Dorothy Donnelly
| Dorothy Donnelly | |
|---|---|
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| Born | January 28, 1880 New York City, New York |
| Died | January 3, 1928 (aged 47) New York City, New York |
| Occupation | actress writer lyricist |
| Years active | 1898-1928 |
Dorothy Donnelly (January 28, 1880 - January 3, 1928) was an actress, playwright, librettist, producer and director. After a decade-long acting career that included several notable roles on Broadway, she turned to writing plays, musicals and operettas, including more than a dozen on Broadway including several long-running successes. Her most famous libretto was The Student Prince (1924), in collaboration with composer Sigmund Romberg.
Donnelly was born in New York City to Thomas Lester Donnelly, the manager of the Grand Opera House in New York, and his wife Sarah (née Williams). Donnelly attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart in New York.
She began acting on Broadway in 1901, playing such roles at the title role in Candida. She made famous the play Madame X on the Broadway stage in 1910 and in a 1916 silent film. She is the subject of a 1999 book by Lorraine McLean Dorothy Donnelly: A Life in the Theatre. She then made a few silent films before turning to playwriting.
Her first big hit on Broadway was Blossom Time, a 1921 adaptation of a German operetta fictionalizing the romantic life of composer Franz Schubert, using his music and adapting his music. This ran for 516 performances and was revived five times over the next 22 years. She then wrote and directed an original musical, Poppy (1923) that had a successful run and was adapted for film, boosting the career of W. C. Fields. Her most famous libretto was for The Student Prince (1924), with music by Sigmund Romberg. Her last Broadway hit was My Maryland in 1927.
She never married and died in New York City. She died the same day as Emily Stevens. State Senator and judge Thomas F. Donnelly (1863–1924) was her brother.
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