Nellie Casman
Encyclopedia
Nellie Casman was an actress and singer in Yiddish theater. Some sources say she was born in Proskurov, Russia
, and moved to the United States
in the early 1900s; Zylbercweig says she was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, United States. Her father was a hazzen. Casman showed such talent as an actress when a child, the actress Rose Rubin took her into a professional Yiddish theater, where she began to play child roles in 1910.
Playing Gitele in Zalmen Libin's Gebrokhene hertser (Broken Hearts), she came to the attention of Regina Prager's husband, a theater manager, who hired her for his company in New York. She played several years as a soubrette
in vaudeville houses and became successful enough to be hired to replace Bessie Thomashevsky in Edelstein's People's Theater where she played opposite David Kessler
in Mish Mash. She then abandoned "legitimate theater" and went back to vaudeville (in English as well as Yiddish). She recorded Yiddish songs and couplets
for the Victor and Columbia labels. She married playwright Samuel Steinberg and collaborated with him in writing songs and shows; their biggest hit, written in 1923, was Yosl, Yosl, popularized in English by the Andrews Sisters in 1938.
She went to Warsaw in 1929, concertizing and appearing in her husband's play A khasndl oyf shabos. The couple went to Russia as well, where she performed in Dos vaybele. They then went to Argentina and toured with equal success. She played at the Odeon Theater in New York and then went back to Argentina where she performed Spanish songs and appeared in Steinberg's Di Komediantke. In 1932 she performed in London, Paris, Berlin, and Riga, then back to Warsaw. Her most popular character was a "Little Cantor" in the Aron Nager's play "Dos Khazndl".
In 1937 she played Di zingerin at the Roxbury and then left again for Argentina, where she toured the provinces in Lilian's operetta A shif mit kabtsonim (A ship with paupers) She performed on radio and later on TV, in English, and did some film work at Paramount Studio.
In 1973, she appeared in the film The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob. Casman played Pathe on the TV show The Goldbergs for eight years, reprising the role in a 1950 film.
She and her husband wrote a musical comedy, The Showgirl, performed by the Shalom Yiddish Musical Comedy Theater at Town Hall in 1982. She died in New York City.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the early 1900s; Zylbercweig says she was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States. Her father was a hazzen. Casman showed such talent as an actress when a child, the actress Rose Rubin took her into a professional Yiddish theater, where she began to play child roles in 1910.
Playing Gitele in Zalmen Libin's Gebrokhene hertser (Broken Hearts), she came to the attention of Regina Prager's husband, a theater manager, who hired her for his company in New York. She played several years as a soubrette
Soubrette
A soubrette is a female stock character in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy".-Theater:...
in vaudeville houses and became successful enough to be hired to replace Bessie Thomashevsky in Edelstein's People's Theater where she played opposite David Kessler
David Kessler (actor)
David Kessler was a prominent actor in the first great era of Yiddish theater. As a star Yiddish dramatic performer in New York City, he was the first leading man in Yiddish theater to dispense with incidental music....
in Mish Mash. She then abandoned "legitimate theater" and went back to vaudeville (in English as well as Yiddish). She recorded Yiddish songs and couplets
Coupletist
A coupletist is a poet, singer, or actor who specializes in couplets - wittily ambiguous, political, or satirical songs, usually in cabaret settings, usually with refrains, generally used as a transition between two cabaret numbers....
for the Victor and Columbia labels. She married playwright Samuel Steinberg and collaborated with him in writing songs and shows; their biggest hit, written in 1923, was Yosl, Yosl, popularized in English by the Andrews Sisters in 1938.
She went to Warsaw in 1929, concertizing and appearing in her husband's play A khasndl oyf shabos. The couple went to Russia as well, where she performed in Dos vaybele. They then went to Argentina and toured with equal success. She played at the Odeon Theater in New York and then went back to Argentina where she performed Spanish songs and appeared in Steinberg's Di Komediantke. In 1932 she performed in London, Paris, Berlin, and Riga, then back to Warsaw. Her most popular character was a "Little Cantor" in the Aron Nager's play "Dos Khazndl".
In 1937 she played Di zingerin at the Roxbury and then left again for Argentina, where she toured the provinces in Lilian's operetta A shif mit kabtsonim (A ship with paupers) She performed on radio and later on TV, in English, and did some film work at Paramount Studio.
In 1973, she appeared in the film The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob. Casman played Pathe on the TV show The Goldbergs for eight years, reprising the role in a 1950 film.
She and her husband wrote a musical comedy, The Showgirl, performed by the Shalom Yiddish Musical Comedy Theater at Town Hall in 1982. She died in New York City.