Alfred Klein

Alfred Asher Klein (May 12, 1861 – February 21, 1904) was an English-born actor, singer, and comedian who performed in operettas and musical theatre productions in the United States during the late nineteenth century. Born in Norwich, England, Klein emigrated to America as a young man and built a stage career that spanned Broadway from 1883 to 1899.

Klein came from a notably artistic family. Among his five brothers were the dramatist Charles Klein, the composer Manuel Klein, the music critic Herman Klein, and the violinist Max Klein, along with a brother named Philip. The family also included a sister, Adelaide. Klein's own early stage appearances preceded his Broadway work, among them a juvenile production of H.M.S. Pinafore in 1879 in which he played Sir Joseph, and a role with the traveling company of Only a Farmer's Daughter around 1881.

Small in stature, Klein made his Broadway debut in 1883 in The Rajah, where he played the role of Buttons — a part that required him to fall into a tank of water during the third act. His subsequent Broadway credits included the musical Wang, in which he appeared alongside DeWolf Hopper in 1891 playing the role of Pepat, and the operetta El Capitan in 1896, where he portrayed Señor Amabile Pozzo. Additional Broadway productions in which Klein appeared included Dr. Syntax, The Charlatan, and The Girl from Maxim's, among others.

Klein died on February 21, 1904, in Amityville, New York, following a three-year illness. He was survived by his wife and two children.