THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

James A. Furey (1881, 1882)

[Born Brooklyn, New York c.1845, died Brooklyn, New York 18 Apr 1922]

Baritone James A. Furey appeared in the chorus with one of two R. D'Oyly Carte and E. E. Rice Opera Companies playing Billee Taylor in America in the spring of 1881. His name appears in the programme for a benefit matinee put on by the combined companies in New York for Helen Lenoir, May 19, 1881.

In March and April 1882 he played Captain Harleigh in Claude Duval when it was produced under D'Oyly Carte management at New York's Standard Theatre. He later appeared at the same theatre as Palomez in a D'Oyly Carte production of Bucalossi's Les Manteaux Noirs (September-October 1882).

Furey began his career as a choir singer, making his New York concert debut in 1874 at the Faust Club. He performed in opera well into the 1890s and was for a long time associated with New York's Casino Theatre and Rudolph Aronson's touring companies, both as singer and later as stage manager. He is best remembered for his role in the original production of Jakobowski's Erminie, which, according to Aronson's memoirs, achieved a remarkable 1,256 performances. He also appeared at the Casino as Mr. Bunthorne's Solicitor in a revival of Gilbert & Sullivan's Patience (1885), and as the Preceptor in W. S. Gilbert's translation of Offenbach's The Brigands with Lillian Russell (1889). Furey also stage managed Gilbert & Sullivan operas on tour for the McCaull Opera Company in 1885, appearing as Samuel in The Pirates of Penzance.

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