Kathryn Grayson

Kathryn Grayson (born Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick; 9 February 1922 – 17 February 2010) was an American actress and coloratura soprano. From the age of 12, Grayson trained as an opera singer. By the early 1940s, she was under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, soon establishing a career principally through her work in musicals.

After several supporting roles, she was a lead performer in such films as Thousands Cheer (1943), Anchors Aweigh (1945) with Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, and Show Boat (1951) and Kiss Me Kate (1953), both with Howard Keel. Grayson also worked in theatre, appearing in Camelot (1962–1964). Later in the decade, she performed in several operas, including La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Orpheus in the Underworld, and La traviata.