THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Millie Vere (1879, 1880, 1881, 1883-87)

[Born Bloomsbury, London 21 Jan 1855, died Balham 5 Jul 1931]

Millie Vere (real name Maelia Annie McGee) was both a pianist and vocalist when she first appeared on stage with a female minstrel group, the Blondinette Melodists, from 1874 to 1876. She continued to perform in concerts, pantomime, and burlesque until joining the D'Oyly Carte organization in 1879.

Miss Vere toured with a variety of D'Oyly Carte companies between June 1879 and July 1887. Initially a mezzo-soprano, she appeared with Comedy Opera Company "B," later Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "Second 'Pinafore' Company," and later still Carte's Company "A" as Hebe in H.M.S. Pinafore (June-December 1879 and March-December 1880), Maria in After All (June-December 1879), and Betsy in Four by Honours (January-February 1889); Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "C" Company as Mrs. Liverby in In the Sulks (March-December 1881), and Kate (March-April 1881) and Edith (April-December 1881) in The Pirates of Penzance; Mr. D'Oyly Carte's No. 2 "Iolanthe" Company as Leila (March-October 1883) and Iolanthe (October-December 1883-July 1884); and Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "E" Company as the Lady Angela in Patience and Iolanthe in Iolanthe (both July 1884-May 1885). When "E" Company gave the first provincial production of The Mikado, beginning in May 1885, Miss Vere switched to contralto, playing Katisha for the next two years. She left "E" Company and the D'Oyly Carte organization in July 1887.

Miss Vere had no roles with the D'Oyly Carte organization between December 1879-March 1880, December 1880-March 1881, and December 1881-March 1883. It seems likely that she left the company from time-to-time to work in pantomime.

In 1888 Miss Vere toured as Teresa in the Walter Parke & Antonio Mora comic opera Rhoda. She later appeared in London as Mariana in the one-act operetta The Wooden Spoon (Trafalgar Square, September-November 1892) and as Sarah in the short farce A Laggard in Love (single matinee performance, April 1893). Her subsequent touring roles included Mrs. d'Erskine in the musical comedy The Bicycle Girl (Nottingham and on tour, March-June 1897).

She was reportedly married to D'Oyly Carte tenor Welbye Wallace.

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