Lewis, Bertha (1887–1931)

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Lewis, Bertha (1887–1931)

English actress and singer. Born Bertha Amy Lewis, May 12, 1887, in London, England; died May 8, 1931, in Cambridge, of injuries suffered in an auto accident while driving with Henry Lytton; m. Herbert Heyner.

Made stage debut with D'Oyly Carte Principal Repertory Opera as Kate in The Pirates of Penzance (1906); replaced Ethel Morrison as principal contralto and appeared in all leading contralto roles (1909–10, 1914–31), including Little Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore, Ruth in Pirates of Penzance, Lady Jane in Patience, Queen of the Fairies in Iolanthe, Lady Blanche in Princess Ida, Katisha in The Mikado, Dame Carruthers in The Yeomen of the Guard, and Duchess of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers; is generally regarded as the greatest contralto in D'Oyly Carte history.

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