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Thomas H. Connell III

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thomas H. Connell III
Born25 October 1942
Died18 April 2010 (aged 67)
Manhattan
Alma mater
OccupationStage manager
Employer

Thomas Hilbert Connell III (October 25, 1942 – April 18, 2010) was a longtime chief stage manager at the Metropolitan Opera.[1][2]

Biography

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Connell was born on October 25, 1942, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and grew up in Westport, Connecticut. He was a singer, pianist and violist in high school, and was inspired by a class trip to the Met's La Bohème to enter the opera industry.[1]

Connell earned his bachelor's degree in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University.[1][3] He served in the military during the Vietnam War, flying Navy transport planes. He later did graduate work in music at University of Hawaiʻi.[1]

Connell staged managed operas in graduate school and worked for a few regional opera companies before joining the Met as stage manager in 1977.[1] From 1981 until his death, he was the company's chief stage manager, also known as the production stage manager.[1]

Connell died on April 18, 2010, at his home in Manhattan.[1]

Personal life

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Connell's first marriage to Katherine Snyder ended in divorce.[1] He then married writer and Ogilvy & Mather executive Stephanie Pierson,[4][5] a marriage also ended in divorce.[6] He had two daughters, one from each marriage, and his second daughter, Phoebe Connell, is married to Jacob Danziger, a son of Russell Sage Foundation President Sheldon Danziger.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Fox, Margalit (2010-04-28). "Thomas H. Connell III, Longtime Met Stage Manager, Dies at 67". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  2. ^ Dobrzynski, Judith H. (2009-05-07). "Great Performances -- Behind the Scenes". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  3. ^ "Columbia College Today". www.college.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  4. ^ "N.Y. executive, author misses her Baltimore - Baltimore Sun". 2021-06-20. Archived from the original on 2021-06-20. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  5. ^ Barbour, Celia (2006-09-24). "Sometimes, Anonymity Can Be Healing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  6. ^ "Stephanie Pierson, Copywriter, Bride". The New York Times. 1981-06-28. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  7. ^ "Phoebe Connell, Jacob Danziger". The New York Times. 2008-06-15. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-28.