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Patrice Munsel

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Patrice Munsel
Munsel in 1962
Born
Patrice Beverly Munsil

(1925-05-14)May 14, 1925
Spokane, Washington, U.S.
DiedAugust 4, 2016(2016-08-04) (aged 91)
Schroon Lake, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationSinger
Known forOpera, coloratura soprano
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1952; died 2007)​
Children2 sons, 2 daughters
Parent(s)Audley J. Munsil
Eunice A. Munsil

Patrice Munsel (born Patrice Beverly Munsil; May 14, 1925 – August 4, 2016) was an American coloratura soprano. Nicknamed "Princess Pat", she was the youngest singer ever to star at the Metropolitan Opera.[1][2]

Munsel on the cover of Life magazine, Philippe Halsman’s photo (February 21, 1944)

Early years

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An only child, Patrice Beverly Munsil (she later changed the spelling of her surname)[3] was born and raised until age 15 in Spokane, Washington. Her father, Audley J. Munsil, was a local dentist.[4][5][6] She attended Lewis and Clark High School before leaving at age fifteen, accompanied by her mother, to study in New York City,[3][7][8][9] coached by Giacomo Spadoni (1884–1960).[10]

Career

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At the age of 17 Munsel performed on Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air, an annual singing competition sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera of New York City. Her performance of the "Mad Scene" from Lucia di Lammermoor led to a Met contract. She was the youngest singer ever to debut at the Metropolitan Opera.[11]

She made her official Metropolitan debut on December 4, 1943, aged 18, singing Philine in Mignon, for which she won popular praise but poor critical reviews.[12] Her first opera contract was for three years at $40,000 per year; with other appearances she was making around $100,000 annually.[10]

Perhaps best known for the roles of Adele in Die Fledermaus and Despina in Così fan tutte, Munsel sang 225 times at the Metropolitan Opera. Sir Rudolf Bing called her a "superb soubrette" and implied that she was the world's best. Her opera roles also included Rosina in The Barber of Seville and Gilda in Rigoletto.[9][13]

Her husband Robert C. Schuler conceived and produced the ABC-TV primetime variety series The Patrice Munsel Show, which starred his wife, and was broadcast in the 1957–1958 season. Munsel appeared on many other TV shows during her career, including the role of Marietta (Countess d'Altena) in the January 15, 1955 live telecast of the operetta Naughty Marietta. She was opera singer Rosa Monetebello in a 1969 episode of The Wild, Wild West television series.[14] as well as Lola Tuscany in the television series Checkmate.[15] She portrayed the title role in the 1953 film Melba, which chronicled the life of the great opera singer Dame Nellie Melba.

Munsel made frequent television appearances on The Bell Telephone Hour. She was the celebrity guest on the February 2, 1958 episode of the TV quiz show What’s My Line?. Munsel was the central singer in the Camp Fire Girls' famous TV commercial and song "Sing Around the Campfire (Join the Camp Fire Girls)", aired in the mid-1960s.[16][17] A former Camp Fire Girl herself, she was also a spokeswoman for the organization.[18]

Munsel made her final performance for the Metropolitan Opera on January 28, 1958, in the title role in La Périchole.[19] She appeared on stage as a guest during the 1966 Gala Farewell to the old opera house at Broadway and 39th Street, despite never performing at the new met location on Lincoln center.[20] Munsel ended her career as an opera singer in 1981, and began to perform in musical comedies. She retired from performing in 2008.[21]

Personal life

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In 1952, Munsel married Robert C. Schuler, an advertising and public relations executive, producer, and writer.[22][23] They were married for 55 years, until his death at age 90 in 2007,[24] and had four children: Heidi (born 1953), Rhett (1955–2005),[24] Scott (born 1958), and Nicole (born 1959).[8][25] The younger two children were born prematurely.[26][27][28] Munsel and Schuler co-wrote a 2005 memoir of Schuler's life entitled The Diva & I. Munsel died on August 4, 2016, at her home in Schroon Lake, New York, aged 91.[29]

For a number of years, Munsel lived in Flower Hill, New York.[30]

Selected discography

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  • Selections from The King and I, following the official cast album with Gertrude Lawrence, Munsel was the second Anna on record, in a studio recording accompanied by Robert Merrill as the king, and supported by Dinah Shore and Tony Martin as the young lovers. Most of the album was accompanied by Henri René & His Orchestra 1952

Video

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References

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  1. ^ Harrison, Gwen (November 1, 1944). "Pat Munsel was opera star at 17". Miami Daily News. p. 1-B.
  2. ^ Watrous, Mabel (June 6, 1946). "Home city good to Princess Pat". Spokesman-Review. p. 6.
  3. ^ a b "Patrice Munsel, Metropolitan star, tells betrothal to Eugene officer". Eugene Register-Guard. October 28, 1945. p. 15.
  4. ^ "Patrice Munsel gets welcome". Spokane Daily Chronicle. December 7, 1949. p. 5.
  5. ^ "Patrice thrilled at prospect of two weeks in home town". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 27, 1947. p. 8.
  6. ^ "Patrice and family launch new 'package' production". Spokane Daily Chronicle. July 24, 1953. p. 3.
  7. ^ Long, Frances (November 13, 1943). "Patrice Munsel has busy times". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. p. 13.
  8. ^ a b Parsons, O.J. (May 25, 1968). "More musicals ahead for Patrice Munsel". Spokesman-Review. p. 8.
  9. ^ a b The Dictionary of Opera, Charles Osborne, Macdonald & Co., London, UK; ISBN 0-356-09700-5
  10. ^ a b Monfried, Walter (March 11, 1945). "At 20 she earns $100,000 a year". Milwaukee Journal. p. 14.
  11. ^ "PATRICE MUNSEL Obituary (1925 - 2016) - New York, NY - New York Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  12. ^ "Metropolitan Opera debut of Patrice Munsel tonight". Spokane Daily Chronicle. December 4, 1943. p. 1.
  13. ^ Shaw, Eleanor (September 24, 1944). "Patrice real American girl". Spokesman-Review. p. 3.
  14. ^ The Wild Wild West (TV Series 1965–1969), retrieved 2023-08-02
  15. ^ Checkmate (TV Series 1960–1962), retrieved 2023-08-02
  16. ^ Patrice Munsel at IMDb
  17. ^ "Camp Fire Girls "Sing Around The Campfire" Commercial with Patrice Munsel". YouTube. 13 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13.
  18. ^ "Camp Fire Girls commercial - 1960s". YouTube. 17 October 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13.
  19. ^ "Met Performance [CID:176940 La Périchole] Metropolitan Opera House: 01/28/1958". Metropolitan Opera Association Archives. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  20. ^ "Gala Farewell – Metropolitan Opera House (Last performance by the Metropolitan Opera in the opera house at Broadway and 39th Street". Metropolitan Opera Association Archives. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  21. ^ Kershner, Jim (October 9, 2008). "Following in Munsel's footsteps". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  22. ^ "Miss Munsel to be bride". Spokane Daily Chronicle. February 4, 1952. p. 10.
  23. ^ Shaw, Eleanor (April 20, 1952). "Patrice Munsel reals plans for June wedding". Spokesman-Review. p. 4.
  24. ^ a b Munsel, Patrice (January 1, 2008). "Deaths: Schuler, Robert Charles". The New York Times. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  25. ^ Connor, Harriet J. (June 7, 1967). "Chroniscope: Patrice Munsel stars as mother". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 17.
  26. ^ "Happy pair". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press photo. October 27, 1958. p. 14.
  27. ^ Munsel, Patrice (January 25, 1959). "The miracle that saved my premature baby". Milwaukee Sentinel. (The American Weekly). p. 19.
  28. ^ "Patrice Munsel has tiny child". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. July 29, 1959. p. 1.
  29. ^ "Famed opera singer Patrice Munsel, who left Spokane for Met fame, dies at 91 | the Spokesman-Review". Archived from the original on 2016-08-10. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
  30. ^ Ommerman, Betty (September 17, 1968). "Style Note at Met Opening Is Elegance". Newsday. p. 1A – via ProQuest.
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