THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Harry Tebbutt as Frederic in children's The Pirates of Penzance

Harry G. Tebbutt (1890-96)

[Born London 1870, died New York 1 Feb 1936]

Harry George Tebbutt first appeared at the Savoy under D'Oyly Carte management as a fourteen-year-old Frederic (December 1884-February 1885) in the children's production of The Pirates of Penzance. He also went on tour as Frederic with the same Company from February through June 1885, and again in August and September.

As an adult, Tebbutt was in the chorus with D'Oyly Carte Opera Company "C" beginning in 1890, and appeared regularly in small tenor parts from July 1892 to July 1895. His roles were Leonard Meryll in The Yeomen of the Guard, Francesco in The Gondoliers, the Defendant in Trial by Jury (from January 1894), and Mr. Box in Cox and Box (from May 1895). He also filled in for leading tenor Richard Clarke as The Duke of Dunstable in Patience (1892-93), Earl Tolloller in Iolanthe (1893), Marco in The Gondoliers (1893), Nanki-Poo in The Mikado (1893-94) and Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance (1893-94).

Tebbutt was succeeded in all his roles by R. A. Swinhoe in July 1895. Later that year he transferred to D'Oyly Carte Opera Company "D," taking a small role (likely Lord Dramaleigh) in Utopia Limited. His only subsequent role with the organization was Doctor Tannhauser in The Grand Duke, also on tour with Company "D," from March to November 1896.

Tebbutt's marriage to fellow D'Oyly Carte chorister Josephine Lesage ended in divorce in 1904. His brother Frank, also a tenor, toured with the Carte organization from 1888 to 1894.

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