Mary Costa (born April 5, 1930) is an American actress and soprano. A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, she moved to Glendale, California in 1946 to pursue vocal training at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music while still a high school student. After performing in radio and television programs connected to Edgar Bergen, she was cast as Princess Aurora in the Disney animated film Sleeping Beauty in 1952; a work she spent the next three years recording. The film was not released until 1959, but became the work for which Costa is best known. She also starred in the films Marry Me Again (1953), The Big Caper (1957), and The Great Waltz (1972).
Beginning in 1955 Costa became the co-host of two television programs with William Lundigan, Climax! and Shower of Stars, in which she was featured as the spokeswoman for Chrysler automobile commercials. She continued to co-host these programs through the Spring of 1958; leaving when her career as an opera and concert soprano began to gain traction. She made her professional opera debut as Micaëla in Glynn Ross' staging of Georges Bizet's Carmen at the Redlands Bowl in 1957. This was followed by her first appearance with a major opera organization in 1958 when she appeared in the title role of Il segreto di Susanna at the Glyndebourne Festival.
Costa had an international career as an operatic soprano; performing with major theaters like the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House in London, the Paris Opera, and the San Francisco Opera among other organizations. While she appeared in more than 40 opera roles during her career, she was particularly known for the part of Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata which was her most frequently performed character. She also appeared in concerts with the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra among other symphonies.
After her second marriage in 1981, Costa ceased performing for the next three years. She resumed performing in the 1984-1985 season with vocal problems reported in reviews during that period. She retired from performance after an unsuccessful appearance at the Arizona Opera in 1985 in which she was let go mid-production. She is the last surviving voice actress of the three Disney Princesses created in Walt Disney's lifetime and was named a Disney Legend in 1999. In November 2007 she was inducted into the Knoxville Opera Hall of Fame. She is a recipient of the 2020 National Medal of Arts.
The daughter of John Thomas Costa and Hazel Costa (née Ogg), Mary Demyrtha Costa was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on April 5, 1930. Her middle name, Demyrtha, was invented by her mother by combining the names of Mary's four aunts (her mother's sisters): Diane, Edna, Myrtle, and Bertha. In her growing up years she lived with her parents in Knoxville at a home at 3018 East Fifth Avenue.
Mary's paternal grandfather was born in Italy, and her paternal grandmother was born in Ireland. Her father was a Methodist who was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. He initially worked as an expert draftsman for the Florida state land office. He was later the Southern division manager for the Helme Tobacco Company for 25 years. Mary's mother, Hazel, was born in Knox County in 1892 to American parents of Scottish and Irish ancestry. She grew up in the Fountain City neighborhood of Knoxville. Hazel was Baptist and a member of Knoxville's First Baptist Church (FBC).
Mary's parents married in 1922. She had her earliest singing experiences at FBC, and attended Park City Lowry School for her primary school education where she participated in school plays. She began piano studies at the age of eight with Mrs. Hans Schroeder. She continued her education at McCampbell School when she entered the sixth grade. There she played piano to accompany school theatrics.
From 7th through 9th grade Mary attended Christenberry Junior High School (CJHS) where she was active in the school music and drama programs. During World War II, she was a member of the Girl Reserves of the Y.W.C.A. and was involved in selling war bonds as a volunteer with this group. The Girl Reserves was one of the school clubs at Christenberry. She sang Gounod's "Ave Maria" at a 1942 Christmas event at CJHS sponsored by the Girl Reserves. She was also featured as a soloist in school choir concerts at CJHS, and was a member of the Christenberry Glee Club led by music teacher Mary E. Stevenson.
Costa studied singing privately in Knoxville with Mrs. Bruce Hamilton, and was a piano student of Mrs. Dale Waufford Ogg. By 1945 she was singing as a soloist at local public events such as weddings; sometimes with her mother as her accompanist. That year she entered the 10th grade at Knoxville High School where she was a member of the glee club under the direction of Edward H. Hamilton. She also sang under Hamilton's music direction as a member of the choir at FBC.
In 1946 the Costa family relocated to Glendale, California. They made the move so that Mary could receive better musical training. She became a student at Glendale High School (GHS) in her junior year. In March 1947 she portrayed the leading soprano role in GHS's production of Gustav Luders's operetta The Prince of Pilsen. During her senior year at GHS, her father died on December 13, 1947 at the age of 71. She won a Music Sorority Award as the outstanding voice among Southern California high school seniors.
While attending GHS, Costa concurrently studied at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music (now the California Institute of the Arts) from which she graduated. After high school she majored in music at Los Angeles City College. Her teachers in Los Angeles included opera conductor Adolf Heller, composer Gastone Usigli, voice teacher Beatrice Borbridge, and language teacher Egeria Amato (wife of Pasquale Amato). She also studied opera repertoire in L.A. with vocal coaches Mario Chamlee and Ernest St. John Metz.
Early career, first marriage, and Sleeping Beauty
Between 1948 and 1951, Costa made several guest appearances with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy on The Chase and Sanborn Hour. She also sang with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in concerts at UCLA, and made numerous commercials for Lux Radio Theatre. While singing with the choir at First Baptist Church of Glendale (FBCG), she was scouted by Hollywood talent agent Ben Medford in 1952. Medford took her to audition for film director Frank Tashlin who was impressed by Costa's talent
Tahslin arranged for Costa to meet film and television composer Walter Schumann at a party. Impressed with her singing at this party, Schumann brought Costa to the attention of Walt Disney who he knew was in the process of casting Sleeping Beauty. She successfully auditioned for the film at Walt Disney Studios and was cast in the role of Princess Aurora. Walt called her personally within hours of the audition to inform her that the part was hers. Not long after Tashlin proposed marriage to Costa, and their engagement was announced in October 1952. They married at FBCG on June 30, 1953. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1966.
Costa spent three years (1952-1955) recording the music and speaking parts for Sleeping Beauty which was not released until years later in 1959. The movie was a hit. While she had other successes in her career, this film is the work for which she is best known. She made her film debut earlier as Joan in Marry Me Again (1953); a RKO film directed by Tashlin. She also starred in a television pilot for the sitcom Oops, It's Daisy which co-starred Helen Halpin and was produced by Tashlin. The pilot aired on August 19, 1953 on KNBH. She starred opposite Willard Waterman in the original pilot for The Great Gildersleeve which was broadcast in December 1954; although other contractual obligations prevented her from remaining with the program when it was picked up for series the following year.
Beginning in 1955 Costa served as the regular co-host of two television series with William Lundigan: Climax! and Shower of Stars; both of which featured Costa voicing Chrysler automobile commercials. She was occasionally featured as a singer on these shows; including duets with Jack Benny and Oreste Kirkop in early 1956. She continued to host these programs until the end of the Spring 1958 television season; leaving as her singing career began to take off. She also starred opposite Rory Calhoun in the 1957 film noir crime drama The Big Caper which was released by United Artists.