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. XXI, No. 3
November/December, 1996
November 23: Group Attendanceat MIT G&S Players H.M.S. PINAFORE.
With so many G&S events scheduled over the next few months, your Board has decided that it would be fruitless to compete and instead will sponsor a group outing to a performance of H.M.S. PINAFORE by the MIT G&S Players for the Saturday Matinee, November 23 at 2:00 p.m. President Dick Freedman has agreed to collect the names of attendees to qualify us for a group discount. (Phone: 6176309525. email: rnf@null.net) With the performances available on only one weekend this year, rather than the usual two, tickets are likely to be at a premium. Reserve your tickets early! Performances are held in La Sala de Puerto Rico on the second floor of the MIT Student Center which is located on Massachusetts Avenue directly opposite the doors to the main building. Since parking is apt to be at a premium in the MIT area on Saturday (MIT lots are not available), access is suggested via the MTA Red Line to Kendall Square or to Central Square followed by the No. 1 bus to MIT. In accordance with what has become a somewhat regular practice, a group of regulars will adjourn for dinner at a convenient restaurant after the performance. Please join us! "Nothing easier I appoint you Lord High Substitute." Well, she didn't say it, but our Editor might just as well have. In addition to the indignity of a dead computer, our peerless Editor Marion Leeds Carroll has been the victim of Thespis: "a wet Friday in November" Actually, THE wet Sunday in October left her with three feet of water in her basement and four feet in her backyard. So, at a week's notice, I have been handed the task of "filling up the blanks" of this month's Bray. So, if your favorite item or review isn't here, please regard it as fate; PATIENCE! J. Donald Smith
P.S. Until further notice, please send me electronic copies of any items for the Bray which you send to Marion Leeds Carroll since we don't know when she will be able to "resume her rank and [editorial] duties" again.
From The Theatre, 1 August 1879:
"The sun never goes down on the Queen's Dominions. 'No,' Mr. Gilbert is reported to have said, 'Heaven is afraid to trust an Englishman in the dark.'"
Dates of Note Nov. 18. W.S. Gilbert born 1836. Nov. 22. A.S. Sullivan died 1900, age 58.
October Meeting Reports
On October 6 a group of NEGASS stalwarts braved the normal traffic patterns on Beacon Hill, complicated by some political event which made the traffic worse than usual, to see a 'different' production of Cox and Box, staged by Juliet Cunningham and her Janus Opera Company. Why different? Well, Juliet herself, substituting for an indisposed tenor, played Box and Karen Kettering Dimit performed Mrs. Bouncer (as the role was in the original play Box and Cox.) Only a small amount of textual modification was necessary to make the substitution fully believable and with a wonderful contralto like Ms. Dimit who could blame the company for doing so.
They were joined by John Strumwasser as Cox in a fully staged production in the Church of the New Jerusalem, whose excellent stage and facilities lent themselves very well to the small chamber opera of Sullivan and Burnand. All were in excellent voice and brought out the operatic sendup of the music in a delightful fashion which is not often heard.
About 40 fanatics braved the wet Sunday in October (the 20th) to hear a performance of "From the Savoy to Broadway" at the Newton Library. Benjamin Sears and Bradford Conner traced the influence of G&S in the works of many of the classic Broadway composers and lyricists including the Gershwins ("Strike Up the Band"), Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg and Ira Gershwin and Kurt Weill ("The Ballad of Jenny" from Lady in the Dark).
The G&S derivation was more obvious in some numbers than others but one delightful song followed another for a solid 90 minutes of enjoyment which ended all too soon.
President Dick Freedman has also received an email from Sears and Connor to the effect that they very much enjoyed performing for a group that understood the G&S connection. They regretted that the weather kept attendance down and they would like an opportunity to perform for us again, maybe with a bigger crowd. LHS
News from the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive on the WorldWide Web
Los Angeles, CA, October 22, 1996: Today the National Information Infrastructure (NII) awards program, a competition that recognizes extraordinary achievement in information highway applications, announced that the judges "have narrowed the field of entries to 190 of the most exceptional such projects around the country." We are very pleased that the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive is one of the semifinalists in the Arts and Entertainment category. Judges in this category were looking in particular for entries which "represent new forms of artistic expression or provide new venues for the enjoyment of art, culture, or entertainment." Six finalists in each category will be announced on November 12. Jim Farron
Visit the G&S Archive at:
http://diamond.idbsu.edu/GaS/GaS.html
NEGASS Meeting Schedule Jan. Showing of the film "The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan" at MIT.
Feb. 23 LastMinute Light Opera production of PIRATES OF PENZANCE at Watertown. Call Patricia Brewer (6173233480) to reserve your role.
Mar. Joint Meeting with the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the American Theater Organ Society. Music of Sullivan played on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ at Babson College.
Apr. 27. Royal Victorian Opera present Gilbert & Clay's PRINCESS TOTO (condensed) at Watertown.
May 18. Sudbury YEOMEN OF THE GUARD Retrospective. Join the chorus (and possibly fill in for absent soloists) at the Sudbury Methodist Church.
June Election Meeting.
FESTIVAL WINNERS! Somehow, the list of award winners of the 1996 3rd International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival has not yet made it into the Bray. So, without further ado:
*Best Concerted Item: South Anglia Savoy Players for "Strange Adventure" in Yeomen of the Guard.
*Best Choral Presentation: Seattle G&S Society for Act I Finale, H.M.S. Pinafore.
*Donald Adams Memorial Trophy for Best Male Singer: Tom Derbyshire, Seattle G&S Society, Captain Corcoran in H.M.S. Pinafore.
*Best Female Singer: Carol Sue Hunting, Seattle G&S Society, Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore.
*Best Supporting Male Performer: Lee Woods, Sale G&S Society, Duke of Dunstable in Patience.
*Best Supporting Female: Sally Emerson, Forum Theatre Billingham, Ruth in Pirates of Penzance.
*Best Musical Director, Florrie Marks, Chester County (PA) G&S Society, H.M.S. Pinafore.
*Best Amateur Director: Peter Malloy, Forum Theatre Billingham, Pirates of Penzance, 1879 version.
*Best Professional Director: Alistair Donkin, Sale G&S Society for Patience.
*Savoy Theatre Award for Best Character Actor: Paul Lazell, South Anglia Savoy Players, Wilfred Shadbolt in Yeomen of the Guard.
*Best Character Actress: Betsy Walker, Fairy Queen in Philadelphia Festival Production of Iolanthe.
*Adjudicator's Special Award (Discretionary): Derby G&S Society for its innovative production of The Mikado.
*Best Animated Chorus: Hancock County G&S Society for Gondoliers.
*Best Male Performer: Steven Arvanites, Strephon in the Philadelphia Festival Production of Iolanthe.
*Best Female Performer: Eileen Jackson, Sale G&S Society, Patience in Patience. International Festival Awards:
*Second RunnerUp: Sale G&S Society, Patience.
*First RunnerUp: Forum Theatre Billingham, Pirates of Penzance, 1879 version.
*WINNER: South Anglia Savoy Players, Yeomen of the Guard. (Note: the adjudicated performance was the one in Philadelphia, not Buxton. There were differences. JDS)
G&S for the Holiday Season
With the holiday season almost upon us, it seems appropriate to mention new items for the Gilbert and Sullivan aficionado in your family. 1996 has brought the appearance of two longawaited books: Jane Stedman's scholarly and comprehensive biography "W. S. Gilbert: A Classic Victorian and His Theatre," Oxford University Press, ISBN 0198161743. List Price about $36.00. The second is the revision of Ian Bradley's "The Complete Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan," Oxford University Press, ISBN 0019816503X. List price about $40.00. The latter combines the two previous volumes of annotated plays, with some revisions, and includes for the first time UTOPIA, LIMITED and THE GRAND DUKE.
The Sir Arthur Sullivan Society, in collaboration with Symposium Records, has issued a new compact disc featuring the artistry of Walter Passmore and Charles Workman, George Grossmith's two successors as patter baritones of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Only three of the 26 tracks are duplicated on "The Art of the Savoyard" (Pearl Records, GEMM CD 9991). The disc Symposium 1206 may be ordered from Stephen Turnbull, Cockfield House, 48 Front Street, Cockfield, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL13 5DS, England for ú10:50 or $20, postpaid airmail, if it is not available from your local record store.
San Francisco Lamplighters, winners of last year's G&S Festival, have recorded your favorite G&S items in their first commercial endeavor: Compact disc: $16.00; Cassettes: $12.00. Handling Charge: $2.00 for EACH item ordered.
LAMPLIGHTERS 630 Third Street San Francisco, CA 94107 Fax: (415) 2270332; Phone (415) 2274797; (11:30 am 4:30 pm pst)
Seattle G&S Society have video tapes of their three most recent productions: MIKADO, RUDDYGORE, and H.M.S. PINAFORE at $32 each (includes postage; NTSC format only). These are threecamera shoots with HiFi stereo sound. Also available are cassettes of all of the operas (with dialog) at $9 each or $90 for the entire 14 work canon (including Cox and Box) $2 shipping per order.
Orders to: Seattle G&S Society 800 Mercer Street, Suite B Seattle, WA 98109 (206) 6720796 for phone orders. (206) 2920916 FAX
The major source of collectibles is the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, Musical Collectibles, The Old Vicarage, Haley Hill, Halifax HX3 6DR, UK. Tel: 441422323252; FAX: 441422355604 or email the Festival to receive information directly <100665.3250@COMPUSERVE.COM>
Of special note of the Festival offerings are the videotapes of The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (also known as The Great Gilbert and Sullivan) and the 1966 D'Oyly Carte production of THE MIKADO, the former commercially available for the first time ($30 per tape plus $5 postage). Additional videotapes include all of the amateur performances at the Festival over the past three years. Other items include a 1997 calendar, china mugs decorated with your favorite G&S characters ($10 each plus $4 postage, or $45 for each set of 6), cigarette cards, Coalport figurines of John Wellington Wells and Sir Joseph Porter (the first is shipping, the second is promised, at $150 each), needlepoint kits, and other items too numerous to mention. (Credit cards accepted.)
Enjoy! J. Donald Smith
Auditions!
Dec. 2 and 4. Sudbury Savoyards YEOMEN OF THE GUARD. Auditions for lead roles are scheduled for the first Monday and Wednesday in December with a production date in March. And remember: no auditions for the chorus!
Auditions and Rehearsals are held at Hawes Hall, Sudbury United Methodist Church, 251 Old Sudbury Road (Route 27), in Sudbury Center. Warmups are at 7:25 pm, rehearsals start promptly at 7:30 pm and run until about 10:15 pm. Rehearsals: Mondays beginning in December, Fridays added in January, Wednesdays added for leads. Additional rehearsals during the two weeks before the production. Further information on the Web: http://www.ultranet.com/~savoyard/
February: MIT G&S Players: Auditions for PATIENCE.
Forthcoming Performances
Nov. 2123. MIT G&S Players, H.M.S. PINAFORE. Evenings at 8:00 p.m. in La Sala de Puerto Rico, MIT Student Center. For information: (617) 2530190; email: savoyardsrequest@mit.edu; on the Web at: http://www.mit.edu/activities/gsp/Pinafore
Nov. 25 only. The Queensland Ballet, Australia's longest established professional dance company, present THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE at 8:00 p.m., Roberts Auditorium, Rhode Island College (4014568060). $18 regular; $16 senior; $14 nonRIC students. "The firstever ballet version will delight you with exciting dance from classical ballet to Broadway style." DIRECTIONS: From the NORTH: Take 95 South into Providence. Take Exit #21 (Atwells Avenue exit). At end of ramp, take a right and go 1.5 miles. *Right onto Mt. Pleasant Avenue. Go about 1.2 miles. At a traffic light intersection, take a left at entrance to college. Go up hill, Roberts Hall is first large building you come to with a small circular drive in front of it. From SOUTH: Take 95 North into Providence. Take Exit #21 (Broadway St. exit). Go to second light and take left onto Atwells Avenue. Continue as above *.
Nov. 29 (8 p.m.), 30 (3 & 8 p.m.). Boston Academy of Music, THE MIKADO at the Emerson Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St. (617) 8248000. Advertised as "fully staged, lavishly costumed in Kabuki style with full orchestra and chorus." Tickets: $13 $45.
Nov. 29 Jan. 5. Worcester Foothill Theatre Company: PIRATES OF PENZANCE (traditional version not Papp). Wed. and Fri. at 8 p.m.; Thurs. at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sat. at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Sun. at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The Company is a professional, nonprofit, regional company. Performances at Worcester Foothills at the Worcester Commons Outlets. Box Office: 5087544018. Tickets: $15$24.50; children and students: $8. (Discounts for groups of 12.) DIRECTIONS: Take I290 into downtown Worcester, Exit 16. Right onto East Central St. Left at 4th set of lights onto Commercial St. Left immediately after 1st set of lights into the Worcester Common Fashion Outlets "C" garage (Validated parking). Walk toward Outlets. Theatre entrance is on the Foothills Courtyard.
Dec. 58 and 1114. Harvard G&S Players, PIRATES OF PENZANCE. Evening performances are at 8:00 p.m. with 2:00 p.m. matinees, Dec.8 and 14. Dec. 5 is Black Tie (optional): last evening is "Hack Night," in which the cast, crew and orchestra take "certain liberties" with the script. HRG&SP is celebrating their 40th anniversary, with a reception on Fri., Dec. 6, 7PM11PM, Upper Common Room, Adams House (Plympton St. between Mass. Ave. and Mt. Auburn St.). On Saturday, informal Continental breakfast 8AM11AM; workshops, talks and tours in Agassiz House from 10AM1PM; viewing: "The Gilbert and Sullivan Story" and HRG&SP videos from 10AM4PM; G& S Trivia Contest from 2PM3PM; a Singthrough/Cabaret from 3PM to 5PM; a benefit banquet ($50, $30 for current students or recent alumni) at the Inn at Harvard; performance of Pirates at 8PM. Tickets at Sanders Theatre Box Office, located in Harvard's Memorial Hall or call (617) 4962222. Evenings $8 and $10; matinees $6 and $8. Information on the WorldWide Web: http://hcs.harvard.edu/~hrgsp
Feb. 79 and 1416. G&S Society of Hancock County, Maine: The Mikado. Feb. 7, 8, 14, 15 at 8:00 p.m.; Feb. 9 at 2:00 p.m.; Feb. 16 at 3:00 p.m. Feb. 79 at the Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth, ME (207667
9500); Feb. 1416 at the Maine Center for the Arts, Orono (2075811755). Repeated for the summer crowd in July.
Mar. 2022. Sudbury Savoyards, YEOMEN OF THE GUARD. Evenings at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday matinee at 2:00 p.m. at the LincolnSudbury Regional HighSchool.
April. MIT G&S Players: PATIENCE.
Spring. HarvardRadcliffe G&S Players. THE SORCERER.
Copy Deadline for the January Trumpet Bray: December 16. Bray Stuffing on Sunday, January 5 at 3 p.m. chez Marion Leeds Carroll, 111 Fairmont Street, Arlington. Call 6176469115 to confirm or for directions.
THANKS FOR THE MEMORY (Buxton Version)
(The following was performed by the Seattle G&S Society in their Cabaret Act after their Buxton performance of H.M.S. PINAFORE, with the entire Cabaret being a big band, USOtype production. It was repeated, by invitation, at the Awards Banquet. It is sung to the old Bob Hope song "Thanks for the Memory." This pretty well sums up what the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival is all about. JDS)
Thanks for the memory, The Pirates of Penzance, The sisters and the aunts, The cousins by the dozens, and the Castle Adamants, How lovely it was.
Thanks for the memory, The Yeomen of the Guard, (That judge should be disbarred) The Duke who bet his future on a fickle playing card, How lovely it was.
We've thoroughly been D'Oyly Carted, John Wellington's back where he started, Grosvenor and Patience have parted, I've seen PoohBah and Tarara, So
Thanks for the memories, The Baronet, and Peer, The Buxton atmosphere The Gondoliers and fairies, Lord, I'm dying for a beer! So thank you so much. Mike Storie
Gilbert's Sources
"To while the time away" our Editor, Marion Leeds Carroll, is taking a course in the French Art Song at the Longy School of Music. One project is the following song, PsychÄ, from the play of the same name by Pierre Corneille, Music by Emile Paladilhe.
Psych
Je suis jaloux, Psych , de toute la nature! Les rayons du soleil vous baisent trop souvent, Vos cheveus souffrent tro des caresses du vent; Quant il les flatte, j'en murmure! L'air m me que vous respires Avec trop de plaisir passe sur votre bouche. Votre habit de trop pr s vous touche! Et sit t que vous soupirez, Je ne sais quoi qui m'effarouche Craint, parmi vos soupirs, des soupirs gar s! Pierre Corneille
I am jealous, Psyche, of all of nature! The rays of the sun kiss you too often, Your locks permit the wind too many caresses; When it strokes them, I complain of it! The very air you breathe Passes your lips with too much pleasure. Your clothing touches you too closely! And whenever you sigh, I do not know what it is which scares me; Afraid, among your sighs, of sighs gone astray! translation, Marion Leeds Carroll
Marion notes its resemblance to the number for Wilfred Shadbolt, cut from Act I of THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD. (The monologue following his opening scene with Phoebe replaced the song.):
Jealous Torments
When jealous torments rack my soul My agonies I can't control; Oh better sit on redhot coal Than love a heartless jade! The redhot coal will hurt no doubt, But redhot coals in time die out But jealousy you can not rout; Its fires will never fade. It's much less painful on the whole To go and sit on redhot coal Till you're completely flayed Or ask a kindly friend to crack, Your wretched bones upon the rack, Than love a heartless jade, Than love a heartless jade!
The kerchief on your neck of snow I look on as a deadly foe It goeth where I dare not go, And stops there all day long! The belt that holds you in its grasp Is to my peace of mind a rasp, It claspeth what I dare not clasp Correct me if I'm wrong! It's much less painful on the whole, etc.
The bird that breakfasts on your lip; I would I had him in my grip He sippeth where I dare not sip I can't get over that. The cat you fondle soft and sly, He layeth where I dare not lie, We're not on terms, that cat and I I do not like that cat! It's much less painful on the whole, etc. W. S. Gilbert
The New England Gilbert and Sullivan Society P.O. Box 367, Arlington, MA 021740004
President, Richard Freedman, 6176309525. email: rnf@null.net
VicePresident: Patricia Brewer, 6173233480.
Secretary: Carol Mahoney, 6176481720.
Treasurer: Carl Weggel, 5084740396.
Program Chair: Peter Cameron, 5089750405.
MembersatLarge:
Janice Dallas, 6172757412; email: JaniceDals@aol.com
Sheldon Hochman, 5088427617.
J. Donald Smith, 5088235110; email: dsmith@umassd.edu
Membership Officer: Bill Mahoney, 6176481720.
Newsletter Editor: Marion Leeds Carroll, 6176469115; email: mlcar@mit.edu NEGASS membership dues are $15 and up. Please send inquiries and checks to Bill Mahoney at P.O. Box 367, Arlington, MA 021740004 The NEGASS Web Page is located at: http://diamond.edbsu.edu/GaS/societies/negass.html
Gleanings from Savoynet (by permission):
Ebenezer Scrooge Meets King Gama
(I thought I'd be the first to wish everyone on Savoynet a merry Christmas. Here's a little Christmas carol to warm your hearts:)
If you give me your attention I will tell you what I am: I'm a miserable old coot who thinks that Christmas is a scam. Each advert on the telly and each shop window display Makes me queasy in my belly, makes me shiver with dismay. It starts in early August in the large department stores. Then a dozen different catalogues come dropping through our doors. They say that it's the time of year to spend the most we can And overstretch our credit cards to treat our fellow man. But I can't think why!
In every bar and restaurant there's that awful tape they play Of Slade and Paul McCartney, it's the same one every day. The music is monotonous, the lyrics are banal And those sleighbells make me want to bang my head against a wall. In every shopping centre and in every village square Those dreadful dirgelike carols coming at you everywhere. And I know I can't escape it; however much I plan Someone's bound to play that blasted Paul McCartney tape again. But I can't think why!
I'm sure I'm not a killjoy, I'm as pleasant as can be. I just wish I could wrap up Christmas and drop it in the sea. The neighbours' latenight parties drive me clean out of my mind And their kids with their computer games are a pain in the behind. Then all those distant relatives, I hoped I'd never see, Just happened to be passing, they invite themselves to tea. They monopolize the box and watch the films that I can't stand. While the Church says, "Peace on Earth, goodwill unto your fellow man." But I can't think why! I can't think why!
And a Happy New Year. Mike Nash
The G&S Government
As election day approaches in the U.S, it is fun to contemplate the kind of government we would have if it were completely composed of G&S characters. If nothing else, it would be equally as efficient, very tuneful, and certainly more entertaining than the cast of characters we seem to have stuck ourselves with. Herewith is a first cut at a sample ballot. Remember, you are allowed to take a sample ballot into the polling booth with you to help with your decisions.
FOR PRESIDENT: PoohBah. Here is a man who has had more experience than any other single government insider in the history of the planet. He also accepts bribes from special interests with grace and aplomb.
FOR VICE PRESIDENT: "What's his name." This position is not particularly important. You may as well vote for "you know who," or "likewise never mind."
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: The Lord Chancellor, The Learned Judge, The Sergeant of Police, The Grand Inquisitor, The Lord High Executioner, The Usher, The Solicitor, Council for the Plaintiff, The Associate, The Notary
THE BOMB SQUAD: Tarara
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (Navy): Sir. Joseph Porter, Captain Corcoran, Ralph Rackstraw, Richard Dauntless, Bill Bobstay, Bob Becket, Dick Deadeye, Tom Tucker
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (Army): MajorGeneral Stanley, Colonel Calverly, Colonel Fairfax, Major Murgatroyd, Captain Fitzbattleaxe, Lieutenant the Duke of Dunstable, Sir Richard Cholmondeley, Sergeant Meryll, Sergeant Bouncer (Detached), Private Willis, The Heavy Dragoons, The First Life Guards. Arac, Guron, Scynthius (Consultants).
BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS: Captain Shaw, Tipseion, Cyril.
DEPT. OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE: Princess Ida, Despard Murgatroyd, Mad Margaret, Lady Blanche, Lady Psyche, Lady Sophy, Dame Hannah, Zorah, Mr. Blushington
DEPT OF AGRICULTURE: Patience (Dairy), Phyllis (Livestock), Robin Oakapple (General Farming)
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION:Mr. Goldbury, John Wellington Wells of J.W. Wells & Co., Mrs. Cripps (SelfEmployed)
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS: Reginald Bunthorne, Archibald Grosvenor, Ernest Dummkopf, Thespis
DEPT. OF PROTOCOL: Theory: Rose Maybud Practical: Duke of Plaza Toro Mike Storie
Reviews of OSLO's SORCERER; Ocean State Light Opera, Marilyn K. Levine, director; Ann Danis, conductor; Wheeler Theater, Providence, RI. Summer, 1996. **********
The Director's Notes began with: "OSLO's version of the Sorcerer is set in New Orleans in the early fifties, a kind of Victorian time and place in America (the Protestant South) not unlike Gilbert's 1877 England." The Notes discuss a culture where propriety has taken the place of communication, true feelings are hidden, hence Mardi Gras masks and entertainment by sorcerers.
After attending several productions of G & S operas in recent years where there were major alterations in the style and/or characters in the opera, this reviewer has come to this objection to this sort of updating: instead of relaxing and enjoying an old favorite, one sits on edge wondering how bad will it get?
This caveat aside, on the whole the familiar characters survived the overlay of Southern accents and business. Doctor Daly (Frederic S. Scheff) had the most pronounced accent, to the detriment of "Time was when love and I were well acquainted." I wish he had eased off the accent during that solo. The Constance of Janet Breidenbach was really more weepy than necessary. Alexis (Mark Conlev) and Aline (Joanne Mouradjian) sang mostly without noticeable accents. Sir Marmaduke (David W. Price) and Lady Sangazure (Barbara Youmans) were a good match, particularly in "Welcome joy, adieu to sadness". Wells (Ted Tuttle) had a great deal of extra business; the Sprites did not remain offstage but appeared in black tights and masks in a wellchoreographed number, but the idea of sorcery, et al. in 1950 New Orleans was really stretching "the willing suspension of disbelief." (The Sorcerer appeared not from a tent but a family vault, a clever idea.)
Mrs.Partlet was played by Mary Kay Gibbons who seems to be younger than Janet Breidenbach, but was effectively made up, whereas Frederic Scheff made no attempt to appear old. Ralph Dykstra as the Notary was appropriately ancient in appearance and a new character, The Counsel, who took the Notary's first scene, was played by Bill O'Neill. Another new character was The Cook (Stan Zimmering) who with Hercules the Page (Jones Gilden) acted as scene shifters as well as members of the chorus. The set consisted of the facade with porch of Sir Marmarduke's house. The halfdozen small tables set for the banquet in the yard made for a rather crowded stage for ensemble numbers. In the end, good singing and acting outweighed the excessive length (2.5 hours) and the contrast between the Gilbertian language and the 1950s updating.
Peter Cameron
My brother Paul and I saw the Ocean State Light Opera production of THE SORCERER Saturday, and enjoyed it very much, though less because of show than because we spent the drive home from Providence discussing what the production got wrong and how much better our own ideas were.
OSLO performs in a very small theatre (200 seating, no pit, no real back stage), and compensates quite well, on the whole. The orchestra is onstage, squished over on one side. The chorus had trouble negotiating the large numbers, and the cast often had to enter and exit through the audience, with elephantine thumping as they traversed the risers. Still, the staging was intelligent, and the show pleasingly intimate.
THE SORCERER is, I think, the hardest show for American companies to get right, because the plot about class difference isn't clear to U.S. audiences. The D'Oyly Carte Philadelphia production [at the Gilbert & Sullivan Festival] was the first I've seen which made evident the mismatching of the chorus along class lines, and in which the exclusion of Wells from the aristocratic revelry had the right touch of thoughtless contempt. At OSLO, as has been the case at other shows I've seen, the choristers were dressed similarly, and so one choral pairing made as much sense as any other. While it may be corny, if you don't have the resources for elaborate gentry and servant costumes, you should colorcode the chorus (a pink couple, blue couple, etc.). Then when they're mixed up, it will be obvious that "chaos has come again."
OSLO attempted to address the class issue by setting the show in the American South, allegedly in the 1950s. Unfortunately, the costumes were c. 1990 or generic, as was the set, so the performers got no help from the production. Very few changes were made in the text ("bury myself in a Yankee bishopric" is the only one I remember, apart from the de riguer Rhode Island allusions). The setting exacerbated, rather than resolved, the accent problemsome actors put on consistent accents, some managed accents only when speaking, and some didn't tryand I can tell a bad Southern accent more easily than a bad English one.
Some elements did workhalfadozen small tables and chairs for the betrothal reception crowded the already small stage, but did give the characters various ways to dispose themselves about the theater (in such an intimate space, one wants the cast to spend more time sitting down, I think). Dispensing the philtre in pitchers of iced tea also was an amusing touch, and Frederic Scheff as Dr. Daly took full advantage of the Southern setting to deliver revialist sermons on the virtues of personal cleanliness and on Alexis's forthcoming marriage.
But there is a serious problem associated with using the South to suggest class distinction in THE SORCERER the fact that class division in the South is as much racial as economic. Throughout the show I kept thinking, why aren't the servants black? (The cast was all white.) If they were, and if Wells were, too...you would have a very, very interesting show, though one grossly at odds with the text, to the point of impossibility. It's the kind of show I enjoyed playing out in my mind but don't think I'd want to see realized.
Granting that we wouldn't want to see it, Paul and I did amuse ourselves by trying to figure out how a '50s production could work. If you wanted to finesse the race issue, and had some very good actors, perhaps you could do Virginia Tidewater vs. po' white trash accents. Or cast Sir Marmaduke as the old Kentucky colonel (David Price played the part as Foghorn Leghorn, a surprisingly successful approach). Constance could have been wearing a poodle skirt, and Alexis a varsity jacket, or perhaps a Citadel uniform...Paul suggested going whole hog with the "Grease" approach. Wells, of course, would be a marketing rep for IBM, in a blue suit and carrying a briefcase. During the incantation scene he'd whip out a calculator, perhaps donning a green eyeshade and neatly folding up his suit coat, and at the end he'd present Alexis with an invoice.
Back to the review: the OSLO principals, with one major exception, were quite strong. In particular, Constance (Janet Breidenbach) had a lovely voice and wonderful comic stage presence; the Dr. Daly (Fredric Scheff) was a very fine tenor, whose smoothly comic falsetto rendition of "Thank you for your kindly offer" illustrated Kenneth Sandford's advice about varying a repetitive verse to powerful effect. As Alexis, Mark Conley looked and acted well; his voice was less impressive than Scheff's but overall the casting made sense (Conley was slighter than the big, bearded Scheff. They failed to age the latter, though, so his old fogy lines were meaningless). I've already said how much I enjoyed David Price's Marmaduke; he was joined by excellent comic performances from Mary Kay Gibbons as Mrs. Partlet and Barbara Youmans, the latter making a very strong impression in the thankless role of Lady Sangazure.
The true weak link was Wells. The part was played by Ted Tuttle, described in the notes as "celebrating his 26th year as a founder, producer, director and performer in the local arts community." 'Nuff said? Reading the program ahead of time, I said to Paul: Uhoh, it's going to be the ancientpatterbaritonewhodoesn't
knowwhentoquit performance, and I was right. Tuttle is a decent comic actor, but he no longer has any voice or breath to speak of, and not much physical stamina. He disappeared in most ensembles, and didn't even try to sing in others (he completely omitted, for example, the "Too late! Too late!" which I cattily decided was symbolic). He had to break up "My name is John Wellington Wells" with extended comic business in order to get through the song (and then he got bits of it wrong). In short, the performance was excruciating. (Kudos to Ms. Youmans, by the way, who turned their scene into a surprisingly wellpaced and enjoyable exchange.)
Tuttle wasn't helped by the production's gross misconception of Wells's character. He was dressed in a kind of lunatic New Orleans Shaman meets George Washington outfit, and played the part as a comic eccentric. But Wells is NOT eccentric. He's a respectable tradesman, insulted at Alexis's insinuation that his firm would "puff their goods." This part, more than almost any other in the canon, should be played absolutely straight. Otherwise, it's not funny. Sure, you can indulge in all kinds of jokes (my suggestion: that Alexis ask if he can earn frequent flier miles with his purchase; Paul's idea, "And here's our preferred customer card; when you've purchased 10 gallons of philtre you receive one gallon free." (Phillygoers will recall that Alexis had a Strawbridge and Clothier charge card.) But Wells himself is really quite humorless, neither a showman or a charlatan (he is not, in other words, Professor Henry Hill, an approach that tempts some American companies). Asking about a discount isn't funny, it's good business sense.
Two final points: The orchestra (about a dozen players) was quite poor, though spirited. I was surprised that the singers stayed in tune as well as they did. This production underlined a point recently made on Savoynet by Mike Nash about the value of the piano accompaniment for amateur shows (especially given that the production could have used the space the orchestra occupied, and the hall was too reverberant).
And: the OSLO production ended, surprisingly, with no couples united. Instead, the men were on one side of the stage, the women on the other, and as Alexis and Aline retreated to the house she looked yearningly back at Dr. Daly!?! Is this a harbinger of the New Seriousness?
Lisa Berglund
A Gilbert and Sullivan Letter From Florida's West Coast
Yes! There is Gilbert and Sullivan throughout Florida but one must be alert! The New York G&S Players cover the Florida circuit but their 1997 production has not yet been announced. The Clearwater G&S Players helped C&B Productions of Tampa put out a compact disc of THE MIKADO last year but have been inactive since.
Not to despair! The Seminole Players, a longtime semiprofessional company presented THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE on August weekends and did a most creditable job in this, their first Gilbert and Sullivan performance.
Jason T. Fortner, who has a history of local credits for Broadway plays and musicals, was director and choreographer. Musical direction (percussion, keyboards and "The Pitts" whatever that is) was by Jason Tucker. The cast was led by nine principals plus a men's chorus of twelve and a women's chorus (including many young persons) of six maidens.
Outstanding voices were Kirk Simpson (also a fine actor) as the Pirate King and Chris Strong, an old friend from MIKADO days, as the MajorGeneral. The remaining principals had adequate voices. Chorus numbers were well done. Will Kader as Frederic had trouble with his high notes but diverted attention with a little Elvis impersonation.
The first act set consisted of assorted rocks and greens, backed by cloudy screens. The entrance of the Pirates was effected, as the screens parted, by the prow of a large sailing vessel moving forward to the middle of the stage. Pirates came tumbling out from all over the place and the Pirate King made an effective entrance swinging on a rope from the ship to the stage.
The second act graveyard set was made notable by tombstones scattered about the stage. Two identical stones were labelled "Cox" and "Box." Another memorialized "P. Ida." My favorite stone marked the final resting place of PishTush (I once played that role.)
The Seminole players were recently left without their longterm home of the beach (the old hotel was torn down to make way for condos.) They now lease a small dinner theater in a shopping mall. Entrances and exits included not only the stage but also the dinner theater aisles.
John Ambler
(Faithful readers will remember that last month we regretfully reported the passing of John Ambler on August 21, 1996.)
"You Only Need a Button Press"
Last month's Bray featured a photograph of six individuals whom the membership were invited to identify. The winner, Barry Garden, recognized three of the six with the additional comment: "Maybe I've been around too long." Oh yes, their identities (clockwise from upper left): Warren Colson, Bill Kurtz, Les Moore, Dean Edmunds, Juliet Cunningham and Ruth Colson. The date: 2 September 1976; the occasion: The Founding of NEGASS!
That's right. Next year marks OUR 21st Birthday. Move over Frederic. "What ought we to do. Gentle readers say?" Suggestions for Celebrations appropriate to the occasion are solicited.
Somebody's Birthday, I Suppose?
Our sister Society the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of New York is celebrating its 60th Anniversary Season this year. Watch for announcements of Special Events!
As part of its 50th Anniversary celebration The University of Michigan Gilbert and Sullivan Society will perform The Pirates of Penzance, April 1820, 1997 and will also present a special gala.
Congratulations to both on their longevity, beside which we are just "remarkably fine children!"
Welcome to new member Ruth Koelle from Warren, RI, who found US on the WorldWide Web. Hearty greeting offer we!
Ocean State Light Opera is putting out a newsletter next week. Call 4013316060, or write to OSLO, P.O. Box 603117, Providence, RI 02906 to be put on their mailing list.
Savoyard Light Opera Company has joined the list of area performing companies with Web Pages. SLOC's is at: http://www.tiac.net/users/sloc/index.html
Apologies to Tom Drucker for omitting him from the list of NEGASSERS at the G&S Festival in Philadelphia. JDS
From The Theatre, 1 November 1879:
"It is suggested that most of the Ralphs in H.M.S. Pinafore should be called Singbad the Sailor."
Page created 28 Nov 1996