Bertice Reading
Encyclopedia
Bertice Reading was an American
actress, singer and revue artiste.
Bertice Reading was born in Chester, Pennsylvania
. Her performing career started at the age of 3, when she was talent-spotted by Bill "Bojangles" Robinson
.
She appeared in the all-black revue, The Jazz Train, in Paris
in the spring of 1955 and at the Piccadilly Theatre
in London. In this show she had notable success playing the great blues singer Bessie Smith
. Adept at a whole range of musical styles, from gospel
to blues
to musical comedy, in addition to her talent, she also had a striking appearance and a renowned sense of humour.
Her straight-acting performance as a nurse in William Faulkner
's play Requiem for a Nun
in 1957, earned her a nomination for a Tony Award
when it transferred to Broadway
. The next years saw Reading spending time abroad in cabaret
, as well as having two marriages.
In 1979 she appeared at the Roundhouse in London in Only In America, a tribute show to the musical composers Jerry Lieber & Mike Stoller. In the 1980s she presented many one-woman shows, usually debuting at the Kings Head Theatre Club in Islington
, London.
In the 1985 solo show, Every Inch a Lady, she donned a pink satin tutu
and danced to a version of The Sugar Plum Fairy, which had been choreographed by the dancer Wayne Sleep
. She also appeared in South Pacific
as Bloody Mary (South Pacific)
in Bournemouth in 1987.
Her final appearance was in the 1986 movie version of Little Shop of Horrors
as the "Downtown" older woman, who sings the beginning words to the song "Skid Row (Downtown)".
, following a stroke, although her age was initially misreported as 54.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, singer and revue artiste.
Bertice Reading was born in Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
. Her performing career started at the age of 3, when she was talent-spotted by Bill "Bojangles" Robinson
Bill Robinson
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was an American tap dancer and actor of stage and film. Audiences enjoyed his understated style, which eschewed the frenetic manner of the jitterbug in favor of cool and reserve; rarely did he use his upper body, relying instead on busy, inventive feet, and an expressive...
.
She appeared in the all-black revue, The Jazz Train, in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in the spring of 1955 and at the Piccadilly Theatre
Piccadilly Theatre
The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, England.-Early years:Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A...
in London. In this show she had notable success playing the great blues singer Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith was an American blues singer.Sometimes referred to as The Empress of the Blues, Smith was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s...
. Adept at a whole range of musical styles, from gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
to blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
to musical comedy, in addition to her talent, she also had a striking appearance and a renowned sense of humour.
Her straight-acting performance as a nurse in William Faulkner
William Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
's play Requiem for a Nun
Requiem for a Nun
Requiem for a Nun is a book written by William Faulkner in 1951. Like many of Faulkner's works, Requiem experiments with narrative technique—the book is part novel, part play. The protagonist is Temple Drake, a character introduced as a college student in Sanctuary, one of Faulkner's early novels...
in 1957, earned her a nomination for a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
when it transferred to Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. The next years saw Reading spending time abroad in cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
, as well as having two marriages.
In 1979 she appeared at the Roundhouse in London in Only In America, a tribute show to the musical composers Jerry Lieber & Mike Stoller. In the 1980s she presented many one-woman shows, usually debuting at the Kings Head Theatre Club in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, London.
In the 1985 solo show, Every Inch a Lady, she donned a pink satin tutu
Ballet tutu
A tutu is a skirt worn as a costume in a ballet performance, often with attached bodice. It might be single layer, hanging down, or multiple layers starched and jutting out.There are several types of ballet tutu:...
and danced to a version of The Sugar Plum Fairy, which had been choreographed by the dancer Wayne Sleep
Wayne Sleep
Wayne Philip Colin Sleep OBE is a British dancer, director, choreographer and panelist. He was a Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet and has appeared as a Guest Artist with several other ballet companies.-Early life:...
. She also appeared in South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
as Bloody Mary (South Pacific)
Bloody Mary (South Pacific)
Bloody Mary is a character in the book Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener, which was made into the musical South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein, and later into a film in 1958....
in Bournemouth in 1987.
Her final appearance was in the 1986 movie version of Little Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
as the "Downtown" older woman, who sings the beginning words to the song "Skid Row (Downtown)".
Death
Reading died at the age of 57 in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, following a stroke, although her age was initially misreported as 54.
Source
- The Daily Telegraphs Third Book of Obituaries (Entertainers), edited by Hugh MassingberdHugh MassingberdHugh John Massingberd , also known as Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, was an English journalist and genealogist....