Maurice Hegeman (c. 1848 – died February 1913) was an American musical theatre actor, playwright, librettist, and the inventor of the Brooklyn cocktail. He wrote the book and lyrics for the road musical ''

Gay New York ''Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890–1940'' is a 1994 history book by George Chauncey about gay life in New York City during the early 20th century. An updated 2019 edition commemorates the Stonewa ...

'' (1905), and starred in several Broadway productions produced by

Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the ''Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He also p ...

Life and career

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Maurice Hegeman began his career as the stage manager of an opera company in his native city. He moved to Brooklyn, New York and worked as an actor on Broadway.Shtuhl, p. 18 He first drew attention in the New York theatre as the playwright and lyricist for the musical ''

'' which toured to Broadway's

Murray Hill Theatre The Murray Hill Theatre is a Christian music venue located in Jacksonville, Florida. It is an independent, 501(c) non-profit charitable organization that is not affiliated with any church or denomination. It first opened as a west side movie t ...

in February 1906. A successful "road musical" starring Dan Mason, the production had a long tour through the mid-western and eastern portions of the United States that began in the autumn of 1905. In 1908–1909 Hegeman starred in Ludwig Engländer's musical ''Miss Innocence'' at the New York Theatre; playing the triple roles of The Marquis de Chabert, Schmalz, and Dr. Charcot. It was the first of several musicals produced by

that he would star in; including ''

Ziegfeld Follies of 1909 Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the ''Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He also p ...

'', '' Ziegfeld Follies of 1910'', and '' The Pink Lady'' (1911 and 1912 revival, Dr. Mazou). In addition to his work in the theatre, Hegeman also worked as bartender at Schmidt Cafe near the Brooklyn side of the

Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/ suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River ...

. There he invented the original version of the Brooklyn Cocktail in 1910 which included a mix of hard cider,

absinthe Absinthe (, ) is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from several plants, including the flowers and leaves of ''Artemisia absinthium'' ("grand wormwood"), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. Historical ...

, and ginger ale. Maurice Hegeman died at the age of 65 in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

during the last week of February 1913 due to complications from surgery. At the time of his death, he was starring in the national tour of ''The Pink Lady'' alongside his wife, the actress Alice Hegeman (1880–1970).

References

Citations

Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hegeman, Maurice 1840s births 1913 deaths Actors from Cincinnati American male musical theatre actors American male dramatists and playwrights American musical theatre lyricists Broadway composers and lyricists