There's no website lauding his achievements. There should be. There's no bronze statue outside the Opera House. Few outside the more senior members of his extended family, or immediate family, know of Wallace Bruce CARROLL. Even me, with 59 years on board next month, would not have known of Wally, or Wal, as he now prefers, unless I remembered with great fondness, the soirées given by my grandmother, Pauline, in which she and her brother Tom, always spoke of their nephew Wally. Why? Who was this mystical man? Why had I never seen him? Met him? Well, maybe I had met him but was too young to remember. My Dad always spoke of Wal, and Bob, Jean and Betty, Claude and Ted, his cousins.
Wal was the youngest of the six children of Gordon John and Minnie Meldrum (née FATZEUS) CARROLL.
Born Wallace Bruce CARROLL, on the 10th April, 1930, into a very musical family, there was little chance that Wal would not be musically talented, and that is most probably an understatement.
With a very talented mother, who played the piano, two singing sisters, and having won many Eisteddfods in his own right, hearing that Wal was singing in the Newcastle Christ Church Cathedral choir, as a boy soprano, didn't surprise anyone, especially members of our family.
The show played at the Roxy theatre in Newcastle, for 12 months, to great revues.
Singing and performing in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, and with the Newcastle Comedy Players, was a good grounding for Wal, nurturing his talents for greater things to come.
In 1961, Wal was invited to play Grieg's Piano Concerto during the performance of 'Song of Norway' at the Newcastle 150 years celebration.
Wal's memory also includes the thrill of finding out that his efforts to join J C Williamson's production of 'Camelot', in 1963, were successful. In his words; "I had at last ditched my fear of the insecurity of a life on the stage, and the fact that I was now 32, and knowing I should have made the plunge ten years earlier, forced me to act".
It was soon after this, that Wal worked with the Elizabethan Theatre Company, and also as assistant stage manager for Sutherland & Williamson's Opera Season, with such credits as 'Porgy and Bess'.
Wal stayed with JCW for about 5 years and then re-joined the old Elizabethan Theatre Trust, which had recently become the Australian Opera Company, and is now, Opera Australia. He worked as a singer and understudy on various productions, including the opera, 'War and Peace', which was produced for the opening night of the Sydney Opera House, in 1973. Wal sang the aide-de-camp to Napoleon.
"It was the most exciting time to be working in the Australian Opera Company, with Joan Sutherland in her most exciting roles, and with guest performances of singers such as Kiri Te Kanawa, and the Australian tenor, Donald S. Smith, together with noted Metropolitan Opera stars, as guests."
Prior to eventual semi-retirement, Wal was invited to play 'Yakov', in Chekhov's 'The Seagull', and to play the original piano music written by a Melbourne composer, for the production, which was directed by Jean-Pierre Mignon. He also played 'Thomas' in 'The Philadelphia Story', directed by Robyn Nevin.
During these years, Wal found time to play piano for the Halliday Ballet School, and it reminded him of the times he played for the Australian Ballet School. That was around the time when noted Ballerina, Elaine Fyefield made her return to the stage.
Wallace also penned lyrics, music and orchestrations for a Broadway-styled musical, called 'Auf Wiedersehen Lulu', which was performed at the Rockdale Municipal Opera Group, and had a successful season in 2002. The play was altered slightly to include a celebration of Marlene Dietrich's life, and, scripted by Kenneth Crook, is now being called 'Lulu in New York', and awaiting an 'adventurous Producer'.
A wonderful career's highlights, from memory...
Feb. 20, 1960 - 'Face the Music'
1961 Newcastle - 'Song of Norway'
Nov. 30, 1963 Melbourne - 'Camelot' and it's subsequent Tour.
Aug. 31st, 1965 Melbourne - Sutherland & Williamson Opera & Tour
1966 - 'Funny Girl' & Tour
1966 - 'Porgy and Bess' - Asst. Stage Director. A New Zealand production
1967 - 'Fiddler on the Roof' - Australian Opera
1967 - 'Black and White Minstrels'
1973 - 'War and Peace' - Opening of the Sydney Opera House. Associated with Opera Australia for 10 years.
1981 Adelaide - 'Evita' and Tour
1986 - 'Me and my Girl', 'Lambeth Walk'
1986 - 'The Seagull', 'The Philadelphia Story'
1986 onwards - Piano for Ballet School
1995 - Professional work for Rockdale Municipal Opera Group - 'Orpheus in the Underworld', and some Gilbert and Sullivan
RETIRED
2002 - wrote lyrics, music and orchestrations for 'Auf Wiedersehen Lulu'
2010 - Still awaiting production for 'Lulu in New York'.
TOP
No comments:
Post a Comment
The leaving of Comments is welcomed, and available to Anyone, including Google and Blogger account holders, and OpenID.
All Comments made on this Blog are Moderated by me, before Publication.
I also apologise for the need to have Word Verification in place.
Thank you,
Roberto.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.