Alice Nielsen and the Gayety of Nations

Alice Nielsen was a magnetic star of Broadway, opera, and concerts. Mom an Irish musician, dad a Danish troubadour. Born Nashville, raised Kansas City, young Alice in 1891 took the vaudeville trail to San Francisco where, coached by Ida Valerga, she became a star in Balfe’s ＂Satanella＂ then debuted as Lucia. Hired by the Famouse Original Bostonians, she debuted in NYC in ＂Robin Hood＂. Alice Nielsen starred in three bespoke Victor Herbert hits before crossing to opera in 1901 Italy, coached by Bevignini. She debuted in Naples then returned to London for a spring season of Mozart at Covent Garden, returning with San Carlo Opera for a fall Italian season. Her ＂Boheme＂ with Caruso was regarded a masterpiece of ensemble performance. Alice joined Duse for alternating drama-opera nights before returning to America. Her concert tour received increasing acclaim progressing from Chicago to San Francisco to Los Angeles to Dallas. New Orleans French Opera agreed to sponsor Alice’s return for a winter season. She joined superstar Nordica to create a new opera company. Adding the Basque tenor Constantino, they toured the nation hailed as superior to the Met. Reaching Boston, Alice sang nine operas in seven days. Patrons responded by building Boston Opera House in 1909. She also joined the Met. Her concert tours continued, offering art songs in four languages, an aria, and many encores of the parlor and Celtic songs learned from mom. Famed as America’s greatest lyric soprano, this is her first biography. Discover how Alice Nielsen became Americana. ＂On Tuesday night she sang Lucia, on Wednesday evening she sang Marguerite, on Thursday evening she was Mimi, giving a portrait in harmony that will endure as long as the memories of those who heard and saw her,＂ wrote Otheman Stevens, Los Angeles. Completely revised 2023.