Opera Singer. She is probably best remembered for performing the works of Gilbert and Sullivan during the late 1800s. Though little is known of her early years, her professional debut came in 1874 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in Franz von Suppe's "Ten of 'Em". Over the next few years, she was seen at several West End venues in Jacques Offenbach's "Orphee aux Enfers" and "La Chanson de Fortunio", as Rosalinde in Strauss' "Die Fledermaus", and in several lesser-known works. Burville toured America in 1877 as Fatima in Offenbach's "Blue Beard" and as Polly Hopkins in the same composer's "Robinson Crusoe"; back in London in 1878, she was La Duchesse in Charles Lecocq's "Le Petit Duc", then joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company where she was seen in Aubrey and Cellier's "The Spectre Knight", and as Josephine in Gilbert and Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore". After a return to Drury Lane, she re-joined D'Oyly Carte for an 1881-1882 American tour in which she sang Lady Angela in Gilbert and Sullivan's "Patience" and Arabella Lane in Edward Solomon's "Billie Taylor", while London was to see her in 1882 as Fiametta in von Suppe's "Boccaccio". Having had a brief early marriage to singer W.H. Denny, Burville wed conductor and composer John Francis Crook, and was to star as the title lead in his "Merry Mignon". Thru the late 1880s, she gradually reduced her work, appearing mostly away from London; she left the stage in 1893 with Offenbach's "Genevieve de Brabant", and lived out her days in West Sussex.
Opera Singer. She is probably best remembered for performing the works of Gilbert and Sullivan during the late 1800s. Though little is known of her early years, her professional debut came in 1874 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in Franz von Suppe's "Ten of 'Em". Over the next few years, she was seen at several West End venues in Jacques Offenbach's "Orphee aux Enfers" and "La Chanson de Fortunio", as Rosalinde in Strauss' "Die Fledermaus", and in several lesser-known works. Burville toured America in 1877 as Fatima in Offenbach's "Blue Beard" and as Polly Hopkins in the same composer's "Robinson Crusoe"; back in London in 1878, she was La Duchesse in Charles Lecocq's "Le Petit Duc", then joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company where she was seen in Aubrey and Cellier's "The Spectre Knight", and as Josephine in Gilbert and Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore". After a return to Drury Lane, she re-joined D'Oyly Carte for an 1881-1882 American tour in which she sang Lady Angela in Gilbert and Sullivan's "Patience" and Arabella Lane in Edward Solomon's "Billie Taylor", while London was to see her in 1882 as Fiametta in von Suppe's "Boccaccio". Having had a brief early marriage to singer W.H. Denny, Burville wed conductor and composer John Francis Crook, and was to star as the title lead in his "Merry Mignon". Thru the late 1880s, she gradually reduced her work, appearing mostly away from London; she left the stage in 1893 with Offenbach's "Genevieve de Brabant", and lived out her days in West Sussex.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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