HENRY BRACY DEAD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2998, 8 February 1917, Page 6

HENRY BRACY DEAD

PASSING OF A NOTED fTHESPIAN

The news has been received of the death in a Sydney hospital of Mr. Henry Bracy, for so long a perlormer and producer with J. G. Williamson, Ltd., and formerly Williamson, Garner, and Musgrove, and familiarly known to the chorus girls as "Papa" Bracy, which, it must be \inderstood, was a term of endearment, for they all liked him, and had a kind of reverent respect for tho good work he had done. Mr. Bracy, who was 75 years of age, had a fine career on the boards. He was an Englishman, and began his first engagement at Plymouth. That engagement led to him being engaged to play in an operetta with tho lustrous Nellie- Ferren, the scintillating artist then at the , ' zenith of her fame as the head of the London Gaiety Company. Later he had an experience in comedy with the late John L. Toole. In 1873 ho met Mr. Robert Harwood, who was returning to Australia, and by him was persuaded to visit Australia. Soniv nfter he arrived he became a member of Lister's Opera Comprfhy. in which he played the tenor roles with marked success, .finally becoming stage manager as well as leading tenor, double duties that a modern artist would scarcely be prepared to undertake. In 1879 he returned to London, and sooii became popularly known as a capable performer in light opera. It was during that period that ho was singled out to create the rnln of Prince Hiliirion in Gilbert and Sullivan's opera "Princess Ida." But the suniiv skies of Australia, had appealed to him so strongly that tho early '80's saw him buck again in that country at tlio bond of a company' of his own. After fifteen months of management, he was engaged hv Mr. J. C. Williamson, and appeared in many notable nnoratic successes, inclnrliim Marco in "Tbo fJnndolinrs" (in which he mnde p h ; e hit in tho solo "Tako n Pair nf Spsirlclhm Eyes"), "Mnrjnrio," "Pepit-a," and many othor light oncrns too nunipvou.s to particularise. He lips viHt"d Now Zealand many times, and will bn verv well remembprod by tho midrlle-pwd nonoration. His last visit to Wellington was. on thf , occasion of a fionHli trio ho took to Snii Francisco. TTis wife, Mrs. Hc'irv Brany, was also an actress (Miss Thompson), an<3 is still nctinc before tho. camera. Rhe Inst toured Now Zraland with tlio first ( fafn O'Noi' 'Conipanv. Thr>ir son, Mr. Svdney Bracy. annnarcd in, comic opera in America, but he, too, is a devotee of the silent drama.