The Gilbert and Sullivan Newsletter Archive
The Trumpet Bray
NEGASS
New England Gilbert and Sullivan Society
P. O. Box 367, Arlington, MA 02174-0004
"Ye torrents roar! Ye tempests howl!"
Vol. XX, No 8
May, 1996
Life is love in Merry May
Sudbury Retrospective: PRINCESS IDA Sunday, May 5 at 2:30 PM
On May 5 at 2:30 PM (note the unusual starting time!!!), NEGASSers will join the Sudbury Savoyards at the Sudbury United Methodist Church for a concert of highlights from the group's recent production of IDA. Dame Rumour whispers that this was the best production the group has ever presented. Sorry We can't revisit the gorgeous sets and costumes by Ron and Janice Dallas but We can enjoy once more the glorious voices of an outstanding cast. (Those NEGASSers who joined recently as a result of reading about us in the March 17 Boston Globe Northwest Weekly article, but who were unable to catch the show, can now satisfy their curiosity even if they won't get to see Jim Parmentier in his long johns!)
HOW TO GET THERE: SUDBURY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. The church is located at 251 Old Sudbury Road, a.k.a. Route 27, in Guess Which Town. >From Route 128, take Route 20 west (through Weston and Wayland) to Route 27. Follow Route 27 northwards to Sudbury Center. How do you know you're there, when it all looks like Country? After sailing along at around 45 mph, past a lovely Wetlands, you'll suddenly see a 30 mph sign. This will be followed immediately by a People Crossing sign. Sudbury United Methodist Church, a large white church surrounded by a large parking lot, will appear immediately afterwards, on your left.
THE ROYAL VIC IN WATERTOWN: On Sunday, 14 April the members of NEGASS and their friends were treated to a glorious performance of Gilbert's one act opera EYES AND NO EYES or The Art of Seeing, wonderfully presented by Chuck Berney's Royal Victorian Opera Company. EYES AND NO EYES was the last of the pieces written for GermanReed's Gallery of Illustration and produced several months after TRIAL. It is free (for the most part) of much of the 'bad' humor which characterizes his earlier works. Here one finds a mature work, for this kind of satire, which is full of characterization and reasonably logical for Gilbert in his rather free interpretation of The Emperor's New Clothes.
While Gilbert never reused this particular plotline, many bits are very familiar to the knowledgeable Savoyard: the operetta opens with a maiden, Clochette, sitting at a spinning wheel singing about her future, the aging contralto Nicolette is referred to as "an acquired taste," the rakish uncle Cassandre had at one time acquired, like Sir Joseph Porter, a troop of lovesick grandmothers (in this case) who followed him where ever he went. This performance used the music written in 1895 by 'Florian Pascal,' the alias of Joseph Williams, Jr., son of the publisher who bought the GermanReed's estate, replacing that of GermanReed, which was presumably lost. It was adeptly played by pianist Wayne Ward. While there are highlights to the music, it sounds a trifle outofplace there are touches of early Debussy rather than like Clay or Sullivan; and, unfortunately, nothing could help the rather boring musical introduction the fault of the music, not Mr. Ward.
Carol Mastrodomenico as Columbine and Candace Zaiden as Clochette made the two most delightful and mischievous minxes who ever bedeviled a rakish old uncle. Erik Steigen and Gerhard Tegeder ably portrayed their two somewhat oafish and roving suitors, Pierrot and Arliquin early versions of Marco and Giuseppe Palmieri who were somewhat surprised to find, in a delightful trio with Clochette, that "Of our parents each child is the son.. "
The plot revolves around a cloak which Columbine is supposed to buy for Cassandre's betrothal to Nicolette. She misplaces it, and the girls concoct a magic cloak which will be visible only to true lovers, not flirts. The twin brothers are most bemused to find that they can NOT see it but pretend to. But the real cloak turns up just in time for Cassandre and Nicolette to be told that only flirts can see it; they pretend they don't. All is sorted out in the end (you will have to see it to learn how), with each of the girls getting the right boy, after they have been tossed up for, getting the wrong ones and sneaking a switch.
Stuart Rubinow, a longtime regular of the Royal Vic, was everything one could wish for in a lecherous comic baritone, while Joanne Messier stole the show as the aging contralto. This is not one of the usual Gilbertian lovesick old maids, but a "femmefatale" who has had a very good life as a siren, a basilisk, a maneater, and who is grabbing at the chance to settle down (if possible). She fully characterizes herself in the showstopping "Yes, yes, I am that miserable beauty." The two of them have a wonderful duet, "When you were eight and twenty," in which Cassandre sings about his life during the past 30 years he is now 58 as does she she is still 28!
As is usual with the Royal Vic, the staging was exemplary, timing was excellent and the interactions of the cast were superb. If there is a minor quibble, it is that some of the diction was not as crisp as one might like some of the jokes seemed to go over the audience's head.
For those unlucky enough to have missed the performance, they will have a second chance: Saturday, May 4 at 8 p.m. in the Watertown Church (see Calendar). But they will have to pay for it (Church benefit.) It will be worth it; I will try to go again myself. J. DONALD SMITH
Remaining 199596 Meeting Schedule:
6/9 Election/Business meeting AND "Collecting G&S Memorabilia"
(Hosted by J. Donald Smith at the Newton Library)
~ NEXT BRAY COPY DEADLINE: May 19 ~
Next BrayStuffing: On Sunday, May 26 at 3 PM we'll meet at Our New Home: 111 Fairmont Street, Arlington, MA to fold & stuff the Bray and, if we can avoid another Board Meeting, to read through a Gilbert play perhaps Sweethearts, finally. Call Us at (617) 6469115 for directions. mlc
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Welcome, Welcome, Welcome We new members Arthur H. Feinberg of Andover, Mrs. Mavis O'Brien of Acton, and Trudy Cole Sevier of Stoneham. All three list themselves as "Enthusiastic Audience," and Trudy owns that she likes to sing, adding, "I also do some amateur clowning." We hope We'll eventually succeed in pulling you into a LastMinute Light Opera production, at least! Hearty Greetings Offer We!
Elections are approaching! We beg NEGASSers' pardon for incomplete information printed in the last Bray. The Constitution plainly states:
The membership of the Executive Committee shall be elected at the annual business meeting on the following basis:
President, Treasurer, and two Members at Large: Odd Years. Vice President, Secretary, and three Members at Large: Even Years. Program Director: Annually
In other words, since 1996 is an Even Year (seems odd, don't it? but let that pass...), it seems that this is the year for the Public Exploder to get to work on the VP, Secretary, and 3 of the MALs. Is this Public Gratitude? Is this...?
Actually, Public Gratitude could be best expressed by NEGASSers trying out positions on the Board. This group can't last if nobody new takes a stab at running things every now and then. With President Dick running for public office (as a Republican, in Newton will you vote for him?) under the banner of Term Limits, NEGASS is in danger of its leadership holding to its own principles, and disappearing! And then where would we be?
So call any one of the board members listed in the Masthead (on the last page of the Bray), and ask us about the job we do. We'll be happy to point you in the right direction for a role that will suit you, and that will do good for the Society. mlc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WARREN COLSON MEMORIAL COLLECTION: As part of the NEGASS meeting at the Newton Free Library on Sunday, June 9, there will be a formal dedication of the Warren Colson Memorial Collection of Gilbert and SullivanRelated Materials. A number of donations of books and scores have already been received and will be on display for the occasion. The Library can accept books, scores, longplaying records and compact discs but is unable accommodate 78 rpm records, programs, newsletters or other items of ephemera. Donations may be made at any time and can be sent to: Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street, Newton Centre, MA 02159; attn: Ms. K. GlickWeil, Library Director. For tax purposes your donation should be accompanied by a letter itemizing your contributions. Please indicate if any item should be part of a noncirculating reference collection rather than being available for circulation. NEGASS and the Newton Library look forward to your presence on the occasion of the Dedication. J. DONALD SMITH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE GENTLEMAN IN BLACK Concord, New Hampshire was the scene of a world premiere: On February 2, a theatrical troupe drawn largely from the third form (ninth grade) of St. Paul's School gave the firstever performance of Jonathan Strong's recreation of W. S. Gilbert's musical play, The Gentleman in Black. The original version of this piece opened in 1870 with a score by Frederic Clay. The score was never published and was lost, so Gentleman was never revived. As he has with other scoreless Gilbert works (e.g., Thespis, Happy Arcadia), Strong searched the musical literature for works by Sullivan that fit the existing lyrics and enhanced the mood, eventually putting together a complete score.
The plot centers on Hans Gopp, a simple peasant engaged to Bertha, the most beautiful girl in the village. Enter the Baron von Schlachenstein, hideous in appearance but strangely attractive to women; he woos Bertha, who seems to respond. This depresses Hans, who wishes himself in the Baron's place. The Mephistophelian "Gentleman in Black" (another visitor to the village) reveals that he has he power to exchange souls if both parties agree to the transaction. The Baron appears, angry because Bertha has rejected him, saying she flirted only to tease Hans. Eager to experience Bertha's affection, the Baron agrees to the proffered transfer of souls, to last for one calendar month. The Gentleman performs an incantation and the transaction is accomplished (that is, the actor playing Hans adapts the vocal and physical mannerisms of the Baron, and vice versa). Complications follow, many of them involving familiar Gilbertian themes (babyswitching, calendrical technicalities, etc.).
The St. Paul's production was staged by David Newman, director of drama at the school, and musicdirected by MJ Hackett and Holly OutwinTepe. These people did their work well: the production had a satisfying look to it, and the musical numbers were sung with accuracy and spirit. The staging was particularly commendable the blocking was fluid and graceful. The student actors were of course inexperienced, but spoke clearly, were well in character, and entered enthusiastically into the spirit of the enterprise. Nicole Humick was charming as Bertha, Brooke Lloyd an effective protagonist as Hans, Kang Kim was fearsome and energetic as the Baron, and Brandon Barry projected a mysterious, MickJaggerlike presence as the Gentleman. Strong's musical arrangement was effective throughout. One particular touch was memorable: In Act I, saddened by Bertha's behaviour, Hans sings a melancholy song ("Your Saturday Night"); in Act II he repeats the song, but by this time the transfer of souls has taken place, so it is sung by the actor who was originally the Baron. It is an imaginative use of the theatrical situation, particularly so since the song is Strong's interpolation, utilizing lyrics from Gilbert's's 1888 play Brantingame Hall and music from Sullivan's score for Haddon Hall (1892).
This production was enjoyable in itself and proved the viability of the GilbertSullivanStrong collaboration. It also whets the appetite to see further productions, in particular to see other explorations of the HansBaron persona exchange. Should the actors be physically contrasting types (Hans was originally a trousers role), or should they be physically similar to enhance the believability of the exchange? Theatrical troupes interested in expanding their G&S repertoire and exploring this material should get in touch with Jonathan Strong. KING PORTICO
[We apologize to King Portico for having misplaced his review until recently. Jonathan, meanwhile, wishes to add praise for "diminutive Brian Lopez who made an everlasting impression as Grumpff (the Old Adam of the piece)... and Johnsie Cagle's performance as the Baroness (the Katisha of the piece) inspired me to add two new songs (taken from Bab Ballads) to the role for the next performance any takers?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Did anyone catch the East Lyme Arts Council's RUDDIGORE last weekend? Bill Kelly wrote: "I heard some highlights from the cast in a concert performance a few days ago, and can say that it looks promising" but the news arrived too late to be included in a Bray.
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As a result of traditional New Englanders' independence, truly exemplified by NEGASSers in general, no one attending the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Philadelphia can agree on dates of arrival or departure, modes of transportation or other items requiring agreement for planning. As a result, YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN. The best we can do is to say that we can all get together in Philadelphia, if possible, for a meal or libation. Of course such arrangements will, of necessity, be ad hoc. J. DONALD SMITH Now that that's settled, it's time to plan for the Buxton leg. So here's the
Sunday August 4th 10.00 am Societies Sing Along around Buxton 2.30 pm Costume Parade leaves The Octagon 3.00 pm Societies form mass Choir for Opening Ceremony and Sing, in The Octagon 5.30 pm NODA / Festival Organiser's Reception for Chairmen of Musical Societies 7.00 pm "Singing from the Gallery" of the Opera House 7.30 pm Opera House a galaxy of Former D'Oyly Carte Stars in fullscale productions of COX & BOX and TRIAL 9.30 pm Opening night of the Festival Club. "Getting to know you!", an old time dance in The Octagon with big band, featuring some special Sullivan dancing
Monday August 5th 9.30 am Summer School for children aged 9 18 begins with daily classes 9.30 am to 4.30 pm through to performances of PIRATES, August 16th and 17th 10.30 am Coffee & Conversation Kenneth Sandford 3.00 pm Master Class Kenneth Sandford 3.00 pm Sonoma Valley, USA Childrens Chorale GONDOLIERS, Paxton Theatre 7.30 pm Derby Gilbert & Sullivan Company MIKADO 10.00 pm Festival Club, Pavilion Lounge, including Pot Luck YEOMEN
Tuesday August 6th 10.30 am Video Savoy Company Philadelphia PATIENCE 2.00 pm Half day excursion to Chatsworth House home of the Duke of Devonshire 3.00 pm Sonoma Valley Childrens Chor. GONDOLIERS 7.30 pm Cardiff Gilbert & Sullivan Society SORCERER 10.00 pm Festival Club, inc. Pot Luck PINAFORE
Wednesday August 7th 8.30 am Full day excursion to StratfordonAvon 10.00 am Savoynet Subscribers Coffee & Conversation 11.00 am "Not from Scholastic Trammels Free" a discussion of producing G&S in schools, co ordinated by Pamela LeightonBilik, Wash., DC 2.30 pm Video presentation from Philadelphia Western Australia TRIAL WITHOUT JURY and Chester County PINAFORE 7.30 pm Sale Gilbert & Sullivan Society PATIENCE 10.00 pm Festival Club and Cabaret
Thursday August 8th 10.30 am Coffee and Conversation with Joyce Wright 3.00 pm Master Class Joyce Wright 10.00 pm Festival Club; Pot Luck IOLANTHE
Friday August 9th 8.00 am Full day excursion to the English Lake District 10.30 am Coffee and Conversation with Patricia Leonard and Mike Buchan 3.00 pm Master Class Pat Leonard and Mike Buchan 3.00 pm (Provisional) MIKADO, featuring Buxton school children with W. Yorkshire Savoyard principals 7.30 pm Forum Theatre, Billingham 's Festival Production of PIRATES, 1879 version 10.00 pm Festival Club and Cabaret
Saturday August 10th 10.00 am Auditions for Festival Production, IOLANTHE 10.30 am to 6.00 pm: Gilbert & Sullivan Memorabilia Fair 2.00 pm Societies Sing Along around Buxton 2.00 pm An intro. to THE ROSE OF PERSIA by the Sir Arthur Sullivan Society & Friends of the Harem 3.30 pm "Dear Jessie," a musical tribute from Janet Cowley and friends, to the life of Jessie Bond 7.30 pm British Premier RUDDIGORE; Original Stars from the D'Oyly Carte 10.00 pm Festival Club Pot Luck UTOPIA
Sunday August 11th am Gilbert & Sullivan Thanksgiving Service (to be finalised) including lecture from Rev Ian Bradley, author of The Complete Annotated G&S 10.00 am to 5.00 pm: Gilbert & Sullivan Memorabilia Fair 2.00 pm Societies Sing Along around Buxton 3.00 pm Master Class Gillian Knight 3.00 pm Childrens repeat performance MIKADO 7.30 pm South Anglia Savoy Players YEOMEN 10.00 pm Festival Club and Cabaret, Pavilion Lounge
Monday August 12th 8.30 am Day trip to historic York 10.30 am Video, (Palace Hotel), Philadelphia performance by Oberlin College of The Princess 3.00 pm Philadelphia video Oberlin College IDA All day Festival Production Rehearsal 7.30 pm Friends of the Harem ROSE OF PERSIA 10.00 pm Festival Club Pot Luck IDA
Tuesday August 13th 8.30 am Day trip to Warwick Castle 10.30 am Workshop on "DoItYourself" Costumes, Makeup and Props for G&S 3.00 pm Philadelphia video Washington Savoyards GRAND DUKE All day Festival Production Rehearsal 7.30 pm Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society, USA PINAFORE 10.00 pm Festival Club
Wednesday August 14th 10.00 am Coffee and Conversation David Turner 3.00 pm Philadelphia video the Festival IOLANTHE All Day Festival Production Rehearsal 7.30 pm SORCERER ; Original D'Oyly Carte Stars 10.00 pm Festival Club Pot Luck GRAND DUKE
Thursday August 15th 8.30 am Full day excursion to Haworth, the home of the Brontes, and the surrounding Yorkshire countryside 10.30 am Coffee and Conversation Peggy Ann Jones 3.00 pm Master Class Peggy Ann Jones All Day Festival Production Rehearsals 7.30 pm Brussels Light Opera Company PIRATES 10.00 pm Festival Club and Cabaret
Friday August 16th 10.30 am Coffee and Conversation Cynthia Moray 10.30 am Workshop: Promoting, Selling and Financing Amateur Theatre 3.00 pm Master Class Cynthia Moray 3.00 pm Summer School matinee performance PIRATES 7.30 pm St Mary's R.C. High School IDA 10.00 pm Festival Club and Cabaret in The Octagon
Saturday August 17th 10.30 am "The G&S Festival Challenge" something for everyone at the Festival venue to be finalised 3.00 pm The Gilbert & Sullivan Society Lecture "Richard D'Oyly Carte and his Theatrical Dynasty" a two screen illustrated talk by Peter Parker and John Cannon 3.00 pm Summer School performance PIRATES 6.30 pm Friends Reception, Pavilion Gardens Conservatory 7.30 pm Festival Production IOLANTHE 10.00 pm Festival Club Pot Luck MIKADO
Sunday August 18th 10.30 am (Palace Hotel) "The Gilbert and Sullivan Collectors' World" a slide presentation including coffee and conversation with John Cannon, Curator of the G&S Museum 2.30 pm RUDDIGORE Original D'Oyly Carte Stars 6.00 pm Closing Dinner, Cabaret and Awards Ceremony
For ticket and hotel information, Email the Festival Organizers at <100665.3250@compuserve.com>, or reach them via:
Ian Smith, The Old Vicarage, Haley Hill, Halifax , HX3 6DR England. fax Int +44 1422 355604 or phone Int + 44 1422 539161
Or: The Lamplighters has agreed to mail, (within the US), festival newsletters, order forms, etc... A very large shipment of these items arrived at my office today. If you would like any of this info mailed to you directly from San Francisco, please let me know...I'll mail out that day..... JOHN ALECCA
[Reach John at <lampliters@aol.com>, or fax (415) 2270332 but he requests NO CALLS TO THE OFFICE, so don't try to find out his phone number!
~~///////~~~~~~~~~~~~///////~~ CALENDAR:
Longy School of Music's Children's Opera plans PINAFORE, May 3 at 7:30 PM. Call (617) 8760956 x 991 for more info.
Matt and Juliet Cunningham Oliva, longtime NEGASSers, and their company, Janus Opera, plan an operatic parody in the style of Gilbert's wild preSullivan parodies (e.g., The Princess, his precursor to IDA). Mamma Mia, created by Matt, is a take on one of Donizetti's lesserknown comic operas, in which a Stage Mother is played by a male singer. Performances will be 5/3, 4, 10, & 11 at the Boston Church of the New Jerusalem, and on Mothers' Day (5/12) at the First Congregational Church of Waverly. All Perfs at 8 PM; Discount available on the 12 if you bring your mother! Call (617) 4363767 for more info.
An additional performance of Gilbert's Eyes and No Eyes, or, The Art of Seeing by Chuck Berney's Royal Victorian Opera Company will take place Saturday, May 4 at 8:00 p.m. at the First Parish UnitarianUniversalist Church in Watertown. Tickets $12 to benefit the church's Access Project.
The Savoyard Light Opera Co. plans RUDDIGORE on November 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, & 10. They'll hold auditions on May 6, 7, and 9 at the Carlisle Congregational Church, 147 School St. Ensemble auditions begin at 7 PM (music provided); leads auditions run 7:30 10 (accompaniment provided). Call (508) 371SLOC (7562) for an appointment, or sign up when you arrive.
The Sudbury Savoyards (who expect to produce YEOMEN next spring) are trying an experiment: A smallscale, nonmusical, non G&S summer show. Auditions for Brandon Thomas' Charley's Aunt, produced by David Larrick and directed by Michael Cashman, will be held 5/6 & 8 at 7:30 PM at the Sudbury United Methodist Church. Performances will be at the church on 6/28 & 29 & 7/5, 6, 12 & 13 at 8:30 PM, with a 7/14 matinee at 2:30 PM. For info, call Dave at (508) 4438811, or email him at dcl@ties.org.
Hancock County G&S was forced to postpone their GRAND DUKE concert because of snow. They've rescheduled for June 2 at 2 PM see last month's Bray for directions & more info.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery: Lee Patterson of Hancock C G&S so much enjoyed playing Marco in NEGASS's recent LMLO GONDOLIERS that he's planning a PickUp Light Opera production of YEOMEN for June 9 on the same principles: You audition by calling to request a role; desire for a part counts more than talent, and no rehearsals are expected. This will be followed by a potluck dinner and a general singalong, so it sounds like a fun day! Call Lee at (207) 2444044 for more information.
Visitors to Illinois may wish to catch the Light Opera Works production of RUDDIGORE, 8/1725. Call (708)8696300 for tix & info.
Bill Kelly tells Us that The Connecticut Gilbert & Sullivan Society plans PATIENCE in October. More news as it breaks!
He adds: The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, who are presenting PINAFORE this May at the Shubert in New Haven, will perform PIRATES at the Shubert in Spring '97.
THE NEW ENGLAND GILBERT AND SULLIVAN SOCIETY PO Box 367, Arlington, MA 021740004
President RICHARD FREEDMAN (617) 6309525 email: rnf@gis.net Vice President PATRICIA BREWER: (617) 3233480 Secretary CAROL MAHONEY: (617) 6481720 Treasurer CARL WEGGEL: (508) 4740396 Program Chair SHELDON HOCHMAN: (508) 8427617 Members at Large: Membership Officer BILL MAHONEY: (617) 6481720 J. DONALD SMITH: (508) 8235110; email: DSMITH@UMASSD.EDU PETER CAMERON: (508) 9750405 JANICE DALLAS: (617) 2757412 The Trumpet Bray Editor MARION LEEDS CARROLL: (617) 6469115; email: mlcar@ibm.net
NEGASS membership dues are $15 and up. Please send membership inquiries to Bill Mahoney at NEGASS, PO. Box 367, Arlington, MA 021740004
Join Us for a House Strike & Putin Party on Saturday, 4/27, as We move from 13 Cottage Ave. to 111 Fairmont St., 3 1/2 blocks away, in Arlington, MA. Call Us for more info! mlc
Marion
Page created 28 Nov 1996