Ethel Barrymore Colt (April 20, 1912 – May 22, 1977) was an American actress and producer and a soprano who sang in more than 100 concerts[1] in the United States, Canada, and South America.

[3] Her obituary in The Washington Post described her as "a versatile and talented singer, actress and producer, playing dramatic roles on Broadway and in summer stock and singing in grand opera, operetta, musical comedy and on the concert stage.

[7] After graduating, she attended the Villa Gazzola school in Verona, Italy,[15] and studied in Italian music conservatories.

[17] Colt's professional stage debut occurred in a supporting role with her mother in Scarlet Sister Mary (1930).

[14] In a review of the play's opening night in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Arthur Pollock wrote about Colt: "If she showed no signs of wanting to insist that she was a Barrymore and therefore a great person, she suffered from no amateurish self-consciousness.

[5] She explained her departure by saying that White made her a headliner when she "wanted to start in musical comedy like any unknown beginner".

[21] Colt acted in St. Louis in 1933, playing small parts in that city's Municipal Opera productions throughout the summer.

[27] She spent five years with the Jitney Players, not only performing but also driving a truck, making costumes, and writing material.

[32] Her version of Rip Van Winkle (with music written by another member of the Players) combined elements of the original Washington Irving short story and five adaptations.

Sketches in the broadcast traced the elder Ethel's career from her initial appearance in The Rivals to her then-current work in The Corn Is Green.

[50] Colt told newspaper columnist Earl Wilson in 1952 that her mother encouraged her to pursue singing.

[19] When Colt was not on tour with theatrical productions, she studied voice with Maggie Teyte and Queena Mario, gaining training that enabled her to sing with small opera companies.

[5] Her operatic debut came when she portrayed Micaela in the Columbia Grand Opera's (CGO) production of Carmen in the Maryland Theater in Baltimore on January 30, 1941.

[55] Even after Colt had sung in more than 100 concerts, however, her name led people to think of her as a dramatic actress rather than as a singer.

[5][56] Even after the initial disclosure of her identity, Colt sometimes used Louisa Kinlock as a stage name for singing performances.

Before she made the New York City debut of Songs of the Theater she sang as Kinlock for more than a year, performing the program on a tour of the United States.

So now Ethel Barrymore Colt is taking off her disguise and invading the country's toughest musical stronghold, New York.

[58] In 1939, Colt performed at the Latin Quarter nightclub in Boston, singing a song and encores twice each evening.

[62] Colt performed on network television on March 6, 1950, starring as Rosalinda in NBC's production of Die Fledermaus.

[65] Colt's London singing debut in 1955 received mixed reactions from critics after she performed music from the 13th century to the present in Wigmore Hall.

[66] On July 17, 1957, Colt sang at Lewisohn Stadium in her debut there, performing three settings of scenes from Shakespeare.

A review in The New York Times described Colt's voice as "light but pretty" and called her "a sensitive singer" but said, "her vocal technique was not up to all of the demands she imposed on it.

"[67] In 1968, Colt and Peggy Wood teamed up to present A Madrigal of Shakespeare for two shows at the Theatre de Lys in New York City.

[68] Colt portrayed the Duchess of Krackenthorp in the New York City Opera's production of Daughter of the Regiment (1975).

[69] In 1943, Colt presented The American Musical Theater of Yesterday, which included "lighthearted burlesques of singers of various eras".

[77] In 1967, she began performing the one-woman show Take It from the Top, which also featured songs from the American musical theater.

[62] In the summer of 1966 Colt was artist in residence for the initial Drama Workshop at Salve Regina College.

Colt described the combination of drama and discussion as "enormously effective" in helping people explore problems.

[84] Her activities as chair took her to cities across the United States, helping people to see how they could implement the program in their own communities.

The inheritance, which she shared with her husband, their son, and her brother, included a 25-room mansion that was built in 1812, a laundry, a garage, a carriage house, and outbuildings on two acres plus a nearby 425-acre dairy.