Fire Witch Format: Hardback

New York’s past holds millions of forgotten stories, but few are as fascinating as the tale of Kate Claxton, the “Fire Witch.” A central figure of American theater in New York’s Gilded Age, she spent her life challenging conventions and flouting expectations. Kate was one of the most famous actors in America, and for over three decades and more than five thousand performances she held theatergoers in her thrall through her portrayal of a single dramatic role: Louise, the sixteen-year-old blind heroine of the French melodrama The Two Orphans.

Despite her supernatural nickname, Kate was no witch. But after the tragic events of December 5, 1876, when she stood onstage amid the panic and flames as the Brooklyn Theatre burned around her, Kate became inseparably connected with the disaster. This inferno, along with multiple subsequent blazes that occurred in hotels and theaters where Kate was present, branded her as “Fire Witch” and “Fire Fiend,” labels that followed her for the rest of her days.

Over a hundred and fifty years later, Kate’s life—and the fire that destroyed Brooklyn’s most opulent playhouse—have been almost completely forgotten. But the inferno is an integral part of New York’s history, and its heroine was a singular woman whose strength and determination carried her through tragedy and scandal to shine as one of the brightest stars of the late nineteenth century.

Melanie Gall is a professional musician and music historian with advanced degrees from several academic institutions, including Manhattan School of Music in New York, Mozarteum University in Salzburg, and the Glenn Gould School in Toronto. She is an internationally acclaimed performer and has sung at Lincoln Center and Royal Albert Hall. She has also written several plays featuring historical music, including Ingenue, about Deanna Durbin and Judy Garland, which had a sold-out Off-Broadway run at SoHo Playhouse and won a Best Musical Award at the Adelaide Festival, and Stitch in Time, her cabaret of forgotten knitting music, which has been performed throughout North America and the United Kingdom. Melanie is the author of Deanna Durbin, Judy Garland, and the Golden Age of Hollywood. She divides her time between Ottawa, Canada, and New York City.