Old Sarah

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Old Sarah is a one-act comic opera composed by François Cellier with a libretto by Harry Greenbank.

The piece was first produced at the Savoy Theatre from 17 June 1897 to 31 July 1897 and from 16 August 1897 to 20 November 1897 with The Yeomen of the Guard, from 10 December 1897 to 12 March 1898 with The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, and from 22 March 1898 to 21 May 1898 with The Gondoliers, for a total of 252 performances.

A copy of the vocal score (published in 1898 by J. Williams), but no printed libretto, is found in British Library. The score contains all the dialogue.

1 Background
2 Synopsis
3 Cast information
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Background

The fashion in the late Victorian era was to present long evenings in the theatre in those days, and so Carte preceded his operas with curtain raisers. To create this work, he selected two artists whom he knew could deliver a good piece. Cellier was the long-time music director of the Savoy Theatre and had produced other works for Carte. Greenbank was also a known quantity, first for having supplied the theatre with two other curtain raisers, Captain Billy (1891) and Mr. Jericho (1893). In addition, by this time, Greenbank's reputation was well established, having supplied lyrics for a number of hit musicals, including A Gaiety Girl (1893), An Artist's Model (1895), The Geisha (1896), and The Circus Girl (1896).

[edit] Synopsis

In Dullport, a dreary seaside town, out of season, Old Sarah sells sweets from a stall. She has only sold 2 ounces of acid drops and a pennyworth of mint rock in 7 weeks. Simon smuggles rum as the only way to make an "honest" living. Because nobody has any money, they all hate Archibald Jones, the income tax collector, except his sweetheart Margery (Simon's daughter). Claude Newcastle, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, arrives. By snooping around, he discovers a lot of things about people's incomes. However, when he snoops on Sarah she locks him in a bathing machine and threatens to drown him in the sea. He is, however, rescued by Archibald, forgives everybody, and all ends happily.