Evening star., 1938-10-27
New Musical
Brings Bit Of
Nostalgia
knights of Song
Saga of Gilbert
And Sullivan.
By the Associated Press.


NEW YORK.
In the early 1920s there was IN
erudite gentleman producer from North
Easton, Mass, who delighted Broadway
by presenting one after the other Of the
Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. He was
the late Winthrop Ames. and one sus-
poets that he would have liked to have
been on the gay street where he had
such brilliant career again this week
to have seen the opening Of knights
Of Song"
This is Glendon Allvine's musical
excursion into the lives Of Gilbert
and Sullivan and, although 1t re-
ceived some enthusiastic and some
lukewarm reviews from the New York
critics, 1t nevertheless excited its first
night audience to more than 20 cur
tain calls at the end and they COM
PEELED Nigel Bruce and John Moore,
playing the roles Of the two composers,
to make curtain speeches before al
lowing them to leave the stage.
Ames really educated Broadway
audiences to appreciation Of Gilbert
and Sullivan and there must have been
many Of his ardent followers at the
first night, for 1t certainly was
lachrymose evening Of sweet nostalgia.
Here in one evening are presented
not only the sentimental, humorous
and dramatic scenes Of most all Of the
Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, but they
also are interspersed as incidental to
the main theme. which tells Of the
quarrels and friendship between Gilbert
and Sullivan, Of how they split up
and came back together again when
they found they were Of little value
unless they could complement one
another.
Here. too. is told much Of their per-
sonal lives. Sullivan was a composer
who aimed too high and when he found
he could not reach that heighth of
grand opera he became bitter despite
the fact that he was being knighted
Tor his more popular works. Also, he
resented that his lady love, the parlor
notorious Mrs. Cynthia Bradley, was
frowned upon by royalty.
His collaboration, Gilbert, was
brusk. humorous man who ordinarily
was quite the more human Of the two,
but he began to resent it when Sulli-
van was knighted and he was snubbed
For most Of the time. except when
prodded, he could keep his sense OF
humor.
For instance, when Producer D'Oyly
Carte asked If they would have their
new operetta ready by Wednesday, as
promised. Gilbert asked, DO you want
IT wednesday or do you want it good?"
Another time he described his growing
plumpness as merely a matter of his
success going to his waist"
Scattered at appropriate moments
IN this plot are excerpts from such
Gilbert and Sullivan operas as Pima
fore" Pirates of Penzance" and THE
Mikado." Also there are individual
numbers from others Of their operas
and for the most part lyrically sung
by an excellent chorus.
Nigel Bruce, as Gilbert. and Natalie
Hall, as Mrs. Cynthia Bradley, carry
the acting honors, for Bruce has a
measure Of comedy that gave relieving
laughter to the tense or depressing
scenes, and Miss Hall has an exultant
voice that gave such lift to the Gilbert
and Sullivan songs.
There were other good performances,
especially by those who played the his
tor1cal characters Of Oscar Wilde,
James Mcneil Whistler. George Ber-
nard Shaw and Albert Edward, Prince
Of Wales.