THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Sidney Tower as Vandergold in Poor Jonathan

Sidney Tower (1890, 1896)

[Born Marylebone, London 5 Aug 1849, died Regents Park, London 14 Jul 1897]

Sidney Augustine Tower had two engagements as principal tenor on tour with the D'Oyly Carte organization. From August to December 1890 he was Nanki-Poo and Colonel Fairfax with D'Oyly Carte Opera Company "D" in a repertoire consisting solely of The Mikado and The Yeomen of the Guard. His second tour was with D'Oyly Carte Opera Company "B" from January to August 1896. This time his roles were Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore (January-February), Nanki-Poo, Marco in The Gondoliers (January-April), Ernest Dummkopf in The Grand Duke (April-August), and Fairfax (July-August).

Between his D'Oyly Carte adventures, Tower had one role on the London Stage--as Vandergold in the musical comedy Poor Jonathan (Prince of Wales's, June 1893). Poor Jonathan lived up to its name and closed after 14 performances.

Tower was suffering from an unspecified mental illness at the time of his death in 1897. It was ruled a "suicide by carbolic acid poisoning."

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