THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Annie Pelham (1890)

[Born Coventry 10 Jan 1866, died Havana, Cuba 7 Dec 1917]

The daughter of actor William Frederick Taunton made her first known stage appearance at the Alexandra Theatre in 1880 as "Little Annie Taunton" in a revival of Mr. Howard Paul's comic sketch "Locked Out." Annie's father was better known as Walter Pelham, and Annie eventually took Pelham as her stage name as well.

She later immigrated with her family to Boston where she made occasional stage appearances as a singer, notably with her father and sister Zetema. In 1886 the trio toured briefly with a company known as "The Court Musicians."

In 1890 Annie had her only known D'Oyly Carte engagement, as a chorister in The Gondoliers at New York's Palmer's Theatre. Subsequent New York appearances included Artea in Adonis (Casino, 1893) and Pomona Pippin in Nirvana (NYU Dramatic Club, 1894). As Anna Pelham, she continued to perform on tour for a number of years, appearing until at least 1910, when she was Madame Justine in Fritzi Scheff's The Prima Donna.

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