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530:, New York: Citadel Press, c1960. Includes lyrics and scores of: "I Gave My Love a Cherry"; "Rikki Tikki"; "Jolly Old Sigmund Freud"; "Old Mother Slipper Slopper"; "Je N’ai Pas la Plume de Ma Tante"; "I'm Only a Faded Rose"; "Two Time Man"; "How to Write Your Own Gilbert and Sullivan Opera"; "Advice on Song Selection for Concert Singers: A Square Talk on Popular Music"; "Anna Russell's Guide to Concert Audiences"
227:, after her father's death, where she began to appear on local radio stations as an entertainer. By 1940, she was beginning to find success as a soloist on the concert stage in Canada. Russell's first one-woman show as a parodist was sponsored by the Toronto Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire in 1942, though it was the Canadian conductor Sir
192:(whose wife's maiden name happened also to be Anna Russell). She had a difficult childhood, and particularly a difficult relationship with her mother, who often shipped her off to live with other relatives for some time. Russell was twice married and divorced, first to John Denison and second to artist
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In one of
Russell's comic routines she said that some of the world's greatest teachers had completely ruined her voice, going on to relate that she was interrupted early in her graduation song recital by the Royal College's judges who indicated her singing was a joke. Whether this was literally true
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who really set her on her international career as a "musical cartoonist", when he invited her to take part in his annual burlesque
Christmas Box Symphony Concert in 1944. Russell made her New York City debut in her one-woman show in 1948, which she toured throughout North America, Britain, Australia
131:; 27 December 1911 – 18 October 2006) was an English–Canadian singer and comedian. She gave many concerts in which she sang and played comic musical sketches on the piano. Among her best-known works are her concert performances and famous recordings of
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cycle, is the first woman that
Siegfried has ever met who is not his aunt, she pauses and declares, "I'm not making this up, you know!" This phrase also became the title of her autobiography, published in 1985. At the end of her monologue she sings the Rhinemaidens'
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Her birth registration shows that she was registered as Ann C. Russell-Brown in the March
Quarter of 1912 in the registration district of Paddington, Volume 1a, page 9. The Paddington registration district includes Maida Vale. Her mother's maiden name was
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Award in 1956 as the best
Canadian comedy writer of the year. Giving advice on how to be a successful singer, she quipped that although a glorious voice was important, "it helps to be an independently wealthy, politically motivated, back-stabbing bitch."
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In her last years she moved to
Australia to be cared for by Deirdre Prussak, a fan who became Russell's close friend for over 50 years. Russell and Prussak had developed a kind of mother-daughter relationship. Prussak was the author of
652:, 7 November 1984. Includes: How to Become a Singer; Wind Instruments I Have Known; On Pink Chiffon; How to Write your Own Gilbert & Sullivan Opera; Analysis of the "Ring Cycle"; Backwards with the Folk Song.
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Russell became known for her deadpan humour, including her disbelieving emphasis of the absurd in well accepted stories and her mockery of pretension. For example, in her humorous analysis of Wagner's
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468:. This unusual circus pantomime, which combined performing acts with a play, featured Sydney actors Colin Croft, Keith Little, Anita Roberts, Peter Williams and Ron May.
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670:(1973); Arcifanfano, King of Fools; Play, Performance, Perception: The way of the world; Omnibus. TV-Radio Workshop of the Ford Foundation; producer, Robert Saudek.
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431:, Canada, in the late 1960s, living on a street named after her, but she went on several "farewell" tours in the 1970s and 1980s, including one-woman shows at
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In her first major successful season, 1952–53, she performed in 37 cities in the United States and Canada before an estimated 100,000 listeners. Her recording
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Russell's early career included a few engagements in opera (including a disastrous appearance as a substitute
Santuzza in a British touring production of
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1972 Sony Music
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held a dinner and musical soiree featuring lighter entertainment based on his grandfather's music. The program included some
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Side Two: Introduction to the
Concert (By the Women's Club President); How to Write Your Own Gilbert and Sullivan Opera.
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Original
Soundtrack Recording from the R-K-O Film. (RCA "X" LXA-1013). Russell appears as Rosina Rubylips, the witch.
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or not, it is a fact that she began to think of what she might be able to do with the voice and technique she had.
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in 1960. In 1963, with Robert Paine Grose and Joan White, she founded Grow Productions, Inc., which presented
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parodies, Russell was famous for other routines, including "Wind Instruments I Have Known", and parodies of
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Anna Russell: Accomplished musical comedian famous for her lampooning of Wagner's Ring cycle
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and in a number of plays and television episodes. She performed her concerts at New York's
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Anna Russell: Versatile singer and comedienne who parodied works from Wagner to Cole Porter
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parodying opera divas who did the same. In 1980 she played Helga ten Dorp opposite
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1030:"G&S Discography: Anna Russell's "How to Write Your Own Gilbert and Sullivan""
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parody came during the celebrations of the cycle's 100th anniversary in 1976 when
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cycle, she began by noting that the first scene takes place in the River Rhine: "
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radio in 1931. Russell's mother was Canadian, and the family returned in 1939 to
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and declares, "You're exactly where you started, 20 hours ago!" Besides her
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it!!" After pointing out that Gutrune, a character in the last part of the
660:: voice of Rosina Rubylips, the Witch, in animated version of the opera by
719:"Anna Russell's "How to Write Your Own Gilbert and Sullivan Opera" (1953)"
522:, c1955. Reissued by Deirdre Prussak Books, Rosedale NSW 2536, Australia
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the same year and with the Cosmopolitan Opera in San Francisco in 1957.
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248:(1953) and sang the role of the Witch in an animated film of the opera
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897:"Anna Russell, Comic Who Made Fun of Richard Wagner, Dies at 94"
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Anna Russell Sings? Advice on Song Selection for Concert Singers
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Anna Russell, Comic Who Made Fun of Richard Wagner, Dies at 94
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Anna Russell, Deft Parodist of Operatic Culture, Dies at 94
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Sony Music Entertainment, Inc.; (Sony Classical #SFK 60316)
317:. In 1977, she played the Duchess of Crackenthorp in the
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National Library of Australia Records of Ashton's Circus
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became a best seller. She wrote the lyrics and music for
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She composed, wrote, and performed her own material for
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All the Right Notes, Not Necessarily in the Right Order
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to Broadway in 1953 and also appeared on Broadway in
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songs ("I'm Only a Faded Rose"); even stretching to
384:("I Gave You My Heart and You Made Me Miserable").
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692:Some sources erroneously state her birthplace was
546:: (memoir by Russell's "sort of adopted daughter")
1123:"The Ring of the Nibelungs (An analysis) (Live)"
964:, Bucks County Playhouse official website (2009)
16:English Canadian singer and comedian (1911–2006)
536:, Rosedale NSW, Australia; by Deirdre Prussak;
518:/ Perpetrated by Anna Russell, New York :
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19:For the 19th-century Duchess of Bedford, see
8:
397:Chabrier adaptations into waltzes and polkas
279:in 1964. She also played a leading role in
232:and the rest of the English-speaking world.
811:Anna Russell, Singer and Parodist 1911–2006
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387:Perhaps the apotheosis of Russell's Wagner
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1108:Anna Russell; Singer Found Fame in Satire
599:Anna Russell’s Guide to Concert Audiences
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464:and Degrey-Williams-Kendall production
327:, a role which she later recreated for
202:entry she described herself as single.
172:, London, England, and was educated at
133:The Ring of the Nibelungs (An Analysis)
1214:Comedians from the City of Westminster
619:Anna Russell at the Sydney Opera House
433:Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
1169:People educated at Saint Felix School
1099:Encyclopedia of Music in Canada entry
516:The Power of Being a Positive Stinker
408:The Power of Being a Positive Stinker
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1209:Singers from the City of Westminster
1164:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music
866:James A. Michener Art Museum profile
460:and interstate centres in the joint
331:in a production with Erie Mills and
1113:The Canadian Encyclopedia biography
1006:Australian Broadcasting Corporation
565:1953, Columbia Masterworks, ML4733
476:, a memoir of Anna Russell's life.
254:in 1954, also singing that role at
135:– a humorous 22-minute synopsis of
1184:20th-century English women singers
870:this New Zealand publisher profile
559:1953, Columbia Masterworks, ML4594
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850:Anna Russell, 94: Opera parodist
498:I'm Not Making This Up, You Know
23:. For the British botanist, see
21:Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford
184:and Paris. She studied at the
609:A Square Talk on Popular Music
604:Anna Russell in Darkest Africa
289:. Other stage shows included
188:, where her piano teacher was
180:, at Harrogate College and in
145:– and (on the same album) her
1:
995:The Guardian, 24 October 2006
974:Swanee Lodge and its environs
466:The Clown Who Lost His Circus
1179:20th-century English singers
955:1965: Bucks County Playhouse
646:The (First) Farewell Concert
641:The Clown Princess of Comedy
614:A Practical Banana Promotion
1199:English emigrants to Canada
595:(Sony Classical #SFK60317).
416:Canadian Women's Press Club
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1072:Internet Broadway Database
664:, RKO Radio Pictures, 1954
563:Anna Russell Sings! Again?
528:The Anna Russell Song Book
263:Anna Russell's Little Show
246:Anna Russell's Little Show
129:Anna Claudia Russell-Brown
58:Anna Claudia Russell-Brown
18:
1083:30 September 2007 at the
926:30 September 2007 at the
920:The Canadian Encyclopedia
902:30 September 2007 at the
570:The Ring of the Nibelungs
534:Anna in a Thousand Cities
481:Rosedale, New South Wales
474:Anna in a Thousand Cities
456:In 1975 she toured rural
95:Rosedale, New South Wales
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1174:Humor in classical music
1159:English comedy musicians
862:Washington Post obituary
324:Daughter of the Regiment
1189:Der Ring des Nibelungen
1149:English women comedians
1015:6 November 2006 at the
1008:South East NSW website
882:all music: Anna Russell
668:The Gentlemen of Titipu
650:Baltimore Museum of Art
581:The Anna Russell Album?
142:Der Ring des Nibelungen
25:Anna Russell (botanist)
1204:People from Maida Vale
319:Canadian Opera Company
303:. Russell appeared on
297:Bucks County Playhouse
186:Royal College of Music
150:How to Write Your Own
107:Royal College of Music
662:Engelbert Humperdinck
587:Anna Russell, Encore?
412:Anna Russell Songbook
368:("Schlumpf"), French
277:New York World's Fair
1010:Goodbye Anna Russell
979:23 June 2011 at the
960:20 June 2013 at the
675:Notes and references
502:Ring of the Nibelung
453:in London, Ontario.
406:, was the author of
362:Gilbert and Sullivan
306:The Ed Sullivan Show
272:Lady Audley's Secret
212:Cavalleria rusticana
168:Russell was born in
152:Gilbert and Sullivan
942:San Francisco Opera
938:Bloomfield, Arthur
829:(Edward Rothstein)
758:(Patrick O'Connor)
593:Anna Russell Again?
443:'s Sidney Bruhl in
429:Unionville, Ontario
427:Russell retired to
256:New York City Opera
242:Anna Russell Sings?
1036:on 25 October 2006
895:(Shirley Apthorp)
827:The New York Times
807:The Globe and Mail
500:(a quote from her
178:Southwold, Suffolk
1154:English satirists
725:on 7 January 2014
657:Hansel and Gretel
625:Hansel and Gretel
315:Royal Albert Hall
251:Hansel and Gretel
194:Charles Goldhamer
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393:Wolfgang Wagner
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1038:. Retrieved
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89:(2006-10-18)
36:Anna Russell
29:
1144:2006 deaths
1139:1911 births
635:Filmography
568:Side One: “
423:Later years
329:Tulsa Opera
281:Noël Coward
97:, Australia
1133:Categories
1125:on YouTube
1040:21 October
704:References
696:, Ontario.
551:Recordings
504:routine),
374:music-hall
283:'s comedy
261:She took
236:Peak years
219:singer on
196:. In her
170:Maida Vale
164:Early life
113:Occupation
72:Maida Vale
64:1911-12-27
893:Bloomberg
793:obituary
773:The Times
446:Deathtrap
370:art songs
354:leitmotif
199:Who's Who
117:Vocalist
78:, England
1081:Archived
1013:Archived
977:Archived
958:Archived
924:Archived
900:Archived
631:Source:
182:Brussels
1070:at the
729:6 March
483:, near
449:at the
275:at the
225:Toronto
744:Tandy.
694:London
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508:
366:Lieder
154:Opera.
147:parody
127:(born
76:London
680:Notes
491:Books
378:blues
1063:IMDb
1042:2006
940:The
868:and
731:2015
538:ISBN
506:ISBN
435:and
389:Ring
382:jazz
380:and
360:and
358:Ring
349:Ring
341:Ring
217:folk
84:Died
54:Born
1061:at
299:in
221:BBC
176:at
139:'s
1135::
987:^
922:.
918:.
838:^
817:^
783:^
487:.
345:In
335:.
74:,
1044:.
906:.
872:.
733:.
66:)
62:(
27:.
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