George Britton(1910-1991)
- Actor
Born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Merrick, Long Island, New York
to parents of English and Swiss decent, George W. Britton studied voice
at Columbia University where he graduated in 1932.
A singer all of his life, Britton won a scholarship to Juilliard School of Music upon graduation from Columbia. After several years of study, he began his career as a classical bass-baritone in the mid 1930s and made his professional opera debut at the Chautauqua Opera in 1934.
It was during the 1940s that Britton began working as a musical theater actor while maintaining his classical singing career. He was particularly active in New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse between 1942 and 1948. Prior to the start of WWII, Britton made his European opera debut in Prague, Czechoslovakia with Rise Stevens in her first performance of "Carmen." He went on to sing in Vienna and many European opera houses where he performed most of the leading baritone roles.
After the end of WWII, Britton returned to Europe and opened in London in the first American show to be brought over, "Romany Love," which had a short run on Broadway as "Gypsy Lady." It was during this show that he met his future wife, actress and singer, Kaye Connor. They lived and performed in England for a year and returned to New York in 1947. They married and had three children.
In 1952, after three weeks of rehearsal as understudy for the role of Emile de Becque in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific," Britton was told that he was to go on that evening with only 30 minutes notice. After receiving glowing reviews, he succeeded Ezio Pinza in the lead role of the musical and went on to play the part on Broadway for all of the last two years of its run opposite Martha Wright as Nellie Forbush. Britton continued to sing leading operetta and opera roles all over the country.
George Britton retired from the stage in 1970 and accepted a position with Wilding Inc., a Detroit communications firm. George and his wife, Kaye, settled in the metro-Detroit area with their children. During his career with Wilding, Inc., he traveled the country doing seminars for Ford and Mercury. He retired from Wilding Inc. in 1980 at the age of 70. He and Kaye opened a successful travel agency, Kaye Britton Travel, which was located in Farmington Hills, Michigan for many years.
A singer all of his life, Britton won a scholarship to Juilliard School of Music upon graduation from Columbia. After several years of study, he began his career as a classical bass-baritone in the mid 1930s and made his professional opera debut at the Chautauqua Opera in 1934.
It was during the 1940s that Britton began working as a musical theater actor while maintaining his classical singing career. He was particularly active in New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse between 1942 and 1948. Prior to the start of WWII, Britton made his European opera debut in Prague, Czechoslovakia with Rise Stevens in her first performance of "Carmen." He went on to sing in Vienna and many European opera houses where he performed most of the leading baritone roles.
After the end of WWII, Britton returned to Europe and opened in London in the first American show to be brought over, "Romany Love," which had a short run on Broadway as "Gypsy Lady." It was during this show that he met his future wife, actress and singer, Kaye Connor. They lived and performed in England for a year and returned to New York in 1947. They married and had three children.
In 1952, after three weeks of rehearsal as understudy for the role of Emile de Becque in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific," Britton was told that he was to go on that evening with only 30 minutes notice. After receiving glowing reviews, he succeeded Ezio Pinza in the lead role of the musical and went on to play the part on Broadway for all of the last two years of its run opposite Martha Wright as Nellie Forbush. Britton continued to sing leading operetta and opera roles all over the country.
George Britton retired from the stage in 1970 and accepted a position with Wilding Inc., a Detroit communications firm. George and his wife, Kaye, settled in the metro-Detroit area with their children. During his career with Wilding, Inc., he traveled the country doing seminars for Ford and Mercury. He retired from Wilding Inc. in 1980 at the age of 70. He and Kaye opened a successful travel agency, Kaye Britton Travel, which was located in Farmington Hills, Michigan for many years.
