of the Hamburg Staatsoper (The Hamburg State Opera) in her native Hamburg, Germany. She was on the stage acting at an early age and by 16 she was married and singing roles in light opera presentations. in 1866 she married George Cottrell was an English circus acrobat of world-wide reputation. He used the name Cottrelly professionally as most circus performers used "Italian" names. He died from a fall at a circus in Russia in 1871, and she continued to act and sing before coming to America in 1875. After starring in German theaters around the United States she joined McCaull's Comic Opera Company in New York. Though English was her second language Mathilde was never hampered by her German accent. In reviewing her first Broadway performance in English (Oct. 1882) The New York Times stated "Her mastery of the adopted tongue is complete," and a reviewer for the New York Sun (Dec. 1882) wrote "considering her nationality [Cottrelly] talks amazingly good English."
She became McCaull's leading comedian and wore many hats while with his company being a stage director, costume designer and, at times, handled the company's finances. McCaull made her a partner in the organization and musical comedy became her forte in the 1880s. In the 1890s and reaching her forties, Cottrelly settled into being a character actress which she remained for the rest of her career. Her talent and versatility kept her in demand (more than 30 productions between 1895 and 1926) and while many of her roles called for German or Yiddish accents she also won critical praise for portrayals of French, Spanish, and Swedish characters.
Mathilde Cottrelly was married four times, first to circus performer George Cottrelly (1866-1871, his death); second marriage unknown, third to Leopold A. Weste, a horse trainer for Barnum's Circus (1881-1885); and last to Thomas J. Wilson (1893-1923, his death). She and Cottrelly had one child, a son Alfred, who died in 1903. She died of a heart attack on June 15, 1933, at her home in Tuckerton, New Jersey.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathilde_Cottrelly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cottrelly is the most good natured of women, who, in days of prosperity, is not puffed up, and, when times are hard, never loses her good spirits. Two years ago she took to herself a third husband, Mr. Thomas J. Wilson, the son of a Philadelphia clergyman.
Following is from "The Oxford Companion to American Theatre" - 2004 - Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak:
"Cottrelly, Mathilde [nee Meyer] (1851 - 933), singer and actress. Born in Hamburg, where her father was an opera conductor and several other family members were performers, she made her stage debut at the age of eight, and at sixteen she was singing important roles in contemporary light operas. Cottrelly also appeared in nonmusical plays and performed in circuses with her husband. In 1875, several years after her husband's death, she came to America, and within a few seasons she was a popular player in German language productions at the Irving Place Theatre as well as in similar theatres around the country. Shortly thereafter she joined McCaull's Comic Opera Company, becoming not only its leading comedienne but also one of its leading directors and costume designers. Her business acumen was such that McCaull made her his silent partner and generally allowed her to determine the company's budget and handle its finances. In the mid 1890s she abandoned musicals and embarked on a career as a character actress. Her first major role in this field was Mme. Vinard, the heroine's friend, in Trilby (1895). Because of her accent she was often assigned Jewish parts and played in many of the comedies of the Potash and Perlmutter series, making her final appearance in Potash and Perlmutter, Detectives (1926). Her most famous characterization was probably Mrs. Isaac Cohen, who can talk of little but her operation, in Abie's Irish Rose (1922)."
German born stage actress, singer, producer and theater manager. She was popular on Broadway in the 1880s until the 1920s. 1920s audiences saw her as the hypochondriac Mrs. Cohen in the long running play Abie's Irish Rose.
Cottrelly's father was conductor of the Hamburg Staatsoper (The Hamburg State Opera) in her native Hamburg, Germany. She was on the stage acting at an early age and by 16 she was married and singing roles in light opera presentations. in 1866 she married George Cottrell was an English circus acrobat of world-wide reputation. He used the name Cottrelly professionally as most circus performers used "Italian" names. He died from a fall at a circus in Russia in 1871, and she continued to act and sing before coming to America in 1875. After starring in German theaters around the United States she joined McCaull's Comic Opera Company in New York. Though English was her second language Mathilde was never hampered by her German accent. In reviewing her first Broadway performance in English (Oct. 1882) The New York Times stated "Her mastery of the adopted tongue is complete," and a reviewer for the New York Sun (Dec. 1882) wrote "considering her nationality [Cottrelly] talks amazingly good English."
She became McCaull's leading comedian and wore many hats while with his company being a stage director, costume designer and, at times, handled the company's finances. McCaull made her a partner in the organization and musical comedy became her forte in the 1880s. In the 1890s and reaching her forties, Cottrelly settled into being a character actress which she remained for the rest of her career. Her talent and versatility kept her in demand (more than 30 productions between 1895 and 1926) and while many of her roles called for German or Yiddish accents she also won critical praise for portrayals of French, Spanish, and Swedish characters.
Mathilde Cottrelly was married four times, first to circus performer George Cottrelly (1866-1871, his death); second marriage unknown, third to Leopold A. Weste, a horse trainer for Barnum's Circus (1881-1885); and last to Thomas J. Wilson (1893-1923, his death). She and Cottrelly had one child, a son Alfred, who died in 1903. She died of a heart attack on June 15, 1933, at her home in Tuckerton, New Jersey.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathilde_Cottrelly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cottrelly is the most good natured of women, who, in days of prosperity, is not puffed up, and, when times are hard, never loses her good spirits. Two years ago she took to herself a third husband, Mr. Thomas J. Wilson, the son of a Philadelphia clergyman.
Following is from "The Oxford Companion to American Theatre" - 2004 - Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak:
"Cottrelly, Mathilde [nee Meyer] (1851 - 933), singer and actress. Born in Hamburg, where her father was an opera conductor and several other family members were performers, she made her stage debut at the age of eight, and at sixteen she was singing important roles in contemporary light operas. Cottrelly also appeared in nonmusical plays and performed in circuses with her husband. In 1875, several years after her husband's death, she came to America, and within a few seasons she was a popular player in German language productions at the Irving Place Theatre as well as in similar theatres around the country. Shortly thereafter she joined McCaull's Comic Opera Company, becoming not only its leading comedienne but also one of its leading directors and costume designers. Her business acumen was such that McCaull made her his silent partner and generally allowed her to determine the company's budget and handle its finances. In the mid 1890s she abandoned musicals and embarked on a career as a character actress. Her first major role in this field was Mme. Vinard, the heroine's friend, in Trilby (1895). Because of her accent she was often assigned Jewish parts and played in many of the comedies of the Potash and Perlmutter series, making her final appearance in Potash and Perlmutter, Detectives (1926). Her most famous characterization was probably Mrs. Isaac Cohen, who can talk of little but her operation, in Abie's Irish Rose (1922)."
Cottrelly's father was conductor of the Hamburg Staatsoper (The Hamburg State Opera) in her native Hamburg, Germany. She was on the stage acting at an early age and by 16 she was married and singing roles in light opera presentations. in 1866 she married George Cottrell was an English circus acrobat of world-wide reputation. He used the name Cottrelly professionally as most circus performers used "Italian" names. He died from a fall at a circus in Russia in 1871, and she continued to act and sing before coming to America in 1875. After starring in German theaters around the United States she joined McCaull's Comic Opera Company in New York. Though English was her second language Mathilde was never hampered by her German accent. In reviewing her first Broadway performance in English (Oct. 1882) The New York Times stated "Her mastery of the adopted tongue is complete," and a reviewer for the New York Sun (Dec. 1882) wrote "considering her nationality [Cottrelly] talks amazingly good English."
She became McCaull's leading comedian and wore many hats while with his company being a stage director, costume designer and, at times, handled the company's finances. McCaull made her a partner in the organization and musical comedy became her forte in the 1880s. In the 1890s and reaching her forties, Cottrelly settled into being a character actress which she remained for the rest of her career. Her talent and versatility kept her in demand (more than 30 productions between 1895 and 1926) and while many of her roles called for German or Yiddish accents she also won critical praise for portrayals of French, Spanish, and Swedish characters.
Mathilde Cottrelly was married four times, first to circus performer George Cottrelly (1866-1871, his death); second marriage unknown, third to Leopold A. Weste, a horse trainer for Barnum's Circus (1881-1885); and last to Thomas J. Wilson (1893-1923, his death). She and Cottrelly had one child, a son Alfred, who died in 1903. She died of a heart attack on June 15, 1933, at her home in Tuckerton, New Jersey.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathilde_Cottrelly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cottrelly is the most good natured of women, who, in days of prosperity, is not puffed up, and, when times are hard, never loses her good spirits. Two years ago she took to herself a third husband, Mr. Thomas J. Wilson, the son of a Philadelphia clergyman.
Following is from "The Oxford Companion to American Theatre" - 2004 - Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak:
"Cottrelly, Mathilde [nee Meyer] (1851 - 933), singer and actress. Born in Hamburg, where her father was an opera conductor and several other family members were performers, she made her stage debut at the age of eight, and at sixteen she was singing important roles in contemporary light operas. Cottrelly also appeared in nonmusical plays and performed in circuses with her husband. In 1875, several years after her husband's death, she came to America, and within a few seasons she was a popular player in German language productions at the Irving Place Theatre as well as in similar theatres around the country. Shortly thereafter she joined McCaull's Comic Opera Company, becoming not only its leading comedienne but also one of its leading directors and costume designers. Her business acumen was such that McCaull made her his silent partner and generally allowed her to determine the company's budget and handle its finances. In the mid 1890s she abandoned musicals and embarked on a career as a character actress. Her first major role in this field was Mme. Vinard, the heroine's friend, in Trilby (1895). Because of her accent she was often assigned Jewish parts and played in many of the comedies of the Potash and Perlmutter series, making her final appearance in Potash and Perlmutter, Detectives (1926). Her most famous characterization was probably Mrs. Isaac Cohen, who can talk of little but her operation, in Abie's Irish Rose (1922)."
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