Digby Bell
Encyclopedia
Digby Bell (November 8, 1849 - June 20, 1917) was a popular vaudeville
entertainer and Broadway performer at the beginning of the 20th century.
comic operas and with the McCaull Comic Opera Company
. His first starring role was in the musical Jupiter in 1892. He appeared many times with Lillian Russell
in shows such as Princess Nicotine and The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein. He introduced the song '"The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo
".
Bell gave a concert a Chickering Hall in New York City on April 26, 1878 that was favorably reviewed by the New York Times.
Much of Bell's later career was in nonmuscial plays or vaudeville.
Bell was a fervent golfer and New York Giant baseball fan, as was his best friend and frequent co-star DeWolf Hopper
.
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
entertainer and Broadway performer at the beginning of the 20th century.
Performing career
Bell studied in Europe to become a concert singer, and became famous for his roles in comic musical productions, such as Gilbert and SullivanGilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
comic operas and with the McCaull Comic Opera Company
McCaull Comic Opera Company
McCaull Comic Opera Company, sometimes called the McCaull Opera Comique Company, was founded by Colonel John A. McCaull in 1880. The company produced operetta, comic opera and musical theatre in New York City and on tour in the eastern and midwestern U.S. and Canada until McCaull's death in 1894...
. His first starring role was in the musical Jupiter in 1892. He appeared many times with Lillian Russell
Lillian Russell
Lillian Russell was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th century and early 20th century, known for her beauty and style, as well as for her voice and stage presence.Russell was born in Iowa but raised in Chicago...
in shows such as Princess Nicotine and The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein. He introduced the song '"The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo
The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo (song)
"The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo" is a popular British music hall song of the 19th century, written in 1892 by Fred Gilbert. Gilbert confirmed that his inspiration was the gambler and confidence trickster Charles Wells, who won over a million francs at the Monte Carlo casino, using the...
".
Bell gave a concert a Chickering Hall in New York City on April 26, 1878 that was favorably reviewed by the New York Times.
Much of Bell's later career was in nonmuscial plays or vaudeville.
Notable stage appearances
Broadway appearances- The Begum, Sep 21, 1887 - Dec 10, 1887, role - Myhnt-Jhuleep
- The Hoosier Doctor, Apr 18, 1898 - [unknown], role - Dr. Willow
- Mr. Pickwick, Jan 19, 1903 - May 1903, role - Sam Weller
- The Education of Mr. Pipp, Feb 20, 1905 - Apr 1905, role - J. Wesley Pipp
- An International Marriage, Jan 4, 1909 - Jan 1909
- The Debtors, Oct 12, 1909 - Oct 1909, role - William Dorritt
- The Yeomen of the GuardThe Yeomen of the GuardThe Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888, and ran for 423 performances...
, Apr 19, 1915 - May 8, 1915, role - Chorus - The SorcererThe SorcererThe Sorcerer is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot of The Sorcerer is based on a Christmas story, An Elixir of Love, that Gilbert wrote for The Graphic magazine in 1876...
, May 24, 1915 - Jun 5, 1915, role - Dr. Daly
Partial discography
1909- The Tough Boy on the Right Field Fence
- The Blind Boy in the Gallery
- The Man Who Fanned Casey (A reply to 'Casey at the Bat'.)
- Experiences of a Commuter
- Day and Knight
- A Discontented Egg
Personal life
Bell was married twice. His first wife, Lillian Dunton, died in 1902. His second wife, Laura Joyce Bell (née Hannah Joyce Maskell), was a popular contralto‐character actress on the musical stage.Bell was a fervent golfer and New York Giant baseball fan, as was his best friend and frequent co-star DeWolf Hopper
DeWolf Hopper
William DeWolf Hopper was an American actor, singer, comedian, and theatrical producer. Although a star of the musical stage, he was best-known for performing the popular baseball poem Casey at the Bat. -Biography:...
.