Louie René
Encyclopedia
Louie René was an English singer and actress best remembered for her performances with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
in the Gilbert and Sullivan
contralto
roles at the turn of the 20th century.
René performed with D'Oyly Carte touring companies from 1894 to 1903, except for one year, playing the principal contralto roles of the Savoy opera
s. For most of the period between 1906 and 1914, both in London and on tour, she served as the company's principal contralto, playing the roles of Little Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore
, Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance
and Katisha in The Mikado
, among others. After this, she pursued a career in Edwardian musical comedy
.
. The Era
commented that she "sings and plays Ultrice in admirable style". She joined a D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
touring company in March 1894, immediately playing the principal role of Lady Sophy in Utopia, Limited
. The Era commented, "Miss Louie René is seen to great advantage as Lady Sophy." In December of that year, she began to play the role of Little Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore
, on tour, as well as Lady Sophy.
René continued to tour with D'Oyly Carte until December 1901, playing all the principal Gilbert and Sullivan
contralto roles in repertory, as well as the Marquise de Montigny in Mirette
(1895), Inez de Roxas in The Chieftain
(1895), Lazuli in The Lucky Star
(1899), Lady Vernon in Haddon Hall
(1899), Dancing Sunbeam in The Rose of Persia
(1900–1901), and the Countess of Newtown in The Emerald Isle
(1901). Her Savoy opera
roles were Sophy, Buttercup, the Lady Jane in Patience
, the Duchess of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers
, Katisha in The Mikado
, Baroness von Krakenfeldt in The Grand Duke
, Lady Sangazure in The Sorcerer
, and Dame Carruthers in The Yeomen of the Guard
. An 1896 review said, "The singing of Miss Louie René as Katisha was most enjoyable". During 1902 René did other work but again toured with D'Oyly Carte in 1903, playing Little Buttercup, Katisha, Dame Carruthers and the Duchess of Plaza-Toro. After this, she was absent from the company for three years.
During the company's 1906–07 and 1908–09 London repertory seasons, René returned to the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company to perform at the Savoy Theatre
, playing all the lead Gilbert and Sullivan contralto roles, including Dame Carruthers, the Duchess of Plaza Toro, Jane, and the Fairy Queen in Iolanthe
, in the first season, and Katisha, Little Buttercup, the Fairy Queen, Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance
, the Duchess of Plaza Toro and Dame Carruthers in the second. The Times
was not impressed by René, writing: "Miss Louie René makes a better Buttercup than was to be expected from her previous performances." Other reviews also expressed only modified rapture: The Penny Illustrated Paper, said, "As Katisha ... Miss Louie René sings and acts well, though, at times, she seems a trifle lacking in humour." The Observer
commented that she performed "adequately, though without any particular distinction."
, until December 1914. After this, she left the company for the last time (succeeded in her roles by Bertha Lewis
) and pursued a career in Edwardian musical comedy
. Among other productions, she appeared in Mark Blow's musical comedies Trouville and Toto, in 1919, and in a revival of A Waltz Dream late in her career.
Her brother-in-law was fellow D'Oyly Carte artiste Scott Russell
.
René died in Malvern
in 1955, aged about 83.
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was a professional light opera company that staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. The company performed nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere, from the 1870s until it closed in 1982. It was revived in 1988 and...
in the Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
contralto
Contralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
roles at the turn of the 20th century.
René performed with D'Oyly Carte touring companies from 1894 to 1903, except for one year, playing the principal contralto roles of the Savoy opera
Savoy opera
The Savoy Operas denote a style of comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late 19th century, with W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan as the original and most successful practitioners. The name is derived from the Savoy Theatre, which impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte built to house...
s. For most of the period between 1906 and 1914, both in London and on tour, she served as the company's principal contralto, playing the roles of Little Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
, Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
and Katisha in The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
, among others. After this, she pursued a career in Edwardian musical comedy
Edwardian Musical Comedy
Edwardian musical comedies were British musical theatre shows from the period between the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the American musicals by Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, George Gershwin and Cole Porter following World War I.Between...
.
Early life and career
Born in London, René appeared in 1892–93 with a touring company in The Mountebanks by W. S. GilbertW. S. Gilbert
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan, of which the most famous include H.M.S...
. The Era
The Era (newspaper)
The Era was a British weekly paper, published from 1838 to 1939. Originally a general newspaper, it became noted for its sports coverage, and later for its theatrical content.-History:...
commented that she "sings and plays Ultrice in admirable style". She joined a D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was a professional light opera company that staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. The company performed nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere, from the 1870s until it closed in 1982. It was revived in 1988 and...
touring company in March 1894, immediately playing the principal role of Lady Sophy in Utopia, Limited
Utopia, Limited
Utopia, Limited; or, The Flowers of Progress, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was the second-to-last of Gilbert and Sullivan's fourteen collaborations, premiering on 7 October 1893 for a run of 245 performances...
. The Era commented, "Miss Louie René is seen to great advantage as Lady Sophy." In December of that year, she began to play the role of Little Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
, on tour, as well as Lady Sophy.
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
contralto roles in repertory, as well as the Marquise de Montigny in Mirette
Mirette
Mirette can refer to:*A 19th century comic opera, Mirette ;*A children's book called Mirette on the High Wire; and*A musical by Harvey Schmidt, Mirette , based on the children's book....
(1895), Inez de Roxas in The Chieftain
The Chieftain
The Chieftain is a two-act comic opera by Arthur Sullivan and F. C. Burnand based on their 1867 opera, The Contrabandista. It consists of substantially the same first act as the 1867 work with a completely new second act...
(1895), Lazuli in The Lucky Star
The Lucky Star
The Lucky Star is an English comic opera, in three acts, composed by Ivan Caryll, with dialogue by Charles H. Brookfield and lyrics by Adrian Ross and Aubrey Hopwood...
(1899), Lady Vernon in Haddon Hall
Haddon Hall (opera)
Haddon Hall is an English light opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by Sydney Grundy. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on September 24, 1892 for a modestly successful run of 204 performances...
(1899), Dancing Sunbeam in The Rose of Persia
The Rose of Persia
The Rose of Persia; or, The Story-Teller and the Slave, is a two-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by Basil Hood. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 29 November 1899, closing on 28 June 1900 after a profitable run of 211 performances...
(1900–1901), and the Countess of Newtown in The Emerald Isle
The Emerald Isle
The Emerald Isle; or, The Caves of Carrig-Cleena, is a two-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and Edward German, and a libretto by Basil Hood. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 27 April 1901, closing on 9 November 1901 after a run of 205 performances...
(1901). Her Savoy opera
Savoy opera
The Savoy Operas denote a style of comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late 19th century, with W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan as the original and most successful practitioners. The name is derived from the Savoy Theatre, which impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte built to house...
roles were Sophy, Buttercup, the Lady Jane in Patience
Patience (opera)
Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride, is a comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. First performed at the Opera Comique, London, on 23 April 1881, it moved to the 1,292-seat Savoy Theatre on 10 October 1881, where it was the first theatrical production in the...
, the Duchess of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers
The Gondoliers
The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances , closing on 30 June 1891...
, Katisha in The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
, Baroness von Krakenfeldt in The Grand Duke
The Grand Duke
The Grand Duke; or, The Statutory Duel, is the final Savoy Opera written by librettist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, their fourteenth and last opera together. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on March 7, 1896, and ran for 123 performances...
, Lady Sangazure in The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot of The Sorcerer is based on a Christmas story, An Elixir of Love, that Gilbert wrote for The Graphic magazine in 1876...
, and Dame Carruthers in The Yeomen of the Guard
The Yeomen of the Guard
The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888, and ran for 423 performances...
. An 1896 review said, "The singing of Miss Louie René as Katisha was most enjoyable". During 1902 René did other work but again toured with D'Oyly Carte in 1903, playing Little Buttercup, Katisha, Dame Carruthers and the Duchess of Plaza-Toro. After this, she was absent from the company for three years.
During the company's 1906–07 and 1908–09 London repertory seasons, René returned to the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company to perform at the Savoy Theatre
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre located in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre opened on 10 October 1881 and was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte on the site of the old Savoy Palace as a showcase for the popular series of comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan,...
, playing all the lead Gilbert and Sullivan contralto roles, including Dame Carruthers, the Duchess of Plaza Toro, Jane, and the Fairy Queen in Iolanthe
Iolanthe
Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh collaboration of the fourteen between Gilbert and Sullivan....
, in the first season, and Katisha, Little Buttercup, the Fairy Queen, Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
, the Duchess of Plaza Toro and Dame Carruthers in the second. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
was not impressed by René, writing: "Miss Louie René makes a better Buttercup than was to be expected from her previous performances." Other reviews also expressed only modified rapture: The Penny Illustrated Paper, said, "As Katisha ... Miss Louie René sings and acts well, though, at times, she seems a trifle lacking in humour." The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
commented that she performed "adequately, though without any particular distinction."
Later years
René left D'Oyly Carte again for a year, rejoining on tour in March 1910. During this time, she appeared in her old roles, as well as in the part of Lady Blanche in Princess IdaPrincess Ida
Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was their eighth operatic collaboration of fourteen. Princess Ida opened at the Savoy Theatre on January 5, 1884, for a run of 246 performances...
, until December 1914. After this, she left the company for the last time (succeeded in her roles by Bertha Lewis
Bertha Lewis
Bertha Lewis was an English opera singer and actress primarily known for her work as principal contralto in the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.-Early life and career:...
) and pursued a career in Edwardian musical comedy
Edwardian Musical Comedy
Edwardian musical comedies were British musical theatre shows from the period between the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the American musicals by Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, George Gershwin and Cole Porter following World War I.Between...
. Among other productions, she appeared in Mark Blow's musical comedies Trouville and Toto, in 1919, and in a revival of A Waltz Dream late in her career.
Her brother-in-law was fellow D'Oyly Carte artiste Scott Russell
Scott Russell (actor)
Harry Henry Russell, better known as Scott Russell , was an English singer, actor and theatre manager best known for his performances in the tenor roles with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company...
.
René died in Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
in 1955, aged about 83.