New-York tribune., 1922-04-23
thousands in Crowded
Opera House and in
Street Take Part in
RiotOus Demonstration
Flowers and Gems
ShOwered on Diva
Flappers'Wa
Banners; Singer Hints
She May Join Belasco

Inc center OF sucn demonstration
as has never before been known IN
the annals of the Metropolitan Opera
House, Geraldine Farrar left that in
Sutdtlon forever yesterday afternoon.
after sixteen years of service. In a
speech from the stage the diva dropped
the hint that she may 60 into the
drama under Belasco.
Long before the performance star+od
the house was packed from floor to cell
lhG' and even after o'clock line that
stretched well into Seventh Avenue was
still making slow but determined nroo.
resS toward the box Office. When tick
cts and admissions had been exhausted
disappointed admirers, chiefly women
many OF whom We're hysterical. be-
.'cged the Hobbies and sought to bribe
oftunate holders of tickets and house
oIhclaIS Tor some means of gaining an
entrance to the theater. Police we're
caued several times TO clear the en-
frances.
Outside the house the crowd which
began to gather at 4:3O o'clock had
reached mob proportions by 6. Between
- Ib3NoadWay and Seventh Avenue. on
rorreth Street, the street was packed
rom wall to wall with solid mass Of
humanity several thousand strong
AIl faces were turned toward the STAGE
entrance on Fortieth Street. from which
1t was expected the prima donna would
appear
Carried Out Rear Door
ne stage was set otherwise. how
ever, At inc close OF the jollifcation
on the stage rear door on Seventh
avenue opened, and, held aloft in the
massive arms of Phil Crispano, the
MAetropolItan's property man. and
Cndr'ey Metterhouse, stage hand, the
gar appeared on the sidewalk. Two
napPef enthusiasts who had been
t!oSlea on the exact procedure by
,,fehdly stage hand, and woman who
Aad inside information and a kodak
were TIE only individuals in sight pre-
pared for the move.
MISS Farrar's car. decorated with
smilaX aud flowers, flying Farrnr pen.
nant from every available vantage
point and with huge scarlet satin
He"ft bearing across its surface the
words IN silver tinsel "Thc public's"
N rear seat, was halted at the stage
ooor. And between the Seventh Avenne
exit and the stage door was one vide
street Jammed with people
Miss Farrar's escort took no count
OF the obstacle. With trail Of cheer
ing cnthusasts, the two husky STAGE
hands charged into the crowd, the star
frmIy enthroned on their combined
shoulders, and an ocean of wildly
cheering humanity sureing around
them.
The upper heights of the. fire escape
which runs on the Fortieth Street side
q the house was crowded with NOM
bers Of the ensemble and the house
staff. Flowers were hurled: il rainod
confetti and hundreds of
paper Streamers hoatcd down. while
everybody shouted at the top of his
voice.
Laughing and shaken, the star was
al last conveyed to her car through the
crowd, which swaycd and scrambled
al ound her so that at times her bal
ance on thc shoulders of her escorts
was threatened
Demonstration in Street
Even after she had been safely de-
posted in the automobile, thew would
not let her 60 While motion picture
cameras ground the scene, she waved
and kissed her hands again and again
to the tumultuous mob in the street
the cheering crowds on the fire es-
capes, and even on the roofs of nearby
buildings. The great slken Stars and
Stripes which had been carried before
her was handed into her arms. and
the cheering broHe out again. There
was nothing articulate or coherent
about the demonstration. People cried
out the stars name, shouted baseball
phrases at her-at least, one youngster
shouted "Attaboy, Gerry'-and gener-
ally behaved with all the cxuberant
volatility which is usually rega rded as
the chief characteristic Of the Latins.
1t was good fifteen minutes before
the car with the still laughing prima
donna was permitted to begin its slow
course through the massed thousands
Miss F'arrar was still standing up. still
Kissing her hands and still smiling
broadly and happily as the automobile
felt It's way inch by inch to Broadway
and comparative freedom of movement
Masses of Flowers in Lobby
In the Fortieth Street lobby be-
fore the performance began were
massed floral pieces representing hun
dreds Of dollars. Conspicuous among
these was a basket of American
Beauties from the center of which
futtered a huge American flag on a
gold tiagpole surmounted by a golden
eagle. The dressing room on the
grand tier, long the headquarters of
the GERRY fappers,' was the setting
for another collection of floral tributes,
of all sizes and colors, presided over by
a flock Of excited young women.
1t was fitting that Miss Farrar should
sing her swan song in role which she
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