Marie Powers | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1902-06-20)June 20, 1902 Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | December 29, 1973(1973-12-29) (aged 71) New York City, New York, United States |
| Genres | Opera |
| Occupation | Contralto |
| Years active | 1919–1960s |
| Spouse | Luigi Crescenti |
Marie Powers (1902–1973) was an Americancontralto who was best known for her performance as Madame Flora inGian Carlo Menotti’sThe Medium, a role that she played on stage, screen and television.
On June 20, 1902, Powers was born inMount Carmel, Pennsylvania.[1] At 17, Powers left home to study singing inMilan, Italy.
Powers studied music and language at Cornell University.[2] Powers studied at the Royal Conservatory in Florence, Italy.[2]
Powers sneaked into a friend's audition before the conductorArturo Toscanini atLa Scala and landed a part with the legendary opera company.[3]
In 1947, Italian writerLanfranco Rasponi introduced her to Menotti, who was casting the role of the fraudulent psychic in his operaThe Medium. The opera was staged onBroadway along with another one-act Menotti opera,The Telephone, or L'Amour à trois. Powers was hailed as a star for her dramatic performance as the phony psychic, and she repeated the role on live television in 1948 and in an expanded film production directed by Menotti in 1951.[4]
Later Broadway work for Powers included the 1957 revival of the musicalCarousel and the original 1960 production ofBecket, where she played the Queen Mother.
Powers married Luigi Crescenti, an Italian Count. In 1938, Powers' husband died.[2]
On December 29, 1973, Powers died of heart failure inNew York City, New York.[2][1]
