Draft:Jeanne Beauvais

Jeanne Beauvais was an American classical singer and stage performer.

Life and Career
Beauvais was born in New York City on September 17, 1917 to a French father and an American mother. They moved to Paris after the end of World War I, where her father died soon after. Beauvais and her mother then moved back to New York.

She sung for overseas troops, and performed in numerous operettas, musicals, and recitals. Some of these performances include the 1942 Imperial Theater's production of Rosalinda, and the 1945 performance of Mr. Strauss Goes to Boston. In 1958, she performed in an off-Broadway revival of The Boy Friend, portraying Mme. Dubonnet, a role which she reprised the 1970s.

In addition, she performed with the Light Opera of Manhattan and the After-Dinner Opera Company. Beauvais also taught singing, and some contemporary associates of hers included Virgil Thomson, Ned Rorem, and Leonard Bernstein.

Carnegie Hall
Starting in the 1940s, Beauvais resided in the artists' studio above Carnegie Hall, a space she shared with her cats. In the mid-to-late 1950s, Carnegie Hall faced demolition to create space for a skyscraper. Alongside several other resident artists, Beauvais participated in and led acts of protest. They refused to leave the building and stared down the demolition crew. When Carnegie Hall received landmark status and the demolition efforts ceased, an administrative body was founded. In an attempt to evict the resident artists, rent was raised significantly. Beauvais and other artists performed on the steps of Carnegie Hall in operatic and stage costumes to raise attention and pass around petitions to be signed by spectators.

Beauvais was also known to host social gatherings in her studio with other artists, including her annual Bastille Day celebration.