Norma Terris

Terris, circa 1929

Norma Terris (born Norma Allison Cook;^[1] November 13, 1904 – November 15, 1989) was an American musical theatre star.

Born in Columbus, Kansas, Terris was named after the heroine of Bellini's opera, Norma.^[2] She was acclaimed for her adroit impersonations of popular public figures, which she had performed in Florenz Ziegfeld's Follies.^{[citation needed]} She originated the roles of Magnolia in the original Broadway production of Show Boat in 1927.^[2] She reprised her role in the first New York revival of the show in 1932. However, she was not selected to reprise her role in the 1929 part-talkie film, nor in the 1936 film version.

Terris was originally chosen to play the dual roles of Moonyean Clare and her niece Kathleen in Through the Years, Vincent Youmans's 1932 musical version of Jane Cowl's once-popular play, Smilin' Through, but she was replaced at the last minute.

She made two films during the early days of talking pictures - Married In Hollywood, and the 1930 version of Cameo Kirby, which was, like Show Boat, a riverboat musical involving a gambler. Cameo Kirby appears to be lost, and only twelve minutes of Married in Hollywood apparently survive.

Marriage[]

Terris married a doctor and retired to Connecticut, where she was an avid supporter of the Goodspeed Opera House and what eventually became the Norma Terris Theatre. She was later married to Albert D. Firestone, son of the late William McKinley and Gladys Bigam Firestone of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The couple spent winters at their Palm Beach, Florida residence, where they acted as major donors to the Ballet Florida, and summered at their Lyme, Connecticut. Mr. Firestone, who was very dedicated to her remembrance, died in 1997 at their summer residence in Lyme.

Last years[]

In 1961 she appeared at a performance of the American Light Opera Company production of Show Boat in Washington, D.C. at the invitation of its director, Donn B. Murphy. On the stage at the Trinity Theatre, she reminisced about the original production. Climbing atop a piano at a cast party after the show, she did a devastating impersonation of an inebriated Helen Morgan (who had created the role of Julie) singing "Bill" from the show.^{[citation needed]}

Legacy[]

In 1984, Goodspeed Musicals created a second performance venue in Chester, Connecticut which is named the Norma Terris Theatre.

Death[]

Terris died at her summer home in Lyme, Connecticut, on November 15, 1989, aged 87.^[2]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Norma Terris.

• Norma Terris at IMDb
• Norma Terris at Find a Grave
• Norma Terriss, right, with Daniel Frohman at National Press Club luncheon (Corbis)