George Musgrove (21 January 1854 – 21 January 1916) was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
-born
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n
theatre producer
A theatrical producer is a person who oversees all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The producer is responsible for the overall financial and managerial functions of a production or venue, raises or provides financial backing, and hires ...
.
Early life
Musgrove was born at
Surbiton
Surbiton is a suburban neighbourhood in South West London, within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (RBK). It is next to the River Thames, southwest of Charing Cross. Surbiton was in the historic county of Surrey and since 1965 it has ...
, England, the son of Thomas John Watson Musgrove, an
accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy.
Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certifi ...
, and his wife, Fanny Hodson, an actress and sister of Georgiana Rosa Hodson who married
William Saurin Lyster
William Saurin Lyster (21 March 1828 – 27 November 1880), often referred to as W. Saurin Lyster, was an impresario, active in Australia.
Early life
Lyster was born in Dublin, Ireland, the third son of Chaworth Lyster, a captain in the army, ...
. Fanny's brother was composer, singer and comedian George Alfred Hodson, the father of
Henrietta Hodson
Henrietta Hodson (26 March 1841 – 30 October 1910) was an English actress and theatre manager best known for her portrayal of comedy roles in the Victorian era. She had a long affair with the journalist-turned-politician Henry Labouchère, ...
, a well known
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
actress, who married
Henry Labouchère
Henry Du Pré Labouchère (9 November 1831 – 15 January 1912) was an English politician, writer, publisher and theatre owner in the Victorian era, Victorian and Edwardian eras. He is now most remembered for the Labouchere Amendment, Labouchè ...
.
Musgrove was brought to Australia by his parents in January 1863 when he was nine years old. He was educated at the Flinders School,
Geelong
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
, and on leaving school was given a position as treasurer by Lyster.
[ Musgrave married Emily Fisk Knight at All Saints Church, St Kilda, on 1 August 1874.][
]
Opera and theatre career
Musgrove visited England in 1879, a time when 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 ...
had commenced their operas.[ At the end of 1880, Musgrove produced '']La fille du tambour-major
''La fille du tambour-major'' (''The Drum Major's Daughter'') is an opéra comique in three acts, with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Alfred Duru and Henri Chivot. It was one of the composer's last works, premiered less than a year befor ...
'' at the Opera House, Melbourne, which had a record run of 101 nights. This success led the young producer to join a partnership with J. C. Williamson and Arthur Garner
Arthur Garner (born 8 February 1851) was a theatrical entrepreneur, active in Australia. He was part of the partnership often dubbed "the Triumvirate" at the time, Williamson, Garner, & Musgrove, between 1881 and 1890.
Background
Garner was bo ...
. They formed the Williamson, Garner and Musgrove
James Cassius Williamson (26 August 1845 – 6 July 1913) was an American actor and later Australia's foremost impresario, founding the J. C. Williamson's theatrical and production company.
Born in Pennsylvania, Williamson moved with his fami ...
company in July 1882 when they became joint lessees of the Theatre Royal, Melbourne
The Theatre Royal was one of the premier theatres for nearly 80 years in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 1855 to 1932. It was located at what is now 236 Bourke Street, once the heart of the city's theatre and entertainment distri ...
and Theatre Royal, Sydney
Theatre Royal Sydney is a theatre in Sydney, Australia built in 1976 and has offered a broad range of entertainment since the 1990s. The theatre reopened in December 2021 under parent company Trafalgar Entertainment with patrons now able to book ...
. The partnership split in March 1890 following Williamson and Musgrove falling out.
Williamson and Garner continued to run the Theatre Royal and Princess Theatre in Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, and Musgrove taking control of the Theatre Royal in Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. Musgrove managed a successful season of ''Paul Jones'' with Marion Burton and Nellie Stewart
Nellie Stewart, born Eleanor Stewart Towzey (20 November 1858 – 21 June 1931) was an Australian actress and singer, known as "Our Nell" and "Sweet Nell".
Born into a theatrical family, Stewart began acting as a child. As a young woman, she ...
in the leading parts. At the end of 1892, Williamson and Musgrove went into partnership again[ with the pantomime ''Little Red Riding Hood'', which opened a new "]Lyceum
The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Generally in that type of school the th ...
" theatre on Pitt Street, Sydney
Pitt Street is a major street in the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. The street runs through the entire city centre from Circular Quay in the north to Waterloo, although today's street is in two disjointed sect ...
. The combination continued for about seven years, Musgrove living much of the time in London. In 1898 he brought a complete American company to the Shaftesbury Theatre
The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue.
History
The theatre was d ...
, London, to play '' The Belle of New York'', which had an enormous success.[
In 1900 Musgrove took a grand opera company to Australia, consisting mainly of artists from the ]Carl Rosa Opera Company
The Carl Rosa Opera Company was founded in 1873 by Carl Rosa, a German-born musical impresario, and his wife, British operatic soprano Euphrosyne Parepa-Rosa to present opera in English in London and the British provinces. The company premiere ...
with Gustave Slapoffski
Gustave Slapoffski (20 August 1862 – 3 August 1951) was an English musician who performed as a violinist and conductor in Britain for two decades, followed by a conducting and film scoring career in Australia over the next three decades.
T ...
as the conductor, which performed ''Tannhäuser
Tannhäuser (; gmh, Tanhûser), often stylized, "The Tannhäuser," was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and 1 ...
'', ''The Flying Dutchman
The ''Flying Dutchman'' ( nl, De Vliegende Hollander) is a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the seven seas forever. The myth is likely to have originated from the 17th-century Golden Age of the Dut ...
'' and many other well-known operas. In 1903 he was responsible for acclaimed productions of Shakespeare, played in several cities in Australia, including ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will
''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...
'', ''As You Like It
''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...
'', and ''A Midsummer Night's Dream
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
''. Also in 1902–03, he presented Nellie Melba
Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic dramatic coloratura soprano (three octaves). She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early 20th century, ...
in her first and most successful concert tour of Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, managed by Thomas P. Hudson.
In 1907 Musgrove produced a German grand opera company that introduced ''Die Walküre
(; ''The Valkyrie''), WWV 86B, is the second of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the National Theatre Munich on ...
'' (The Valkyrie), ''Romeo and Juliet
''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
'' and '' Hänsel und Gretel'' to the Australian public, again under the baton of Gustave Slapoffski
Gustave Slapoffski (20 August 1862 – 3 August 1951) was an English musician who performed as a violinist and conductor in Britain for two decades, followed by a conducting and film scoring career in Australia over the next three decades.
T ...
. Another opera season in 1909 was less successful. In his last years, Musgrove suffered from financial worries and poor health. In late 1914 Musgrove produced David Belasco
David Belasco (July 25, 1853 – May 14, 1931) was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director, and playwright. He was the first writer to adapt the short story ''Madame Butterfly'' for the stage. He launched the theatrical career of m ...
's play ''Du Barry'' in Melbourne with his lover Nellie Stewart
Nellie Stewart, born Eleanor Stewart Towzey (20 November 1858 – 21 June 1931) was an Australian actress and singer, known as "Our Nell" and "Sweet Nell".
Born into a theatrical family, Stewart began acting as a child. As a young woman, she ...
in the title role as well as his daughter Nancye Stewart as Marie Antoinette, age 16. Musgrove died suddenly at his home in Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
on 21 January 1916, his sixty-second birthday.[
]
Personality and family
Musgrove could be brusque but was known as a kind-hearted, considerate employer of his artistes.[ He was reputed to value artistic quality over profitability.][
Musgrove's marriage produced two daughters, Emily Musgrove and Rose Musgrove, an actress in comedies and ]Edwardian musical comedies
Edwardian musical comedy was a form of British musical theatre that extended beyond the reign of King Edward VII in both directions, beginning in the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the A ...
. His eldest daughter, Lily Musgrove, married Melbourne barrister Casimir Zichy-Woinarski in 1898.
His third daughter, Nancye Doris Stewart, was also known as Nancye Doris Lynton, (1893–1973), the child of his lover, actress and singer Nellie Stewart
Nellie Stewart, born Eleanor Stewart Towzey (20 November 1858 – 21 June 1931) was an Australian actress and singer, known as "Our Nell" and "Sweet Nell".
Born into a theatrical family, Stewart began acting as a child. As a young woman, she ...
.
His brother Harry Musgrove (c. 1861 – 2 November 1931) was also involved in theatre management. He had two sons, Harry and Victor, and a daughter, actress Georgie Musgrove.
Harry George Musgrove (c. 1883 – 27 April 1951) who, with E. J. Carroll
Edward John Carroll (28 June 1874 - 28 July 1931), better known as E.J. Carroll, was an Australian theatre and film entrepreneur. He produced several films of Snowy Baker and Raymond Longford and helped establish Birch, Carroll and Coyle. Difficu ...
and Dan Carroll, founded the magnificent Prince Edward Theatre
The Prince Edward Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster, London.
History
The theatre was designed in 1930 by Edward A. Stone, with an interior designed by Ma ...
on Castlereagh Street, Sydney
Castlereagh Street is a major street located in the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. The street runs in a north-to-south, in a one way direction only.
Description
Castlereagh Street's northern terminus is at the ...
, later bankrupt.
Legacy
Musgrove Opera, an opera company
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
which bears his name, was founded in Sydney in 2018. The company debuted at the Zenith Theatre, Chatswood with a production of ''"Pinocchio!"'' which subsequently toured to South Coast NSW. More recently, the company has performed a series of concerts in the Utzon Room at the Sydney Opera House. Australian conductor Lachlan Massey acts as its founding Artistic Director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Musgrove, George
1854 births
1916 deaths
Australian theatre managers and producers
English emigrants to colonial Australia
19th-century Australian businesspeople