Claudia Cassidy
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Claudia Cassidy (1899 – July 21, 1996), was an influential, 20th-century American
performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perform ...
critic A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or governmen ...
. She was a long-time critic for the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
.'' Starting in 1925 she was music and drama critic for The Journal of Commerce. She was so well known for giving caustic reviews to what she considered bad performances that she earned the nickname "Acidy Cassidy." Cassidy had a particular aversion to touring companies of Broadway shows. In music criticism, according to a 1993 article by the ''
Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by a ...
'',
Rafael Kubelik Rafael may refer to: * Rafael (given name) or Raphael, a name of Hebrew origin * Rafael, California * Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israeli manufacturer of weapons and military technology * Hurricane Rafael, a 2012 hurricane Fiction * Rafa ...
, was "practically hounded out of town" by Cassidy. Although she had a reputation for biting critique, Cassidy's enthusiasm may have been even more powerful. Her sustained praise for '' The Glass Menagerie'' over several columns is credited with rescuing the show from closing in tryouts and propelling it to move on to Broadway success. According to Philip Rose, '' A Raisin in the Sun'' became a hit after a surprise positive review from Cassidy as well as "good reviews in other papers." In 1975, Cassidy was awarded the Joseph Jefferson Award. Her last published writing was for the 1990-91 Lyric Opera program book. Cassidy was married to William J. Cassidy for 57 years. After her husband died in 1986, Cassidy lived at the Drake Hotel until her death in 1996 at the age of 96. The Claudia Cassidy Theater of the
Chicago Cultural Center The Chicago Cultural Center, opened in 1897, is a Chicago Landmark building operated by Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events that houses the city's official reception venue where the Mayor of Chicago has welcomed preside ...
is named in her honor.


Books

* Cassidy, Claudia, ''Europe on the Aisle'', New York: Random House, 1954 * Cassidy, Claudia, ''Lyric Opera of Chicago'', Chicago IL: Lyric Opera of Chicago, 1979


References


External links


Claudia Cassidy Papers
at the Newberry Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Cassidy, Claudia 1899 births 1996 deaths American music critics American dance critics American theater critics People from Shawneetown, Illinois Journalists from Illinois Chicago Tribune people American women journalists American women music critics Women writers about music 20th-century American journalists 20th-century American women