Maggie Moore
Encyclopedia
Maggie Moore was the stage name of the American-Australian actor Margaret Virginia Sullivan (10 April 1851 - March 15, 1926).
Sullivan was born at San Francisco, U.S.A., in 1851, and began her theatrical career at an early age. She established a local reputation, and having married J. C. Williamson came with him to Australia
in 1874. They opened in Melbourne
on 1 August in Struck Oil and were immediately successful. Some weeks later they went to Sydney
and, after touring Australia, to India
.
In 1876 Struck Oil played for 100 nights at the Adelphi Theatre, London, and was followed for a similar period by Arrah-na-Pogue, with Williamson as Shaun and his wife as Arrah. Other appearances were made in the provinces, and a successful visit was then paid to the United States.
In 1879 they were again in Australia, and Moore began playing in Gilbert and Sullivan
. Her voice was not large but she knew how to use it, and on occasions she took the parts of Josephine and Buttercup in HMS Pinafore
, Mabel and Ruth in the Pirates of Penzance and once, when the actress chosen could not appear, Katisha in The Mikado
. In Patience
, her part was Lady Jane. Possibly her best part in opera was Bettina, in Edmond Audran
's La Mascotte
.
She was thoroughly adaptable, and after her husband had become a member of the firm of Williamson Garner and Musgrove and had practically given up acting, she appeared in sensational drama.
In about 1890 she was keeping alive with her vivacity and humour such parts as Biddy Roonan in The Shadows of a Great City, and Meg in Meg the Castaway. She visited her parents in San Francisco about this time and played at a benefit in Nan the Good-for-Nothing. Returning to Australia she was in various revivals of Struck Oi1 with John F. Forde as John Stofel.
About the close of the century Maggie Moore obtained a divorce from her husband, and between 1903 and 1908 travelled in the United States and Great Britain. In London she appeared with George Graves
, Frank Danby, Billie Burke
, and Carrie Moore.
Back in Australia she played a starring season between 1908 and 1912, occasionally reviving Struck Oil with H. R. Roberts, whom she had married, as John Stofel.
In 1915 she returned to the Royal Comic Opera Company, and for some years played smaller parts with a finish and distinction that was a revelation to the younger generation.
In 1918 she played the character of Mrs Karl Pfeiffer in Friendly Enemies, and it has been said of her that "she imbued the character with a dignity and gentle pathos which crowned her long career with fresh laurels".
In 1924 she celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of her first appearance in Australia, and in 1925 retired to California to live with her sister. There she was offered an engagement in Lightnin with J. D. O'Hara, but did not accept it.
Maggie Moore died at San Francisco after an operation on March 15, 1926. Her second husband predeceased her.
She was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery
in Colma, California
. (Section T, Row 22, Area 13, Grave 4)
Sullivan was born at San Francisco, U.S.A., in 1851, and began her theatrical career at an early age. She established a local reputation, and having married J. C. Williamson came with him to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1874. They opened in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 1 August in Struck Oil and were immediately successful. Some weeks later they went to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and, after touring Australia, to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
In 1876 Struck Oil played for 100 nights at the Adelphi Theatre, London, and was followed for a similar period by Arrah-na-Pogue, with Williamson as Shaun and his wife as Arrah. Other appearances were made in the provinces, and a successful visit was then paid to the United States.
In 1879 they were again in Australia, and Moore began playing in Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert 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...
. Her voice was not large but she knew how to use it, and on occasions she took the parts of Josephine and Buttercup in HMS Pinafore
HMS Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
, Mabel and Ruth in the Pirates of Penzance and once, when the actress chosen could not appear, Katisha in The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
. In Patience
Patience (opera)
Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride, is a comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. First performed at the Opera Comique, London, on 23 April 1881, it moved to the 1,292-seat Savoy Theatre on 10 October 1881, where it was the first theatrical production in the...
, her part was Lady Jane. Possibly her best part in opera was Bettina, in Edmond Audran
Edmond Audran
Achille Edmond Audran was a French composer best known for several internationally successful operettas, including Les noces d'Olivette , La mascotte , Gillette de Narbonne , La cigale et la fourmi , Miss Helyett , and La poupée .After Audran's initial success in Paris, his works also became a...
's La Mascotte
La mascotte
La mascotte is an opéra comique by Edmond Audran. The French libretto was by Alfred Duru and Henri Charles Chivot. The story concerns a farm girl who is believed to bring good luck to whoever possesses her, so long as she remains a virgin...
.
She was thoroughly adaptable, and after her husband had become a member of the firm of Williamson Garner and Musgrove and had practically given up acting, she appeared in sensational drama.
In about 1890 she was keeping alive with her vivacity and humour such parts as Biddy Roonan in The Shadows of a Great City, and Meg in Meg the Castaway. She visited her parents in San Francisco about this time and played at a benefit in Nan the Good-for-Nothing. Returning to Australia she was in various revivals of Struck Oi1 with John F. Forde as John Stofel.
About the close of the century Maggie Moore obtained a divorce from her husband, and between 1903 and 1908 travelled in the United States and Great Britain. In London she appeared with George Graves
George Graves (actor)
George Windsor Graves was an English comic actor. Although he could neither sing nor dance, he became a leading comedian in musical comedies, adapting the French and Viennese opéra-bouffe style of light comic relief into a broader comedy popular with English audiences of the period...
, Frank Danby, Billie Burke
Billie Burke
Mary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke was an American actress. She is primarily known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the musical film The Wizard of Oz. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Emily Kilbourne in Merrily We Live...
, and Carrie Moore.
Back in Australia she played a starring season between 1908 and 1912, occasionally reviving Struck Oil with H. R. Roberts, whom she had married, as John Stofel.
In 1915 she returned to the Royal Comic Opera Company, and for some years played smaller parts with a finish and distinction that was a revelation to the younger generation.
In 1918 she played the character of Mrs Karl Pfeiffer in Friendly Enemies, and it has been said of her that "she imbued the character with a dignity and gentle pathos which crowned her long career with fresh laurels".
In 1924 she celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of her first appearance in Australia, and in 1925 retired to California to live with her sister. There she was offered an engagement in Lightnin with J. D. O'Hara, but did not accept it.
Maggie Moore died at San Francisco after an operation on March 15, 1926. Her second husband predeceased her.
She was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery
Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma, California is an American Roman Catholic cemetery operated by the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Established in 1887 on of a former potato farm, it is the oldest and largest cemetery established in Colma to serve the needs of San Francisco...
in Colma, California
Colma, California
Colma is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, at the northern end of the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 1,792 at the 2010 census. The town was founded as a necropolis in 1924....
. (Section T, Row 22, Area 13, Grave 4)
External links
- Richard Refshauge, 'Moore, Maggie (1851 - 1926)', Australian Dictionary of BiographyAustralian Dictionary of BiographyThe Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
, Volume 5, Melbourne University Press, 1974, pp 279–280. - Images of theatre posters from the State Library of TasmaniaState Library of TasmaniaThe State Library of Tasmania is the organisation which runs the library system in the state of Tasmania, Australia. The State Library operates as part of the Tasmanian Department of Education, and maintains close ties with Tasmanian schools and senior secondary colleges.The headquarters of the...
. - Theatre in Melbourne 1892, including details of Maggie Moore's performances. A Google search of this site for "Maggie Moore" provides a wealth of details about her stage career.
- Miss Suey Land and Ron Wong Loy: The Children of Little Bourke Street and The Entertainment Industry - Miss Suey Land recounts fond memories of her childhood friendship with Maggie Moore.