Precious Nonsense

NEWSLETTER OF THE MIDWESTERN GILBERT AND SULLIVAN SOCIETY

Issue 55



Dark the dawn when day is nigh--

Hustle your horse and don't say die!



At the end of April, it didn't look like we'd have much of anything for a newsletter, but May dawned and within two weeks the issue was full to overflowing. So, we're hustling our S/A to take of those elements all that is fusible and get it to the membership! This time around, Arthur Robinson has a synopsis of Sullivan's Light Opera The Beauty Stone (which is celebrating its centennial this year), plus the fourteenth annual Big Quiz. Robert Buggeln describes the class he teaches on Gilbert and Sullivan, plus a number of other interesting pieces of news and olds. So, let's see what kind of Nonsense we have collected.



Oh, Members, How Say You, what is it you've done?



The winners of the 1997 Big Quiz have been chosen, and the prizes have been distributed: Phocion Park, who received cassettes of the 1960s D'Oyly Carte recording of The Yeomen of the Guard; Dr. John C. Nelson, who received The Story of One Hundred Symphonic Favorites, The Story of Orchestral Music and its Times, and The Story of One Hundred Great Composers, which were donated by member Mari Thelander; Tom G. Robinson, who received a cassette of the D'Oyly Carte and the New Sadler's Wells Opera Orchestra's recording of Gilbert & Sullivan overtures; George C. Weber, who received a cassette of highlights from the English National Opera's recording of The Mikado; Ronald B. Daniels, who received a copy of the Gilbert and Sullivan Birthday Book; Ronald Lewis and Jennie Garde, who each received a cassette of the Fred Allen radio program, during which he and Leo Durocher present The Brooklyn Pinafore; and Thomas Drucker, who received The Big Prize: Walbrook's Gilbert & Sullivan Opera: A History and a Comment, which was donated by Ronald Lewis, and a set of Gilbert and Sullivan in America postcards, provided by David Stone. Congratulations to him on being the big winner, and to all participants for doing so well on the Quiz!



What Cheer! What Cheer! {Midwestern}



While we aren't sure what the Savoy-Aires will be presenting this season, they're sure to present something. As soon as we find out, we'll pass the news on to you. In the meantime, for more information, contact the Savoy-Aires at P.O. Box 126, Evanston, IL 60204.



We aren't sure of the date, but The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company (at the University of Chicago) should be presenting Iolanthe sometime this summer, probably in July. When we find out, we'll again let you know, but in the meantime, if you are in that area and want to know what's going on musically at the University of Chicago, you can call their Concert Hotline at (773) 702-8069. It may even mention when their summer performance will be. If you prefer making Internet contact, the Department of Music can be reached at http://humanities.uchicago.edu/humanities/music.



This year's slate of performances at Light Opera Works will include The Yeomen of the Guard (May 30, 31, June 5-7), Kalman's The Duchess of Chicago (August 22, 23, 28-30), and Romberg's The Desert Song (December 26, 27, January 1-3). Performances are at Cahn Auditorium (at the corner of Emerson and Sheridan Road, in Evanston, IL) begin at 8:00 pm, with Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm. Individual ticket prices range from $22 to $49, depending on where you sit. For more information, you can call Light Opera Works at (847) 869-6300, or write them at 927 Noyes St., Evanston, IL 60201-2799. You can also visit their Web site at http://www.light-opera-works.org.

Incidentally, they are also expecting to present The Fantasticks at various dates during October at the intimate McGaw YMCA Child Care Center (Maple and Lake Streets, Evanston, IL). Performances also begin at 8:00 pm, with 3:00 pm Sunday matinees. Ticket prices range from $22 to $36. For more information, contact Light Opera Works.



Ohio Light Opera's performing schedule for their twentieth season, as of December, 1997, is set to include: Noel Coward's Bitter Sweet (June 9, 11, 14*, 19, 20, 24*, July 7*, 10, 16, 22, August 1*, and 2); HMS Pinafore (June 10*, 13*, 23*, 28*, July 9, 22*, August 1, and 7); Oscar Strauss's The Chocolate Soldier (June 12, 13, 18, 27*, 30(, July 2, 19, 26, 29, August 2*, and 5*), Trial By Jury/Regrets Only (Artistic Director James Stuart's version of Offenbach's M. Choufleuri, set in Houston) (June 16*, 26, July 11*, 19*, and 29), Johann Strauss's Weiner Blut (June 17*, 20*, 21*, July 3, 23, 29*, August 4*, and 8), Lionel Monckton's The Arcadians. Performance dates: June 25, 27, July 1*, 12*, 18*, 24, 28*, and August 5), Emmerich Kalman's The Bayadere (July 5*, 8*, 11, 17, 21*, 30, and August 8*) and Iolanthe (July 14*, 15*, 18, 25*, 26*, 31, and August 6). Dates with asterisks indicate 2:00 matinees. Friday and Saturday performances include free pre-performance lectures at 7:00 pm. Other performances are at 8:00 pm. Tickets for all performances are $27.00, and can be ordered by calling (330) 263-2329, or writing The Ohio Light Opera, The College of Wooster, Wooster OH 44691 (You could probably also get information about the performances by contacting them at these sites). The Ohio Light Opera accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and all NOVUS card brands.



What Cheer! What Cheer! {Elsewhere}



Some of you may remember the tremendously interesting lecture Ralph MacPhail Jr. (from Bridgewater College in Virginia) gave on the history of The Mikado at the Basingstoke! Gilbert and Sullivan weekend in West Chester, Pennsylvania, a number of years ago. Well, it turns out he is going to be directing the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Austin (Texas)'s upcoming production of The Mikado. Performance dates are set for June 11 - 21, 1998 (Thursdays through Sundays) at the Helm Fine Arts Center, St. Stephen's School, with 8:00 pm evening performances and Sunday matinees at 3:00 pm. Tickets are $12, $16, and $20, with a half-price discount for those under 16 years old. For more information, contact the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Austin, 2023 Guadalupe St., #309, Austin, TX 78704 / (512) 472-4772 (or try http://members.aol.com/mahitabel/gassa/home.html). Also, they expect to have available CDs and a video available of the production for $25.00 each. The May 1998 newsletter says, "To place an order for the 2-CD set or video from this production, send your check for $25.00 to the G&S Society at the above address". It sounds like a lot of fun!



We saw in the May 1998 Trumpet Bray (New England Gilbert and Sullivan Society) that the 5th International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival is scheduled for July 29-August 15, 1998, in Buxton, England. According to the article, funding problems prevented an intercontinental festival this year. Festival productions are said to be of Ruddigore, plus one of Trial by Jury and Pinafore specifically for children. Pirates, Iolanthe and Mikado are to be performed by the new G&S Opera Company, plus new productions by amateur companies, "pot-luck" shows, as well as lectures, tours and other events. The source for booking forms and information is: International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival Trust, The Old Vicarage, Haley Hill, Halifax, HX3 6DR England, or call 44-1422 323252 / Fax 44-1422 355604. Their temporary Web page is at http://www.unet.com/gsfest/, which is said to link up to the full one when it becomes available.



Closer to home, the same issue of the Trumpet Bray mentions that the Victorian Lyric Opera Company (P.O. Box 10391, Rockville, MD 20849-0391 / (301) 879-0220 / Web Site: http://www.vw.net/users/vloc {e-mail: LetaHall@aol.com}) will be hosting the Second Great Gilbert and Sullivan Sing-Out: A Musical Marathon August 28-30, 1998. The MGS got an announcement about it, too, plus some flyers, if you would like one. The actual Sing-Out takes place from 8:00 a.m. on August 29 to 1:00 am on August 30. Friday night is a reception, and the weekend concludes with a brunch from 10:00 to Noon on Sunday. Victorian Light Opera Company is looking for companies to present the G&S operettas (except for the Big American Three: Pinafore, Pirates and Mikado, which are for general participation). There is no charge for companies to present, but all of the participants must be registered for the program (if I read the Participant's Registration Form right, that's $40.00. It adds that "those wishing only to attend and not participate, tickets may be purchased on-site". The Trumpet Bray reports the whole-day audience member cost at $20.00. The reception/rehearsal on the 28th is $20.00). They are also looking for people to sponsor shows, for a $100 sponsorship contribution. If this sounds like fun to you -- and it does sound like fun -- get in touch with VLOC, or call or write S/A Cole for one of their flyers.



The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Chester County (Pennsylvania) has a web page. The Spring 1998 newsletter mentioned, "Our final, revised Webside address is http://www.ccconnect.com/gsscc. This site is hosted by Chester County Connect and is maintained by Pete Weglarski. . .The site contains information about Society activities and shows, both past and future, and links to other sites of interest to G&S fans. Go take a look -- we think you'll find it of interest." If you have Internet access, it sounds like one would!



We are but Fallible Mortals



I don't know how we missed these questions, but in the last Nonsense, these questions didn't get answered. So, here they are:



32. Two G&S operas in which a character plans to give false teeth to someone else are Thespis, in which Mercury has obtained some for Jupiter, and Ruddigore, in which Rose Maybud has some for pretty little Ruth Rowbottom.

33. The two G&S operas that opened in November are The Sorcerer (November 17, 1877) and Iolanthe (November 25, 1882).



A Nice Dilemma We Have Here



A couple of members are looking for a couple of things, and if you can help them out, they're sure to appreciate it.



First, as she has been doing with alarming frequency, Sarah Cole has pulled a boner. In February, Michael A. Jones asked for help in locating the sheet music to "When Jealous Torments Rack My Soul", Wilfred Shadbolt's cut song from Yeomen, and she only realized it now.

Anyhow, if you know where one can get the music to this song, or can help Mr. Jones out, please get in touch with him at 6209 Yolanda Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76112. And then let the rest of us know.

(In case you aren't familiar with this song, it is one that Shadbolt would have sung upon Phoebe's exit in the first scene of the opera. In it, he complains that it's less painful to be physically tortured than to "love a heartless jade". Mr. Jones points out that on the recording Gilbert & Sullivan Esoterica (Pearl SHE 509), Donald Adams sings it, and "A Laughing Boy but Yesterday". The music for "Laughing Boy" is fairly accessible, but "Jealous Torments" (unlike tormenting jealousy), is hard to find. If you know where to look, please pass on the information.



The other problem comes from Robert W. Buggeln, who is trying to locate a video copy of the 1953 film The Gilbert and Sullivan Story, which starred Robert Morley and Maurice Evans (and featured D'Oyly Carte performers, including Martyn Green and Thomas Round). Evidently, Musical Collectables in England had been marketing the video, along with the 1960s D'Oyly Carte Mikado, but the business hasn't responded to Mr. Buggeln's numerous inquiries. If you could help him locate a copy of this film, please get in touch with him at 17 Walden Way, Chalfont, PA 18914. He teaches a class about Gilbert and Sullivan, and would like to use it with the class.

After you get in touch with Mr. Buggeln, get in touch with the MGS: he's not the only one who would like a copy of that film! Or the other one, for that matter.



S/A Cole has a problem, too. She had started to write up a description of the comic recording The Tailors of Poznance (the story of a Jewish mother and her son finding romance in Cornwall, set to tunes from Pirates), only to find she doesn't have the liner notes from the recording. They probably went out in the flood. She has tried her library, only to find that apparently no library in the world admits to owning this recording. If anyone is willing to share the program notes for this record, Sarah Cole will do what she can to share them with everyone else.



Where Can it Be?



For a couple of issues, we had inquired after G&S stationery. While we have not had personal experience with the company, we have received a flyer from Wildgoose Publications, The Reading Room, Dennis Street, Hugglescote, Leics. LE67 2FP UK (Tel: 01530 835685 / Fax: 01530 935691) does handle greeting cards that reproduce playbills from Yeomen, Sorcerer, Gondoliers, and Mikado. They're kind of pricey (£1.25/card), but also appear to be of extremely high quality. They also handle reproductions of opera posters (D'Oyly Carte and Grand Opera), as well as other cards. And they also take credit cards. As we get more information (on shipping to the U.S. in particular), we'll pass it on, but if you have e-mail access, they can be reached at wildgoose@wgoose.demon.co.uk : and if you get in touch with them, let us know what they say. S/A Cole doesn't have e-mail access yet.



Richard Baehr has sent in an article that appeared in one of Chicago's Jewish newspapers about The Gilbert and Sullivan Yiddish Light Opera Company of Long Island. We expect to say more about that later, but in the meantime, they have available a CD of The Mikado in Yiddish (the newspaper article explains that, when performed, the dialogue is in English, while the lyrics are in Yiddish). The price isn't listed, but a phone number is: 516-483-0464. When we find out more about this recording, we'll let you know (and please reciprocate if you find out first).



Gilbert and Sullivan in Education



Robert Buggeln joined the Midwestern Gilbert and Sullivan Society recently, and mentioned that he taught a class on G&S at a local college. Sarah Cole asked for details -- they might help get others interested in doing the same -- and he graciously complied:



Gilbert and Sullivan...

at the Center for Learning in Retirement at the Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Pennsylvania...

As of the early months of 1998...



The Center for Learning in Retirement (CLR) is an organization of senior citizens who have come together to form study groups led by members of the group themselves. It is purely voluntary, with modest dues, and no limits on the cognitive scope of topics which may be presented. The Delaware Valley College provides, in their newly refurbished Alumni House, a suite of three classrooms, a lounge, and the usual sanitary facilities. Since CLR classes meet generally for three-hour sessions in the mornings and afternoons, the classrooms are used by the College for Adult Evening and Weekend College classes.

The classrooms are equipped with the usual array of white boards and projection materials, which facilitates video courses, such as the one on Gilbert and Sullivan. The current syllabus includes video presentations of these operas (in this order): The Mikado (the 1939 Martyn Green version), Trial by Jury/Cox and Box, The Sorcerer, HMS Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, Patience, Iolanthe, Princess Ida, Ruddigore, The Yeomen of the Guard, The Gondoliers, The Mikado (English National Opera version, with Eric Idle), and Gilbert & Sullivan's Greatest Hits/Boston Pops or Pirates of Penzance (Joseph Papp version). Eventually, it is hoped that the film The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan could be included, but so far, we have been unable to obtain a copy. Each session features the video presentation, with printed libretti distributed in advance. Commentary will be provided, and exuberant discussion is encouraged.

The bibliography for the course includes such texts as Reginald Allen's The First Night Gilbert and Sullivan, Ian Bradley's The Complete Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan, and Gilbert and Sullivan: Interviews and Recollections (University of Iowa Press, 1994). Excerpts from the Bab Ballads (as they pertain to the opera de jour), and other printed materials from the sources noted in the syllabus.

The first time it was were offered, it was oversubscribed (not enough room in the classroom), and so is being reprised during this current season. Reaction has been enthusiastic. Several of the folks are sitting though the same season again, and I suspect demand will be great enough to warrant a third, and perhaps fourth, offering.

If anyone would like more information about CLR, or the Savoyard course, write me (Robert W. Buggeln) at 17 Walden Way, Chalfont, PA 19814; or call (215) 822-9009. I'd be happy to entertain all comments and queries.



Let the Welkin Ring with the News



Ronald B. Daniels, of Jacksonville, Illinois, lives close enough to Springfield (IL) to get the lowdown on a recent cancellation of a high school production of Pinafore. Evidently, the director was using an old burlesque technique of trouser-role leading roles, and had cast a girl as Ralph. The February 4, 1998, Jacksonville Journal reports, in an article entitled "Miss Cast [:] Girl in male role engenders offstage drama", reporter Nicole Ziegler tells how senior Sara Zinzilieta had been cast as Ralph, due to superior singing ability. She was subsequently removed from the role when "some parents voiced concerns that keeping a girl in the male lead would send a 'mixed message' to students." Oddly enough, according to an undated article following this one, six girls in the chorus retained their roles as sailors. That article goes on to say that director Doug Hahn resigned in protest, the Coalition for Human Dignity was going to protest the case to the State School Board, on grounds of sex discrimination, and Springfield High School decided to present the Studs Terkel musical Working instead.

Ronald Daniels added the comment,

While the cancellation of the production is certainly bad news, there is nonetheless some good that comes out of it. The opera is receiving more attention than it would have received otherwise. The uninitiated may become intrigued with the mythical ship that was so ignominiously scuttled and whey they find out what a 'good ship' it is. . .there may be greater interest than ever before . . .in presenting a production of it to a greater audience.

I hope he's right, and also hope he'll keep us posted. It'll be interesting to see if there is any summer community theater G&S in the Springfield area this year.



In a way, this piece is "olds" instead of "news", but it was news to me and I thought you'd get a kick out of it, too. We heard from Thomas Lawlor, who is now artistic director of Beavertail Productions ("Opera for All") in Rhode Island. You probably remember him as Captain Corcoran in the 1970s D'Oyly Carte recording of Pinafore and as Roderic Murgatroyd in the '80s Sadler's Wells' Ruddigore, and certainly as Bouncer in the Brent Walker Cox and Box. He had commented:

I was delighted to read that the Brent Walker videos of the operas are to be re-released. You may not know this, but I played Bouncer in the Cox and Box production they filmed. I recall with great joy the fun we had filming this great piece. I had been rehearsing the Usher in Trial by Jury at Shepperton Studios, while Cox and Box was rehearsing in the next studio. One week before they began filming Cox and Box, the producer decided that the chap playing Bouncer could not do it. He was a famous British comic actor, who had trained to be an opera singer, but he could not hold his line in the ensembles, so they let him to. They asked me to take over the role, which I agreed to do. It had been about 14 years since I had played it for D'Oyly Carte. They provided me with a coach, and I re-learned the role in a couple of days, rehearsed the production with the stage director, an American, David Alden, who is a very off the wall kind of chap, but great fun, and my old mate Dave Heather the film director. It was all a very hairy but hugely enjoyable experience. The other two John Fryatt and Russell Smythe were old friends and colleagues, so it was a very happy set.

[For whatever it's worth coming from me, that happy set showed in the production: this one is arguably the best production of the Brent Walker series. SLC.]

More recently, he reports that things are going well for Beavertail Opera Productions. March 30, they hosted a concert starring Frederica von Stade, and are expecting to have one in April 1999 with Samuel Ramey. However, since the Frederica von Stade concert, strangely, didn't sell out, they've had to cancel a Christmas production of Die Fledermaus. On the other hand, partly because of the attention the concert drew to the company, they are planning a co-production of Hansel and Gretel with the Rhode Island Philharmonic. Say! if you're going to be in the area and would like more information on their activities, you might be able to get on their mailing list if you drop them a note: contact Beavertail Opera Productions, 61 Tyndall Ave., Providence RI 02908.



Here's an interesting piece of "olds" that appeared in the April 8, 1998, edition of the Aurora (Illinois) Beacon-News (p. A2): "Oscar Wilde lectured in Aurora":



In recent years, Aurora has seen a parade of celebrities, from Frank Sinatra to Liza Minnelli, through the Hollywood Casino-Aurora shows.

But celebrities came to town for years before the casino did, perhaps none quite so unusual as the Irish writer Oscar Wilde.

Wilde appeared in 1882 at the Coulter Opera House, which occupied the second and third floors of what today is the Merchants Bank Building at Broadway and Downer Place downtown. [This would have been during his famous D'Oyly Carte lecture tour. SLC.]. . .His performance in Aurora apparently was not too well-received. Caroline Stop Johnson, the daughter of Aurora's pioneer woolen manufacturer, Joseph Stolp, wrote that "the lecture was a dreary performance, delivered in an adenoidal voice..."

"We could not understand him, but his appearance was entertaining," she said. "He has an eloquent, though gross, mouth of a ready speaker that disclosed the need of American dentistry."

The source for this column was the World Book Encyclopedia and Aurora, 1837-1987, by Robert Barclay.



Ian Bradley mentions in The Complete Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan, in the introduction to Patience (p. 269), that Wilde was scheduled to appear in each city just as the opera was about to open there. This Beacon article didn't mention if Patience ever played in Aurora, but it would be interesting to find out, and learn how the Stolps reacted to it.





Gilbert and Sullivan's Other Works

Synopsis of The Beauty Stone

Synopsis by Arthur Robinson



Sullivan's "Original Romantic Musical Drama" The Beauty Stone, with a libretto by Arthur Pinero and J. Comyns Carr, opened at the Savoy Theatre on 28 May 1898, and closed after only fifty performances--the shortest run of any of his operas.

The major characters are: Simon Limal, a weaver; Joan, his wife; Laine, their daughter; Philip, Lord of Mirlemont; Saida, his "Eastern lady"; Guntran of Beaugrant, an elderly knight; Jacqueline, an urchin; and, as a special guest star, none other than the Devil himself. The play is set in the Flemish town of Mirlemont, in the year 1408.

Act I opens in the house--or rather hovel--of poverty-stricken Simon Limal and his wife, Joan. They lament their dreary life and the affliction of their crippled and "uncomely" daughter, Laine. Laine has gone out for water but now returns, pursued by an unruly mob that is mocking her; she is protected by Jacqueline, who says she is "fond of mischief" but draws the line at teasing cripples. Jacqueline finally lures the crowd away with the tempting proposal that they throw stones through the windows of the local miser.

A beauty contest is scheduled in Mirlemont that day, to be judged by Philip, Lord of Mirlemont. Laine wishes she were beautiful, and indicates that she has long had a crush on Philip, a once heroic warrior who now lives in luxury and idleness. When her parents go out, Laine prays to an image of the Virgin Mary for either love or death.

Apparently the wires get crossed, for the Devil now appears, disguised as a friar. He appears genial and sympathetic (when he learns Laine is lame because of a fall, he tells her that he too once had a fall). He offers her a pebble--the beauty stone of the title--that makes anyone who has it "surpassingly beauteous." Joan, who has returned with her husband, has misgivings, but Laine takes the stone and quickly becomes beautiful and able to walk without her crutch.

The second scene of Act I take place in the market-place of Mirlemont, where the townspeople are preparing for the beauty contest, making disparaging remarks about some of the contestants. The Devil shows up, this time in the guise of an Italian count. He talks with Sir Guntran, who expresses disapproval of his friend Lord Philip's peaceful life and dalliance with the lady Saida. The Devil then encounters Jacqueline; he approves of her propensity for stealing and causing mischief, and invites her to disguise herself as a boy and become his page. She refuses at first, but he fixes his gaze on her and forces her to obey his will.

Philip arrives with his mistress, Saida, to judge the beauty contest. The contestants parade in front of Philip while Nicholas Dircks, the Burgomaster, sings (presumably Bert Parks was unavailable). Philip is bored by the maidens of Flanders and cuts the competition short, telling Dircks to give each contestant ten groats and send them home. The Devil suggests staging a betrothal between a "loathsome dwarf" and the "uncomeliest maid in Mirlemont"; the burgomaster suggests Laine for the latter. When she is brought to the market place, Philip is struck by her beauty. The townspeople are frightened by the change in Laine's appearance, believing she must be a witch; but Philip insists that her beauty could only come from heaven.

Act II begins in Castle Mirlemont, where "dissolute knights" and their "frivolous" ladies are engaged in drinking and gambling (presumably the ultimate in debauchery), while Philip impatiently awaits Laine's arrival. Saida performs a song and dance in an attempt to recapture his love; he shows signs of responding until Laine arrives, whereupon he loses interest in Saida, to the latter's fury. Philip professes his love for Laine, who admits that she has long admired him but is afraid that she is too lowly born for him.

Joan and Simon arrive; Laine embraces them and invites them to come live with her in the castle. The Devil suggests to Philip that he "dispose of these unsightly folk," and takes them off. When Laine sees them from a window, being driven off with cudgels, she is horrified and wants to cast off her beauty. She tries to leave; Philip locks her in, but at last relents and lets her go. Saida rejoices, but the Devil warns her that to regain Philip's love she must gain Laine's beauty; he offers to help her do so. Three lords appear to seek Philip's help in a war; ashamed of his long sloth, and of his treatment of Laine and her parents, he agrees to join them.

In the second scene of Act II, Joan and Simon return to their home. They are soon followed by Laine, who throws the beauty stone on the ground and retreats to her room. Her parents debate what to do with the stone. Each wants the other to take it; they reminisce about each other's beauty when they first met many years earlier. At last Simon takes the stone and becomes a handsome youth; Laine reappears, once again lame and uncomely. But Saida arrives and, with the Devil's help, lures Simon away, as his wife and daughter lament.

The final scene of Act II takes place outside the castle. Jacqueline recounts to the Devil how Saida has been trying to persuade Simon to reveal the secret of his beauty. Philip arrives, accompanied by a crowd, on his way to battle; Laine tries to approach him, but he does not recognize her and, tossing a purse to the "poor cripple," marches off. The crowd follows him, trampling Laine. The act ends with Joan bending over her senseless daughter and raising her hand to heaven "in malediction," while the Devil, according to the stage directions, "looks on approvingly."

Act III is set on the terrace of the castle. Laine's voice is heard from somewhere outside the castle, lamenting her lot. Simon and Saida come on stage; the former is conscience-stricken to hear his daughter. Saida, hearing that Philip is returning victorious from battle, finally persuades Simon to reveal the secret of his beauty, promising in return to stay with him forever.

The Devil is pleased with the progress of his "jest," but when Jacqueline reveals that she has fallen in love with him, he flings her aside, annoyed that she is "sick with pure, honest, maidenly devotion. Puh!" Saida steals the beauty stone and rejects Simon, who without the stone has become once again "a feeble, broken old man." She greets Philip as he arrives with a bandage over his eyes. Guntran proclaims that it is a time for rejoicing, as Philip has fought heroically; he considers it an unimportant detail that his friend has been blinded in the process. Since Philip cannot see Saida, he shows no interest when she describes how beautiful she now is. But when he hears Laine singing, he demands to be taken to her. Saida tells him how ugly Laine has become, but he says he can see how beautiful she is, because he can see into her soul. Enraged, Saida casts off the beauty stone; the Devil cheerfully picks it up.

The final scene is set in the market-place. Simon returns to Joan, who forgives him. The Devil reappears, again disguised as a friar. Jacqueline, recovered from his influence, wonders whether she has dreamed the events of the past week, and asks the "friar" for his blessing, promising to "be a good girl for evermore," which horrifies the Devil. Laine is reunited with her parents, her friend Jacqueline, and (of course) Philip, who proclaims that now that he is blind, he can see Laine truly at last. The curtain falls on general rejoicing from all except the Devil, who steals off, evidently allergic to happy endings.



The 1998 MGS Big Quiz



We are indebted to Arthur Robinson again this year for the quiz this year, and hope you have more fun answering it than he had compiling it. If possible. As always, the rules of the big quiz are simple. The member who answers the most questions correctly wins a prize. You can refer to any reference sources you like, but all responses must be received by the Midwestern Gilbert and Sullivan Society by October 1, 1998. The answers will be checked and winners will be notified. In case of a tie, the response received first will take precedence, and decisions of the quiz correctors are final. This year's big prize winner will receive something nice--I don't know what he or she will win yet, since we're still running short from last July, but what we do find for a prize will be certain to satisfy.

Now, if you feel intimidated, you need not. The Society's founding fathers, in their wisdom, knew that many members would be novices in matters G&S-ical, so they saw to it that the member who makes an honest effort to answer the questions correctly and answers the fewest correctly will also win a nice prize. All are welcome to participate, even if you won a prize in the last quiz. We'll look forward to hearing from you (before October 1, don't forget). Any Questions?

Then let the Revels Commence!



1. On what date was Sullivan knighted?

2. On what date was Gilbert knighted?

3. From which Gilbert and Sullivan opera does the music for "Hail, hail, the gang's all here" come?

4. Who wrote the music for Gilbert's 1874 "extravaganza" Topsyturvydom?

5. 1998 marks the centennial of Sullivan's The Beauty Stone, which opened at the Savoy Theatre on May 28, 1898. Who wrote the libretto for this work?

6. What part did Walter Passmore play in The Beauty Stone?

7. In which Gilbert and Sullivan opera is there a reference to red tape?

8. Where does the Learned Judge suggest to the Usher that he go?

9. What is Lady Sangazure's Christian/given name?

10. From where do the carved oak and tapestry in the Corcorans' home come?

11. Who can tell undoubted Rafaels from Gerard Dows and Zoffanies (although he has more difficulty telling a chassêpot rifle from a javelin)?

12. What does Bunthorne say he would do if he had Elysian Fields?

13. Who was a fairy down to the waist, but had mortal legs?

14. What is the name of the hostess of the Pigeons?

15. At what age (according to Yum-Yum) do girls in Japan come to "years of discretion"?

16. How long before the action of Ruddigore begins did Sir Ruthven flee his home and adopt the identity of a mild-mannered farmer?

17. What happens if a family fool tells a joke that's too French?

18. From what does the Duchess of Plaza-Toro vow her complexion derives its perfection?

19. who has an aunt in the publication department of The Palace Peeper [The Utopian edition, not the New York one].

20. What is the subtitle of The Grand Duke?

21. In which opera is Beethoven mentioned?

22. In which opera is Hans Christian Anderson mentioned?

23. Who is Hugh Ambrose?

24. In Gilbert's Bab Balled "Captain Reece", what is the name of the ship that Captain Reece commands?

25. Who claims that his "nature is love and light"?

26. Who is Ko-Ko's solicitor?

27. Why is Sir Despard "moody and sad" (according to himself)?

28. Which Gilbert and Sullivan opera takes place in the sixteenth century?

29. In which Gilbert and Sullivan opera is there a reference to a bicycle?

30. what is the Mikado's "object all sublime"?

31. Who describes himself as "a very Narcissus"?

32. Who describes himself as "an old fogy"?

33. What, according to Phyllis, is the penalty for marrying a Ward of Court without the Lord Chancellor's consent?

34. What, according to Ko-Ko, is the penalty for being the wife of a man who is beheaded?

35. How old is Scaphio?

36. How old is the Lord Chancellor's attorney (in his dream)?

37. What treat (again, in his dream) does the Lord Chancellor serve a party of friends and relations?

38. Whom does the Learned Judge claim to have restored "to his friends and his relations"?

39. How, according to King Gama, does Hildebrand torture him with "torments worse than death"?

40. In which two operas are there references to torture chambers?

41. In which two operas does a Headsman (in one case, only a nominal Headsman) appear on stage?

42. Name two operas in which a notary appears?

43. What is the name of Pygmalion's wife in Gilbert's 1871 play Pygmalion and Galatea?

44. During a performance of what Gilbert and Sullivan opera is a murder committed in Sara Hoskinson Frommer's 1997 mystery novel Murder and Sullivan?

45. Who has arms that are "tattooed to the shoulder"?

46. Who "always tries to utter lies, and every time he fails"?

47. Who says that he has "a great respect for brains -- I often wish I had some myself"?

48. Who employs an Acting Temporary Sub-Deputy Assistant Vice-Chamberlain?

49. What was Teasing Tom's "favourite toy"?

50. Who claims to have forged his own will?



Bonus Question: In Mary Roberts Rinehart's book Three Pirates of Penzance, what is the name of the main character?





Donation Materials



In the last issue, we set out a number of items the Midwestern Gilbert and Sullivan Society has for donation to midwestern libraries (though we could extend our definition of midwest if it'll get these things into circulation). As we said before, they aren't doing anyone any good sitting in Sarah Cole's basement. If your local public, academic, or school library does not already have an item, and you think they could use it, drop Sarah Cole a note with 1.) the item in question, 2.) the name and address of the library, and if possible, 3.) the name of the person in charge of acquisitions. The MGS will then contact the library to see if it would accept the item, and we'll see where we go from there. The things we have for donation are:

Books:

The Complete Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan (Bradley, Ian, ed. Oxford University Press, 1996. ISBN 019816503X)

W.S. Gilbert: A Classical Victorian & His Theatre (Stedman, Jane W. Oxford University Press, 1996. ISBN 0198161743)



Compact Discs:

Patience (D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 1961. London 425 193-2)

Utopia Limited / Macbeth Overture, Victoria and Merrie England (Suite No. 1), Marmion Overture (D'Oyly Carte Opera Company / Royal Philharmonic Overture, 1975-1979. London 436 816-2)

Yeomen of the Guard / Trial by Jury (Orchestra & Chorus of the Welsh National Opera, 1995. Telarc 2CD-80404.)



Cassettes:

Highlights from The Mikado (English National Opera and Chorus, circa 1985)

Gilbert & Sullivan Overtures (D'Oyly Carte Opera Company Orchestra / New Sadler's Wells Opera Orchestra. Includes overtures to Mikado, Iolanthe, Pinafore, Pirates, Ruddigore, Gondoliers, Yeomen, and Di Ballo.)

HMS Pinafore (Chorus and Orchestra of the New Sadler's Wells Opera, mid 1980s)

HMS Pinafore (D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, early 1960s)

Yeomen of the Guard (D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, early 1960s)

Gondoliers / Marmion Overture (D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, mid 1970s).



Member Herman Fried has been very generous, and has donated copies of the Stratford Festival's videos of Iolanthe, The Mikado, and The Gondoliers. They have been used, but they are by all indications in good shape. If your local library is interested in improving its municipal cultural level, they would make good additions. As with the other items, let Sarah Cole know what your library could use, and who to contact. We will look forward to hearing from you!



So that's what we have so far. I still have a clothesbasketful of newsletters to go through, but we're making progress on it. Once that matter is under control, the Nonsenses should get longer. Happily, if the proposed postal increase goes into effect, it should act as an encouragement for longer issues. The cost of a 2-ounce letter will remain the same, while mailing a 1-ounce one goes up. By the way, I was beginning to think that the lack of membership response was something personal, but it turns out that things are tough all over. The February 1998 issue of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Nova Scotia's Katisha Scream commented on the lack of membership submissions to explain the number of articles taken from Internet sources. Since S/A Cole doesn't have Internet access, we have to depend on our own resources for Nonsense material.



Last time around, I said I needed some help with the Society, or we'd have to go on in the uneven matter of putting out newsletters. Since that January statement, nobody has complained about them, so it appears that we'll just go on as we have been. But don't let that stop you from keeping in touch. As it says on our interest letter, "We all have a fine time when we work at it." If you'd prefer a finer time, we're going to need to work at it.

In any event, please do keep in touch!



Midwestern Gilbert and Sullivan Society

c/o Miss Sarah Cole -- 613 W. State St.

North Aurora, IL 60542-1538