Shows B

contagious disease and father rushes off to the church to break the sad news. This gives Lucy the opportunity to exchange her bridal gown for the suit of the black page, Buttons, and she elopes with Pierre to France. Adopting various disguises, father, mother, Thomas and cousin George go to France in search of Lucy, and their attempts to look and speak like French people have amusing results. Lucy, eventually, is found with Pierre and Suzanne at the Café des Pommes, Eauville. News comes to the Café that war is declared and Pierre leaves immediately to fight for France. Back at Mayfield, the family are preparing for Lucy's twenty-first birthday. This is no happy event for Lucy, for she has heard from Suzanne that Pierre has been killed. Thomas, now an officer in the Volunteers, still hopes that Lucy may forget Pierre sufficiently to accept again his ring. She tells Thomas she can never forget Pierre but will accept the ring on the condition he does not hasten the marriage. The birthday party is dramatically interrupted by the unexpected appearance of Suzanne, straight from starving Paris. She confesses she had been embittered against the English and its land of plenty, and had cruelly written to Lucy misinforming her that Pierre had been killed, but she is now sorry for her action and tells Lucy she has brought her a birthday present - it is, of course, Pierre. Lucy is overcome with joy but Pierre notices Thomas' ring. Thomas, however, removes the ring from Lucy's finger and hands it to Pierre, and the two lovers are happily reunited - and Thomas' long-awaited big moment has come. For the Chorus Sufficient work to keep a large musical company busy, with Vivian Ellis at the peak of his most tuneful form. There are several effective set-pieces for general company in addition to harmonized versions of some of the score's hits. The chorus appear as relations and friends of the Willow family, French bathing beauties and mashers, cafd customers and waiters. There is a certain amount of dancing, including a short dream ballet sequence. SINGING PRINCIPALS Lucy Willow Alice, Ann, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Frances and Millicent - her sisters. Mary Willow - their mother Nanny, to the Willow girls. Stizanne Valdis, an actress. Pierre Fontaine, an actor Augustus Willow. Thomas Trout. Albert Willow, Lucy's grandfather Cousin George. Monsieur Robert, maitre d'hôte Straight Role Harriet Willow, grandma. Smaller Roles Buttons, a page-boy. Arch Deacon Gurney. M. Frontenac and M. Martel, Singing Waiters.

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