Story Of The Savoy Opera In Gilbert And Sullivan - Livres de poche

THE STORY OF THE SAVOY OPERA Phateby cS-faui . ... -.. .. I-... ato by EUMt M. l Ffy 77it, vi t t t a by Alirtdlilti TO MY OLD FRIEND, OSCAR BARRETT, OF THE EMPIRE THEATRE. NOTE Throughout this volume I have given full acknowledgment of all the authorities I have had occasion to refer to and from whom I have quoted but I specially wish to thank Messrs. Macmillan Co. for their kind present of the handsome book of Gilberts Bab Ballads, of which I have fully availed myself Messrs. Chatto Windus for a volume of Gilberts plays Messrs. Metzler for their gifts of copies of The Sorcerer and H. M. S. Pinafore and Messrs. Boosey Co. for Cox and Box. And also my friend William Boosey for the whole series of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, published by the firm of which he is the respected head Messrs Chappell Co. and for valuable information he has kindly afforded me. The Illustrations in this work are reproduced by special permission of the photographers. S J. ADAIR FITZ-GERALD. CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION xix CHAPTER L i A Slight Retrospect The Gallery of Illustration Gilbert and Sullivan meet The German Reeds Cox and Box Ages Ago Thespis or, The Gods Grown Old And the first Gaiety Theatre Robert the Devil. CHAPTER II. 8 DOyly Carte-The Royalty Theatre Selina Dolaro and Nelly Bromley Trial by Jury Origin and Pro duction of this famous Dramatic Cantata Frederic Sullivan and W. S. Penley 1 Princess Toto at the Strand and Opera Comique Theatres. CHAPTER IIL 19 Mr. and Mrs. DOyly Carte The Comedy Opera Com pany The Opera Comique Theatre The Sorcerer CHAPTER IV. . 25 The Comedy Opera Company and the First Production of The Sorcerer Selecting the Company Doras Dream and The Spectre Knight AlfredCellier appointed Conductor CHAPTER V. ...... 35 The Bo5 Ballads H. M. S. Pinafore Nearly on the Rocks A Sudden Jump to Success And a Furore in America A Quaint, Unauthorised Performance xiii xiv CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER VI 48 Les Cloches des Corneville More of H. M. S. Pinafore The Comedy Opera Company Riots and Ructions A Manifesto to the Public The Opera at three other Theatres Gilbert, Sullivan, and DOyly Carte produce Pinafore in America A Childrens Pinafore The Wreck of H. M. S. Pinafore. CHAPTER VII 57 The Pirates of Penzance or, The Slave of Duty Original Production at the Bijou Theatre, Paignton The Country Cast First Production at the Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York The Band Strike and Sir Arthur Sullivan. CHAPTER VIII 65 The Pirates of Penzance at the Opera Comique Theatre Death of George Grossmith, Senior Penny Plain and Twopence Coloured A Childrens Com pany in The Pirates. CHAPTER IX 74 Patience or, Bunthornes Bride at the Opera Comique Oscar Wilde and the Esthetic Craze Sullivans Delightful Music and Gilberts Witty Songs and Dialogue. CHAPTER X. 84 The Building of the Savoy Theatre Patience transferred from the Opera Comique The Electric Light The Queue And No Fees, CHAPTER XI 89 A Fairy Opera at the Savoy lolanthe or. The Peer and the Peri The Fairy Curate and The Peri winkle Girl The Piece Produced Five Hours Later in New York. CHAPTER XII 99 Princess Ida or, Castle Adamant W The Princess at the Olympic Theatre Revival of The Sorcerer and Trial by Jury The Childrens Pirates o Penzance. CONTENTS xv PAGB CHAPTER XIII 107 The Mikado or, The Town of Titipu Wonderful Reception on the First Night Incidents and Accidents The Pirates of America And how DQyly Carte Circumventedthem. CHAPTER XIV 121 The Evolution of The Mikado CHAPTER XV 125 Ruddygore or, The Witchs Curse The Curse of the Title I Ruddy George or, Robin Redbreast at Tooles Theatre, CHAPTER XVI 137 A very short Interlude and some short Revivals H. M. S, Pinafore Mrs. Jarramies Genie The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado with a Prophecy. CHAPTER XVII. ....... 141 The Yeomen of the Guard or, the Merryman and his Maid George Grossmith as Jack Point I have a Song to Sing O Sullivans Difficulty with the Setting The Supposed Origin of the Song John Wilkinson and Henry A...