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Viola Tait
Viola Wilson (1 November 1911 – 6 February 2002) was a Scottish singer, the leading soprano for J. C. Williamson's Gilbert and Sullivan company in Australia during World War II. She married the widowed theatre businessman Frank S. Tait, later Sir Frank. History Wilson was born Violet Wilson Hogg in Pressburg, Austria/Hungary, youngest daughter of Violet Hogg and Gavin Hogg of Paisley, Scotland. She trained as a pianist, then studied singing at the Glasgow Royal Academy; Father Sydney MacEwan was a fellow-student. She joined the Carl Rosa Opera Company, touring South Africa, and played Gilbert and Sullivan (G.& S.) with D'Oyly Carte in London and on Broadway. In 1940 she was brought out to Australia by J. C. Williamson's as leading soprano for their G.& S. company. They opened on 16 March 1940 at the Theatre Royal, Sydney with '' The Gondoliers'', in which Wilson's (as Casilda) rendition of "There Was a Time" was praised. '' The Yeomen of the Guard'' (as Elsie) followed, th ...
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Gilbert And Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ''H.M.S. Pinafore'', ''The Pirates of Penzance'' and ''The Mikado'' are among the best known.Davis, Peter G''Smooth Sailing'' ''New York'' magazine, 21 January 2002, accessed 6 November 2007 Gilbert, who wrote the libretti for these operas, created fanciful "topsy-turvy" worlds where each absurdity is taken to its logical conclusion; fairies rub elbows with British lords, flirting is a capital offence, gondoliers ascend to the monarchy, and pirates emerge as noblemen who have gone astray.Mike Leigh, Leigh, Mike"True anarchists" ''The Guardian'', 4 November 2007, accessed 6 November 2007 Sullivan, six years Gilbert's junior, composed the music, contributing memorable melodies that could convey both humour and pathos. Their operas have enj ...
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The Mikado
''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, where it ran at the Savoy Theatre for 672 performances, the second-longest run for any work of musical theatre and one of the longest runs of any theatre piece up to that time.The longest-running piece of musical theatre was the operetta ''Les Cloches de Corneville'', which held the title until ''Dorothy (opera), Dorothy'' opened in 1886, which pushed ''The Mikado'' down to third place. By the end of 1885, it was estimated that, in Europe and America, at least 150 companies were producing the opera.H. L. Mencken, Mencken, H. L.]Article on ''The Mikado'', ''Baltimore Evening Sun'', 29 November 1910 ''The Mikado'' is the most internationally successful Savoy opera and has been especially popular with amateur and school productions. The work has ...
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The Sun (Sydney)
''The Sun'' was an Australian afternoon tabloid newspaper, first published under that name in 1910. History ''The Sunday Sun'' was first published on 5 April 1903. In 1910 Hugh Denison founded Sun Newspaper Ltd and took over publication of the old and ailing and ''Australian Star'' and its sister ''Sunday Sun'', appointing Monty Grover as editor-in-chief. The ''Star'' became ''The Sun'', and the ''Sunday Sun'' became ''The Sun: Sunday edition'' on 11 December 1910. According to its claim, below the masthead of that issue, it had a "circulation larger than that of any other Sunday paper in Australia". Denison sold the business in 1925. In 1953, The Sun was acquired from Associated Newspapers by Fairfax Holdings in Sydney, Australia, as the afternoon companion to ''The Sydney Morning Herald''. At the same time, the former Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Sun'', was discontinued and merged with the ''Sunday Herald'' into the tabloid '' Sun-Herald''. Publication of ''The Sun'' ...
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Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The city has a rich Scottish, Chinese and Māori heritage. With an estimated population of as of , Dunedin is both New Zealand's seventh-most populous metro and urban area. For historic, cultural and geographic reasons the city has long been considered one of New Zealand's four main centres. The urban area of Dunedin lies on the central-eastern coast of Otago, surrounding the head of Otago Harbour, and the harbour and hills around Dunedin are the remnants of an extinct volcano. The city suburbs extend out into the surrounding valleys and hills, onto the isthmus of the Otago Peninsula, and along the shores of the Otago Harbour and the Pacific Ocean. Archaeological evidence points to lengthy occupation of the area by Māori prior to the ar ...
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The Telegraph (Brisbane)
The ''Telegraph'' was an evening newspaper published in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was first published on 1 October 1872 and its final edition appeared on 5 February 1988. In its day it was recognised as one of the best news pictorial newspapers in the country.Daily Sun, Saturday, 6 February 1988 Its Pink Sports edition (printed distinctively on pink newsprint and sold on Brisbane streets from about 6 pm on Saturdays) was a particularly excellent production produced under tight deadlines. It included results and pictures of Brisbane's Saturday afternoon sports including the results of the last horse race of the day. History In 1871 a group of local businessmen, Robert Armour, John Killeen Handy (M.L.A. for Brisbane), John Warde, John Burns, J. D. Heale and J. K. Buchanan formed the Telegraph Newspaper Co. Ltd. The editor was Theophilus Parsons Pugh, a former editor of the ''Brisbane Courier'' and founder of ''Pugh's Almanac''.Queensland Press Limited history report 19 ...
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Lilac Time (operetta)
Lilac Time may refer to: * ''Lilac Time'' (operetta) or ''Das Dreimäderlhaus'', a 1922 operetta * ''Lilac Time'' (film), a 1928 American silent romantic war film *''Lilac Time'', a 1917 play by Jane Cowl and Jane Murfin; basis for the film *The Lilac Time, a British alternative rock band ** ''The Lilac Time'' (album), a 1987 album by the band *''The Lilac Time'', a 2008 album by Pelle Carlberg See also *" Jeannine, I Dream of Lilac Time", theme song for the 1928 film *Lilac Time in Lombard, an annual festival in Lombard, Illinois Lombard is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. The population was 43,165 at the 2010 census. The United States Census Bureau estimated the population in 2019 to be 44,303. History Originally part of ...
, US {{Disambiguation ...
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Maritana
''Maritana'' is a three-act opera including both spoken dialogue and some recitatives, composed by William Vincent Wallace, with a libretto by Edward Fitzball (1792–1873). The opera is based on the 1844 French play ''Don César de Bazan'' by Adolphe d'Ennery and Philippe François Pinel (Dumanoir), which was also the source material for Jules Massenet's opéra comique ''Don César de Bazan'' (the character of Don César de Bazan first appeared in Victor Hugo's ''Ruy Blas''). The opera premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 15 November 1845. The first of six operas by Wallace, the work is often cited as an inspiration for a plot device in Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera ''The Yeomen of the Guard'' in which a man weds a woman while awaiting execution in prison, escapes and, while he is disguised, the couple fall in love. Performance history ''Maritana'' was first produced at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane under Alfred Bunn's management on 15 November 1845, conducted fi ...
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William Vincent Wallace
William Vincent Wallace (11 March 1812 – 12 October 1865) was an Irish composer and pianist. In his day, he was famous on three continents as a double virtuoso on violin and piano. Nowadays, he is mainly remembered as an opera composer of note, with key works such as ''Maritana'' (1845) and '' Lurline'' (1847/60), but he also wrote a large amount of piano music (including some virtuoso pieces) that was much in vogue in the 19th century. His more modest output of songs and ballads, equally wide-ranging in style and difficulty, was also popular in his day, some numbers being associated with famous singers of the time. Early life Wallace was born at Colbeck Street, Waterford, Ireland. Both of his parents were Irish; his father, Spencer Wallace of County Mayo, one of four children, who was born in Killala, County Mayo in 1789, became a regimental bandmaster with the North Mayo Militia based in Ballina. William was born while the regiment was stationed for one year in Waterfo ...
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The Bohemian Girl
''The Bohemian Girl'' is an Irish Romantic opera composed by Michael William Balfe with a libretto by Alfred Bunn. The plot is loosely based on a Miguel de Cervantes' tale, ''La Gitanilla''. The best-known aria from the piece is "I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls" in which the main character, Arline, describes her vague memories of her childhood. It has been recorded by many artists, most famously by Dame Joan Sutherland, and also by the Norwegian soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø and Irish singer Enya. Performance history The opera was first produced in London at the Drury Lane Theatre on 27 November 1843. The production ran for more than 100 nights and enjoyed many revivals worldwide including: New York City (25 November 1844), Dublin (1844) and Philadelphia (1844).Loewenberg, columns 832-833. Loewenberg's listing of a production in Madrid on 9 April 1845 in an Italian translation by R. Paderni is evidently incorrect. No such performance can be traced, and D'Erme (see Sources) demonst ...
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Michael William Balfe
Michael William Balfe (15 May 1808 – 20 October 1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas, especially ''The Bohemian Girl''. After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to compose. In a career spanning more than 40 years, he composed at least 29 operas, almost 250 songs, several cantatas and other works. He was also a noted conductor, directing Italian Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre for seven years, among other conducting posts. Biography Early life and career Balfe was born in Dublin, where his musical gifts became apparent at an early age. He received instruction from his father, a dancing master and violinist, and the composer William Rooke. His family moved to Wexford when he was a child. Between 1814 and 1815, Balfe played the violin for his father's dancing-classes, and at the age of seven composed a polacca. In 1817, he appeared as a violinist in public, and in this year composed a ballad, first cal ...
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The Argus (Melbourne)
''The Argus'' was an Australian daily morning newspaper in Melbourne from 2 June 1846 to 19 January 1957, and was considered to be the general Australian newspaper of record for this period. Widely known as a conservative newspaper for most of its history, it adopted a left-leaning approach from 1949. ''The Argus''s main competitor was David Syme's more liberal-minded newspaper, ''The Age''. History The newspaper was originally owned by William Kerr, who was also Melbourne's town clerk from 1851–1856 and had been a journalist at the ''Sydney Gazette'' before moving to Melbourne in 1839 to work on John Pascoe Fawkner's newspaper, the '' Port Phillip Patriot''. The first edition was published on 2 June 1846. The paper soon became known for its scurrilous abuse and sarcasm, and by 1853, after he had lost a series of libel lawsuits, Kerr was forced to sell the paper's ownership to avoid financial ruin. The paper was then published by Edward Wilson. By 1855, it had a daily c ...
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Frank Tait
Frank Samuel Tait (12 November 1883 – 23 August 1965) was an Australian theatre entrepreneur, managing director of J. C. Williamson's. He was the youngest of five Tait brothers, well known in Australia as show-business entrepreneurs and managers. History Tait was born on 12 November 1883 in Richmond, Victoria, the youngest son of John Turnbull Tait (1830–1902), who in 1862 emigrated from Scotland to Victoria, Australia, where he married Sarah Victoria Leeming (c. 1837 – 9 August 1923). They had children in Castlemaine, and one, Frank Samuel, in Melbourne. Tait attended Richmond State School and Melbourne Church of England Grammar School. He became general manager of J. C. Williamson Theatres in 1914. In February 1921 J. C. Williamson's Ltd created an additional 75,000 shares in the company, issued to the brothers John Henry Tait, Edward Joseph Tait, James Nevin Tait, and Frank Samuel Tait, trading as "J & N Tait", for £1 each. Tait was appointed a director of JCW around t ...
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