Anna Sosenko (June 13, 1909 – June 9, 2000) was an American songwriter and

impresario An impresario (from the Italian ''impresa'', "an enterprise or undertaking") is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film or television producer. His ...

who flourished in the 1930s. She is perhaps best known as a manager and writer for cabaret singer

Hildegarde Hildegarde Loretta Sell, known as Hildegarde (February 1, 1906 – July 29, 2005) was an American cabaret singer, who was well known for the song " Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup". Early life She was born Hildegarde Loretta Sell in Adell, Wis ...

, for whom she wrote " Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup".

Early life

Anna Sosenko was born in Camden, New Jersey, the daughter of Simon Sosenko and Rebecca Sosenko. Her mother ran a restaurant and boarding house.

Career

Managing Hildegarde

Sosenko is perhaps best known as the "formidable" manager and writer for American cabaret singer and fashion celebrity Hildegarde, for whom she wrote "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" (1935). "I made her a sensation long before she was a sensation," Sosenko said of her work, crafting Hildegarde's exotic public persona. "Her ingenuity, her inventiveness, her organizational genius and her undying faith in her merchandise stamp Miss Sosenko as just about the smartest manager in show business today," declared journalist

George Frazier George Francis Frazier Jr. (June 10, 1911 – June 13, 1974) was an American journalist. Frazier was raised in South Boston, attended the Boston Latin School, and was graduated from Harvard College (where he won the Boylston Prize for Rhetoric) in ...

, in a ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...

'' magazine profile of the pair in 1943. Sosenko produced ''The Raleigh Room'' (1945-1947), a radio program starring Hildegarde, with Alan Jay Lerner as head writer. In the 1960s, Sosenko managed another singer,

Felicia Sanders Felicia Sanders (born Felice Schwartz; April 26, 1921 – February 7, 1975) was a singer and musician of traditional pop music. Early years Sanders was born in Mount Vernon, New York but was raised in Southern California. She studied merchandi ...

Producer and collector

In 1959, Sosenko co-produced a stage adaptation of

Irving Stone Irving Stone (born Tennenbaum, July 14, 1903 – August 26, 1989) was an American writer, chiefly known for his biographical novels of noted artists, politicians, and intellectuals. Among the best known are '' Lust for Life'' (1934), about the l ...

's ''The Passionate Journey''. She promoted

Jacqueline Susann Jacqueline Susann (August 20, 1918 – September 21, 1974) was an American novelist and actress. Her iconic novel, '' Valley of the Dolls'' (1966), is one of the best-selling books in publishing history. With her two subsequent works, '' The Lov ...

's first novel, ''Every Night, Josephine''. In the 1970s and 1980s, she produced star-studded benefit shows, including tributes

Mary Martin Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American actress and singer. A muse of Rodgers and Hammerstein, she originated many leading roles on stage over her career, including Nellie Forbush in '' South Pacific'' (194 ...

Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary '' Variety'', February 22, 1984. ...

, and Richard Rodgers. She helped develop the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, now known as the

National Academy of Popular Music The National Academy of Popular Music (NAPM) is an American organization which administers the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and sponsors a series of workshops and showcases for the songwriting profession. It was formed in 1988 by Sammy Cahn and Bob Le ...

. Sosenko had a large collection of theatrical memorabilia, and opened a small gallery in 1965, selling and trading such materials near

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

. She exhibited some of these at the

Museum of the City of New York A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

, and eventually donated her collection to several theatre history archives, including the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

Personal life and legacy

Sosenko lived and worked with Hildegarde from 1933. The pair collected art, including works by French impressionists; that collection was sold when they separated in 1955. They reconciled late in life, and even performed together. Sosenko died in 2000, four days before her 91st birthday. The bulk of her assets were, upon her death, transferred to the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust, which provides small grants "to aid and enhance the career development of worthy and talented individuals in need of such assistance in the performance areas of theatre, opera or concert."About the Trust
" ''The Anna Sosenko Assist Trust''. Accessed January 1, 2020.

References

External links

* *
The Anna Sosenko Trust
*Monica S. Gallamore, "Introducing the incomparable Hildegarde: The sexuality, style, and image of a forgotten cultural icon" (PhD diss., Marquette University, 2012). A dissertation about Sosenko and Hildegarde's public and private relationship. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sosenko, Anna American lesbian musicians 1909 births 2000 deaths Songwriters from New Jersey American LGBT songwriters Musicians from Camden, New Jersey 20th-century American composers 20th-century women composers Lesbian songwriters Lesbian composers