A GREAT SIGHT AT THE SAVOY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12933, 12 October 1907, Page 7

A GREAT SIGHT AT THE SAVOY.

The. old and the new Savoyards had a great night at the farewell to Gilbert and Sullivan opera at the end of August—only a temporary farewell, !it ie true, but still farewell. It wao the close of the season of revivals with which Mrs DOyly Carte ha 3 proved that there is a new generation ready to take up the old Savoy tradii ti<in. There were people in the aud- : ience who wero "first-nighters" ycara j ago, and who were as enthusiastic now laa ever. There were young folk who had never seen some of the operas bofore, but who quickly succumbed to thb wit of Gilbert and the never-dying charm of Sullivan. As benefited th« special occasion, there was a special programme:—"Yeomen of the Guard,' , Act I.; "Tho Gondoliers," Act 11.; "Patience," Act II.; "lolanthe," Act 1., and sandwiched between the two last excerpts wae a scene from "The Mikado." The programme was so long that it was divided into an afternoon and a night performance, beginning at 4 o'clock and finishing just after 11, with an hour and a quarter's break in between. When this interval came, the majority of people from the stalls and boxes filed out of the theatre. Thoee in the pit and gallery sent prospecting parties out to forage for refreshments. Other parties remained- as stern sentinels of vacated seats. Then suddenly someone started singing, and the next instant practically everyone in the house had joined with lusty accord in the rofrain. Tho singing continued for more than *n hour, when it seemed that nearly every song in the fuli Savoy repertoire had been exhausted. The audience demonstrated its character. It proved beyond question that it. was composed of ardent and accomplished Savoyards, whose enthusiasm for Mr Gilbert's lyrics and the tunes of Sir Arthur Sullivan must have been of life-long duration. One thing wae peculiarly noticeable. The CTfcat chorus of playgoers was resolved on;_ lifting the - roof |,of the theatre once again ■with the familiar strains of "The Mikado." ' They succeeded—them sang it all over again. They were ninging still when the curtain rose on the second act from "Patience." At the scene from "The Mikado," the audience, delighted at co happy an event, surpassed itself in the vigorous arts of applause. Mt Workman, in the "Willow, Tit Willow" eong, reached the zenith of quite a wonderful day*e work. Encores were demanded. Shouts of "Workman" became loud and insistent. Finally, amid continued uproar, the fire-proof curtain descended on the stage, and the orchestra struck merrily into the "lolanthe" overture. The first act of this sprightly light I opera concluded the day's performance, I during which Mr Workman and Miss j Louie Reno had appeared in five different characters. There was round after round of cheering when the curtain fell, after "God Save the King.' , Sir W. S. Gilbert was called for. but he was not in the house, and after vainly calling for Mrs D'Oyl.v Carte, the audience sang "Auld Lant? Syne" until tho lights were lowered. Then they went home, talking of tho coming revival of "The Mikado. ,,