Henry Vogel (June 15, 1863 – June 17, 1925) was an American actor and bass-baritone singer who originated several roles on the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

stage during the first two decades of the Twentieth Century.

Early life

Henry Vogel was born Heinrich Vogelhut in Mindszent, Hungary.Birth register of the town of Hunfalu, p. 158b, record number 4
/ref> Ignoring his parents' wishes that he enter the clergy, he left Hungary for America in 1882.The Pittsburgh Press, March 5, 1916, Theatrical Section, p. 2
/ref>

Career

After his arrival in America, he obtained US citizenship and attended the Balatka Academy of Musical Art, founded by

Hans Balatka Hans Balatka (March 5, 1827 – April 17, 1899) was an American conductor and composer. His efforts contributed much to the great increase in popularity of European classical music in the United States during the late 19th century. Life Balatka ...

in Chicago during the late 1880s. There (as Henry Vogelhuth), he performed in several of its productions before moving to New York City. In 1890 (as Henry Vogel) he appeared in an English-language version of

Jacques Offenbach Jacques Offenbach (, also , , ; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario of the Romantic period. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera ' ...

's '' The Brigands'' starring

Lillian Russell Lillian Russell (born Helen Louise Leonard; December 4, 1860 or 1861 – June 6, 1922), was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for her beauty ...

, and in 1903, he landed a role in the Broadway production of ''Nancy Brown''. Other productions followed, including ''Paris by Night'' (1904), '' Miss Dolly Dollars'' (1905), and

Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, cellist and conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and conductor, he is bes ...

’s '' The Wizard of the Nile'' (1908).''The Washington Post'', May 5, 1908, p. 5 Henry Vogel from The Melting Pot, 1909

It was announced in the press in 1907 that Byron Ongley (co-author of ''Brewster’s Millions'') had written a vaudeville skit for him, ''Vogel, the Boy Detective, and His Shadow, Nearly'' – the shadow to be played by a midget. Back on the Broadway stage in 1909, he played Herr Pappelmeister to

Walker Whiteside Walker Whiteside (1869 – 1942) was an American actor who had played Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Shylock while still in his teens. Early life Walker Whiteside was born on March 16, 1869, near the confluence of the Wabash and Eel rivers ...

’s David Quixano in the original 1909 production of

Israel Zangwill Israel Zangwill (21 January 18641 August 1926) was a British author at the forefront of cultural Zionism during the 19th century, and was a close associate of Theodor Herzl. He later rejected the search for a Jewish homeland in Palestine and ...

’s play, '' The Melting Pot''. His turn as Pappelmeister received acclaim, and the production itself was favorably reviewed by then US president

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

Vogel went on to prominent roles in several other Broadway plays and operettas, including '' The Firefly'' (1912), ''Marie-Odile'' (1915),''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle''
January 27, 1915, p. 9 and ''Arms and the Girl'' (1916). Health issues caused him to move to California to pursue work in films, including

The Spanish Dancer ''The Spanish Dancer'' is a 1923 American silent costume epic starring Pola Negri as a gypsy fortune teller, Antonio Moreno as a romantic count, and Wallace Beery as the king of Spain. The film was directed by Herbert Brenon and also features a ...

(1923) as Olivares, but continued ill health forced his retirement and return to New York.''Variety'', June 24, 1925, p. 89

Family

Henry Vogel was the son of David Vogelhut and Eleanora "Leni" Vogelhut (née Propper) and was Jewish.

Death

Henry Vogel died in New York City two days after his 62nd birthday, following a heart attack. Henry Vogel and Emma Trentini from The Firefly 1912

Selected plays

* ''Nancy Brown'' (1903), Henry Vogel as Baron SauerbratenInternet Broadway Database
Henry Vogel
/ref> * '' Miss Dolly Dollars'' (1905) as Lieutenant von Richter * '' The Wizard of the Nile'' (1908) as King Ptolemy * ''Dolly Varden'' (Previous to May 1908, Bijou, New Brunswick, N.J)The Washington Times, May 10, 1908, p. 2 * '' The Melting Pot'' (1909) as Herr Pappelmeister * '' The Little Damozel'' (1910) * ''Paris By Night'' as Orlof Sleuthski (1904–05) * ''The Girl and the Governor'' (Circa 1907/08) * '' The Firefly'' (1912) as Herr Franz * ''Marie-Odile'' as Sergeant Otto Beck (1915) * ''Arms and the Girl'' (originally titled A Delicate Situation)(1916) as General Klaus * ''Princess Tra-La-La'' (1916) * ''Some Daddy'' (1918)The New York Clipper, January 16, 191
Image from University of Illinois digital library
/ref>

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vogel, Henry 1863 births 1925 deaths 19th-century American male actors American male stage actors 20th-century American male actors Jewish American male actors