THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Rita Presano

Rita Presano (1882)

[Born London 1865, died Brighton, Sussex 18 Sep 1935]

Rita Presano was born Margaret Tacagni. She toured with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's Opera Company as Dolly in Claude Duval, January-March 1882. From March to December 1882, she was with Carte's No. 1 "Patience" Company, as Lady Ella. She also appeared in the companion piece Mock Turtles, probably as Mrs. Wranglebury, and filled in briefly in August for Ethel Pierson as Patience.

Miss Presano later toured with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, appearing as Eskimone in their first performance of Meyerbeer's L'Etoile du Nord at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool in 1889. She ultimately appeared on the London Stage in the Drury Lane pantomimes The Forty Thieves (1898-99) and Jack and the Beanstalk (1899-1900), and in the musical play The Belle of Bond Street (Adelphi, 1914). Her post-D'Oyly Carte career can be traced at least until 1918 when she performed on tour in Violette.

Rita Presano was one of eight siblings who were involved with the D'Oyly Carte organization. Her brother Louis (Luigi) toured in Patience in 1883; her brother Paul toured as a chorister in Princess Ida in 1885 and Ruddigore in 1887; and her sister Maria was a chorister with Carte's "D" Company in 1890. The other four (Rocco, Lozenzo, Anthony, and Benedict) appeared at the Opera Comique or on tour in 1880-81 with the Children's H.M.S. Pinafore Company.

P-Q Index  |  "Who Was Who" Homepage