The Trumpet Bray

Sunday, December 13 at 2:00 PM at Emanuel College: A G&S Christmas Carol. NEGASS last sang through Gayden Wren's amusing musical version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol a few years ago, and everyone enjoyed it. Roles have been filling up since the hard copy of The Trumpet Bray was mailed: There is only one singing role left, although there are plenty of speaking roles (to be assigned at the meeting), and everyone is welcome to join the chorus. Call President Dick if you want a musical role, or just appear (Appear! Appear!) at the meeting to take on a spoken role.

The cast so far:

And of course, in addition to the many small spoken parts, there are the Chorus of Gossips and the Chorus of Party Guests, Scrooge's Relatives, Etc.

HOW TO GET THERE: EMMANUEL COLLEGE (400 The Fenway, Boston, MA): The following is excerpted from a Web page called "How to get to Emmanuel College," at <http://www.emmanuel.edu/directions.html>:

From Route 93 and other points north: Take Route 93 South or Route 95 South towards Boston. After the merge of Routes 93 and 95 in Boston, take a right onto the down ramp to Storrow Drive West and proceed through tunnel. Stay in the middle lane (follow "CARS ONLY" signs). Get in the left lane after the Copley Square exit. Take Kenmore Square, Fenway 1S exit (on left). At fork in exit, bear left and follow Fenway 1S. Stay in right lane on exit ramp; bear right towards Boylston Street, Outbound, Riverway 1. At first traffic light, take left onto Park Drive. Follow Park Drive, staying in left lane, until lights at Exxon Station. Proceed through lights; at next set of lights bear sharp left onto the Fenway. Stay in second lane from right. Proceed through intersection at Brookline Avenue and turn right into Emmanuel College.

From Massachusetts Turnpike: Take Exit 18, Allston, Cambridge (left exit). Stay in right lane after toll. Bear right towards Guest Quarters Suite Hotel, getting in far right lane. At traffic light, take right toward Downtown Boston, Storrow Drive. Follow Storrow Drive to Fenway 1S exit. Stay in right lane on exit ramp; bear right towards Boylston Street, Outbound, Riverway 1. Continue as above

From Harvard Square, Cambridge, Route 2, Memorial Drive: Follow Route 2 East/Memorial Drive until you pass the Polaroid Corporation. Immediately afterwards, take the 2 East, Brookline/Kenmore Square exit. Off the exit, bear right at the traffic light, and go over the Boston University Bridge. At traffic lights, cross trolley tracks and bear left onto 2-20 East, Kenmore Square. Follow the sign for 2 East and go through two sets of lights. Bear right onto Mountfort Street, which becomes Park Drive. Follow Park Drive (1 North, Storrow Drive) as it becomes Fenway. Proceed through lights at intersection with Brookline Avenue and turn right into Emmanuel College.

Via MBTA Rapid Transit: Option 1: Take the MBTA's Green Line -- "Riverside" Branch/D Train -- to Fenway stop. The campus is a short walk across Park Drive.

Option 2: Take the MBTA's Green Line -- Huntington Branch/E Train -- to Museum stop. The campus is a short walk up The Fenway, just beyond the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Simmons College.

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Savoyard Light Opera Gondoliers: [As our November meeting, a small but elite group of NEGASS-ers attended last week's SLOC production, and then enjoyed pleasant food and conversation at The Great Wall, a Chinese restaurant in Bedford, MA.] Although I had heard of SLOC for many years - both positively and negatively - I had not previously had the opportunity of witnessing one of their performances. I was quite unprepared for the volume and quality of sound emanating from a chorus of only nine Contadine for their recent run of the Gondoliers.

Without doubt, this was one of the most extraordinary musical performances of G&S which it has been my pleasure to hear. Except for some thinness in the men's top, the singing was remarkable. From the silver-voiced Rebecca Consentino as Casilda, who had to modulate herself as to not overpower the otherwise satisfactory Kurt Kendall as Luiz, to the strong singing pair of Lonnie Powell and Laura Schall Gouillart as the Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro, the music was generally a delight. Veterans Todd Allen Long as Giuseppe and Amy Allen as Tessa shone as always, with the latter more subdued than usual. David Jedlinsky was a resonant Don Alhambra and Meghan Conway a clear and pleasant Gianetta. Jay Dzigas as Marco could not match the rest of the cast, but how many tenors could? The minor roles were equally strong and a pleasure to hear.

Unfortunately, one had to watch the performance as well as listen to it. The performers were not to blame, but when the general idea of the director, Scott Gagnon, was to have each soloist advance to downstage center, face the conductor, sing the solo and retreat to previous position, then one had to think that the directions must have been mailed in. This was more than the lack of experience of the Director with G&S. There was a general lack of interaction among the characters, even when called for by the dialog and plot. While some of the stasis might have been due to the fact that it was the last performance of a two week run, this had to be the most bored-looking G&S chorus I have ever seen. I have seen most of them do much better but they were simply not involved in anything going on - each having a set two- or three-move routine which each person then repeated, and repeated, and repeated.

The Director either could not have read the play, or understood it. When the curtain went up we had the Contadine singing " ...roses white and roses red..." but what we saw was not only roses white and red, but also yellow and pink! I kept hoping for some sign of originality but when we did get some it was in the form of a Marco and Giuseppe, not as shrewd-but-naïve Venetian gondoliers, but as two of the Three Stooges, whose antics destroyed the mood of both "Rising Early" and "Sparkling Eyes." We finally got a well-thought-out "Contemplative Fashion," but what a wait!

Line, circles and crowds predominated, despite the large stage. And why do Directors insist on elaborate two-level sets (which were magnificent), only not to use the upper level? Like the staging, the choreography was basically mailed in - no dancing during the opening scene, minimal dancing (mostly waltz patterns) for the Cachucha and an unchoreographed Gavotte.

What was, and is, most frustrating was that, having seen most of the soloists perform before, I know that they could have done a far better job left alone than subject to the 'staging' which they did receive. It was still an enjoyable production - but with a little bit of effort, it could, and should, have been a great one.

-- J. Donald Smith

&&&& A more positive view of the same show: Having not seen a SLOC production since their Iolanthe several years ago--which included such (unfortunately) memorable moments as a desultory parliamentary can-can and a staggeringly gratuitous stick-fight between Phyllis and the Fairy Queen during the Act I finale--I was uncertain what to expect from their recent Gondoliers. Happily, I can report that a change of stage director (and of music director, to boot--though there was nothing wrong with the old one) appears to have given this venerable organization a fresh--if not exactly traditional--start.

Stage director Scott Gagnon is an experienced director of musical (and non-musical) comedy and it should come as no surprise that his take on G&S bears that imprint. Approaching Gondoliers as a broad comedy of class distinctions, much of the characterization had a rather Marx Bros. flavor (particularly Giuseppe/Chico and Marco/Harpo) which actually worked well enough on its own terms (though probably scandalizing G&S purists). Two aspects of the stage direction (which may not have been entirely within his control) did detract somewhat from an otherwise enjoyable performance: the rather stiff and static blocking of the chorus, and a tendency for the principals to display a magnetic attraction toward the conductor during their ensembles.

Musically, this Gondoliers boasted an impressive orchestra (under the baton of music director Philip Lauriat), a well-prepared (if rather small) chorus and a very rich palette of voices among the principals, from the exemplary Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro (Lonnie Powell and Laura Schall Gouillart) and their beautiful daughter Casilda (Rebecca Consentino) all the way to Ellen Spear's glowing Fiametta. High praise is also in order for Brian Harris' stunning sets and for Jennifer Condon's flamenco-tinged choreography of the cachuca (which wisely featured Spear and veteran contra dancer Tony Parkes/Giorgio).

All in all, a promising (if offbeat) beginning to a new era of G&S at SLOC. It will be interesting to see where they go from here.

-- LOWELL TEWKSBURY

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NEWS FLASH - REUNION! We've just received this e-mail: Trying to locate past members of Boston University Savoyards for a reunion [May 21-23] sponsored by the alumni association. Can you help? Thank you - Tan-Ta-Ra -

PHYLLIS FORMAN <fforman@aol.com>

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LMLO YEOMEN: What is LMLO, and why is it listed as the February meeting in the NEGASS schedule? Last Minute Light Opera, aka Do-Your-Own Opera, is an annual chance for people who've always wanted to do a role to try it out. Always wanted to play Wilfred - in spite of your soprano vocal range? Always wanted to play Elsie, but directors keep casting you as Dame Carruthers? Are you sure you could do a wonderful job as Point, if someone would just give you that first chance? Or - have you simply been longing to play your favorite role one more time? Whatever the excuse, your desire to play a role lends more weight to your request than your appropriateness for the role you want. LMLO has sponsored many wonderful performances, many of them entirely appropriate for a "normal" production and many howlingly inappropriate - - but lots of fun. The fun is the important part in this show!

Which role do you dream of?

- and, of course, First & Second Yeomen (who have small singing parts), First and Second Citizen (who have small speaking parts), The Headsman (who usually has an axe and/or great legs) - and a wonderful chorus composed of everyone else present.

Call Patricia Brewer at (617) 323-3480 and let her know which role you want - and how badly you want it!

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Gilbert and Sullivan for the Holidays: Stuck for the perfect present for the G&S aficionado in your life? Here are a few items which will not bankrupt you - unless you get all of them!

These two books are a few years old but are now available at more reasonable figures. Ian Bradley's Complete, Annotated G&S is now in paperback. Jane Stedman's W.S. Gilbert: A Classic Victorian and His Theatre has been seen in discount bookstores at prices well below the original issue price and from Amazon.com at $24.50.

Compact discs: Sullivan & Co. - The Operas That Got Away (Jay Records #1302) features numbers from Sullivan's non-Gilbert operas well sung by such D'Oyly Carte stalwarts as Gillian Knight, Valerie Masterson and Richard Suart. The timing is a bit short for a full-price disc but it is indispensable for the quality and rarity of the performances. Sullivan: The

Gilbert & Sullivan Overtures is a bit of a misnomer since Cox and Box is included, but the newly recorded collection by Andrew Penny on the discount Naxos label belongs in every collection. Both discs have been seen in quantity at Tower Records, but the overture disc, for some reason, is catalogued under "Gilbert."

From Musical Collectibles, the marketing arm of the International G&S Festival, comes the latest catalog filled with videos, mugs, figurines, clothing, books and posters. New this year are thimbles (with images of G&S characters); 'Patter Spoons' - teaspoons with painted enamel images of the patter roles from the cigarette cards set into the handles; tea towels, key ring, coasters and beer mugs, etc. So entrenched has the Festival now become that posters and programs from the early Festivals are now collector's items - some of these are still available. Telephone (44-1422-323252), FAX (44-1422-355406) or e-mail (musicalcollectibles@altavista.net) to request your catalog. Then hope you get it (and your order) before Christmas.

-- J. Donald Smith

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AUDIO TAPES OF THE GREAT SING-OUT. The Secretary of the Sing-Out's sponsoring organization writes: The Victorian Lyric Opera Company is pleased to announce that audio tapes are now available from the '98 Sing-Out. Tapes are available for $10 for each individual show, or $100 for the whole set. Postage is included.

Brief note on contents: These tapes were made using a set of stationary microphones, so the balance isn't always ideal, particularly in places that had the most involved choreography. Additionally, in a couple of places tape changes were made, so several seconds of solos were missed. I believe these were Gondoliers and Iolanthe; if any one wishes to know the particular places e-mail me (lese@capacces.org) and I'll look them up. However, with these caveats, I haven't heard anything unlistenable, and most tapes sound quite good.

Please make checks payable to The Victorian Lyric Opera Company, and send orders to

Victorian Lyric Opera Company
P.O. Box 10391
Rockville, MD 20849-0391

Additionally, if possible please e-mail your order to our membership secretary: lese@capacces.org - so that we can have your copy ready to go when we receive your check!

-- Les Elkins

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NODA Website gleaned from SavoyNet: President Dick sent Us this one: As a member of the NW District committee of the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (a UK organisation, counting as members most of the operatic/drama societies in the UK) and as editor of its magazine, I have constructed a website which may well be of help to you.

Among much other information, it has a database of hundreds of shows, showing what is needed to put them on (story, orchestration, casting, some costumes - I'm still working on that - sets, etc.).

The URL is http://www.nodanw.com.

-- David Lewis

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We'd like to remind folks: To subscribe to SavoyNet, the G&S mailing list, send the message Subscribe SavoyNet (your full name) to the address listserv@bridgewater.edu - and you'll be sent all the information you need.

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75th Anniversary Celebrations of the Blue Hill Troupe: As a part of its anniversary celebrations, the Blue Hill Troupe is sponsoring a series of lectures and concerts at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The first of these was held on October 24, 1998. The lecture by Prof. Jane Stedman, author of Gilbert Before Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert: A Classic Victorian and His Theatre concentrated on Gilbert as dramatist and librettist, without Sullivan. Dr. Stedman suggested that Gilbert was more of a romantic than he is generally credited with being and thinks that his plays Engaged, Pygmalion and Galatea and The Hooligan are worthy of being restaged. Her talk was punctuated by musical selections provided by members of the Philadelphia Savoy Company - America's oldest amateur company (founded in 1901). The Gilbert & Sullivan song "The Distant Shore," and songs from Ages Ago, The Mountebanks, and His Excellency proved great hits, if a trifle under-enunciated for unfamiliar works.

The evening concert, again by the Savoy Company, to an almost full house of 700 (out of a capacity of 708) spanned the canon from Trial through GRAND Duke, as well as a few numbers from The Rose of Persia. The program was well performed and well received - especially for a concert which went for almost two hours without an intermission.

For this kind of occasion the fact that the audience was more than graying is perhaps not a matter of concern, but one must wonder about the long-term future of G&S if its supporters do not endeavor to entice younger family members or acquaintances into the "inner brotherhood."

-- J. Donald Smith

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YOUTHFUL MITG&SP MIKADO: We have no right to review this show Ourself - having been in the chorus, which means that We didn't see much of it! And besides, We make it a policy not to write reviews Ourself for this rag. But after the latest of Don Smith's repeated expressions of concern about the graying of the G&S audience and performance pool - well - We can't let that pass! The enthusiastic MIT students who played all but one of the major roles - to name but a few, the sweet-voiced Mary Tsien and Johnny Lee as Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo and the very talented young comic actor and singer Anand Sarwate as Ko-Ko - showed a vocal poise and polish We've missed in past years in college-age singers, suggesting that classical vocal technique is coming back into style among the young. And they eagerly soaked up G&S style points from their more experienced director, Andrew Sweet. Moreover, from Our vantage point (mostly far down-stage right facing the usually sold-out audience), We were able to see a lot of very happy faces and hear a lot of laughter and applause from audience members of all ages, from pre-school to the gray-haired set. We have nothing to say about Harvard G&S, the other active college-age performing group, not having been involved with them -- but doesn't that teen-aged group usually hold a children's matinee, specifically seeking to draw in an even younger generation? Do not fear, Don! - G&S is alive and well, and is still loved by the young as well as the graying! -- mlc

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COMMENTS ON THE CONNECTICUT G&S SOCIETY YEOMEN, 13-15 November 1998, Middletown CT at Middletown High School. Directed by Robert Cumming. Review of 14 November performance. [These comments first saw light as an informal note to a member of the show's chorus, which was later offered to Us as a review. We excerpt freely, and pardon its casual manner for the sake of news about a CG&SS production, since We rarely receive reviews of their shows! - mlc]

Over all, I'd say it was a good show. For an amateur production, it was quite good. Of course there were some problems, but one expects some.

As you could figure out from the volume of applause during the curtain calls, Phoebe (Susan Wrzosek) and Wilfred (Laurie Weissbrot) were the audience favorites. I think that the best scene in the show was the whole "Were I thy Bride" scene. ...What made it so good was how effectively it conveyed Phoebe's revulsion and at the same time made it very believable that Wilfred wouldn't notice.... he was practically assaulting her and she was trying to keep her distance and keep him interested at the same time. Also they managed to work in the theft and return of the keys seamlessly... Playing Wilfred as not only monstrously ugly but also seriously lecherous helps the audience have sympathy for Phoebe. If he's just a geeky guy with an unglamorous job it's much easier to view Phoebe in an unfavorable light for the way she takes advantage of him. I think the show works better if Phoebe is someone you can root for.

...neither Phoebe nor Wilfred was perfectly played. Wilfred's main asset was his appearance and his facial expressiveness... Wilfred doesn't need to have a great voice. The main area where he fell short was in dialog -- it was sometimes hard to understand what he was saying, perhaps partly because of his "Igor" accent.

Phoebe was a better singer than Wilfred, but I think her voice was a bit low for the part. ... She probably would have done a better job with the Dame Carruthers part (vocally) than the woman who played Dame Carruthers did. Phoebe was, as I said, good in the comedy bits, but had trouble in the serious scenes. "When Maiden Loves" ... should be a pensive sort of song, and this mood was not properly established. She got up during the refrains of the song and did a bit of choreography that didn't work. It sort of looked like she was doing the Macarena. Also, her dramatic skills weren't up to the scene where she is crying over having lost Fairfax and is overheard by Wilfred...If I were directing her in that scene I would have, given her strengths and weaknesses, de-emphasized the sorrow and played up the comedy... in essence, played her as a strong survivor type who bounces back quickly from her sadness and is ready to take on Wilfred.

Fairfax (Bill Sorensen)... Overall... came across as a much more likable Fairfax than I can recall seeing. Whether this was deliberate or not I don't know, but it detracted from the final drama. Usually he isn't portrayed as being very likable at all, so the audience is naturally rooting for Point in the rivalry for Elsie's affections, even though Point is obviously doomed to failure. In this production, Fairfax was more engaging a character than Point was, and if anything the audience was rooting for him. The "go thou and apply it elsewhere" line, probably the most heartbreaking moment of the show, actually got a laugh.

Elsie (Renee Molnar) was adequate. Her voice wasn't quite up to the high notes in her Act I aria, but in general it was OK; unfortunately, the voice sounded oddly mechanical at times, perhaps due to the strange miking problems... Hers was a sympathetic Elsie, not so different from what I saw at NYGASP [New York G&S Players] last winter.

Point (John Knudsen) had a good singing voice. "When a wooer goes a-wooing" profited from that in particular... he was obviously more of a singer than an actor or comedian. I'd like for them to have Knudsen back again for his voice, but I don't think he's enough of a comedian for the patter roles. Lacking a natural comic delivery, he came across as a decidedly second-rate jester. (Of course, playing Point as an incompetent jester is certainly valid.) A minor quibble about the scene with Wilfred: the prop used for the Hugh Ambrose book was too small and thin. The joke he reads from it is something like number nine thousand, after all. As I recall the LOOM [Light Opera of Manhattan] production I saw way back when, they had an enormous volume, which worked better.

Sgt. Meryll (David Schancupp) very much looked the part and acted and sang well. Dame Carruthers (Carroll O'Neill) acted well and was right for the part but wasn't much of a singer. Of course, it's always hard to find a good contralto. The Lieutenant (Allan Church) also looked right and was a good actor. He was obviously having trouble singing but for the most part escaped serious difficulties. Leonard Meryll (Scott Weaver) and Kate (Patrice LePera) were perfectly acceptable. I thought that the full chorus sounded very good, but the yeomen alone did not...

The orchestra, directed by John Dreslin [produced] distracting noises [which] kept issuing from the orchestra. I put this down to the strange miking problems creating audio hot spots, plus the orchestra not sitting as still or as quietly as they should have during dialog. It really was distracting at times. There was one particularly disruptive noise, which might or might not be blamed on the orchestra. At the exact moment when the captive Fairfax embraces Sgt. Meryll in Act I there was a loud clunking noise, provoking much laughter from the audience.

About the scene that always seems to get the most scrutiny: Point and Elsie's entrance in Act I... "The Merryman and His Maid" number itself I thought very well done. The singing was good and the stylized gestures worked beautifully. The scuffle afterwards didn't work at all. One of the two ruffians who accost Elsie had to come all of the way across the stage to do so, which looked odd, almost as if he was standing in the wrong place. Also the attack itself had a perfunctory look to it.

As far as the ending is concerned, it was unusual in a couple of ways. For one thing, Point was very overwrought during the "Merryman and his Maid" reprise, as if he couldn't even sing. I'd prefer not bludgeon the audience by having Point weep so. Let him sing the song; the audience shouldn't have any trouble figuring out that he's heartbroken. They may even sympathize more if he doesn't completely lose it. Anyway, Elsie seemed to be trying to cheer him up; she went through the whole dance routine they did in Act I. Then when Point dropped dead she took him in her arms and cried hysterically as the curtain fell. I suppose that this is a logical way of presenting a kinder, gentler Elsie. It did take that concept further than I had seen before. I'm not sure it worked. Point's death is supposed to be tragic. It's all the more so if nobody really cares or (if staged that way) nobody even notices.

[An aside: don't productions usually costume Point differently in Acts 1 and 2? That is, have him dressed basically in colorful rags in Act I; then, presumably due to his job with the Lieutenant, he gets a fancier jester's outfit (which is basically what Point wore throughout this entire production). Finally, when he comes out to plead with Elsie at the end he puts the ragged outfit back on. I think that this costume change works well, because it emphasizes Point's earlier connection to Elsie, which he is trying to appeal to, as well as his lowly station (in comparison to Col. F.)]

--Gideon Crawle

[It would be valuable to receive another point of view concerning this show! Did anyone else see it? Did anyone view its departures from the long-defunct Light Opera of Manhattan production with greater sympathy? Tell Us, tell Us all about it! -- mlc]

COSTUME SETS FOR SALE: East Lyme Arts Council G&S Players, in the last 12 years, have presented the G&S Canon (except Utopia and Grand Duke), including a 1920 re-costuming/staging of Pinafore, as well as Desert Song, Die Fledermaus, Little Mary Sunshine and Man of La Mancha. Our costume designer, Jean Wiseman, personally made most of the costumes, and wants to now reclaim the storage space in her house. Since some costumes have been re-set for later productions, we do not have complete sets for all shows. But at $25 per costume (further discount if you buy 20 or more), buy most from us, and rent the rest! Contact us with your needs, and we will respond promptly. Tel: 860-442-4739 or E-Mail at edward_h_wiseman@groton.pfizer.com, or write to Jean Wiseman, 7, Baldwin Drive, Waterford, CT 06385.

&&&& SAVOYARD SISTER SOCIETIES: I couldn't resist offering some further details on Colin Edwards' report [in last month's Bray]. The East Lyme Arts Council first made the acquaintance of Opera Comique in 1986, when ELAC brazenly went to the Motherland to show even Americans could perform the works of Sir Arthur and Sir William. Many friendships ripened from that visit, and in the succeeding 10 years individual ELAC members visited Opera Comique in UK. In 1996, Opera Comique travelled to US, and among other venues, presented Pinafore at Mystic Seaport. During their visit, they stayed in the homes of ELAC members. They returned in 1998, but with a somewhat smaller cadre, and, by pre-arrangement, ELAC augmented their group in Portsmouth NH and Mystic CT. Augmented is perhaps the wrong word: In Portsmouth and in Mystic, ELACers portrayed Major General Stanley (Ted Wiseman) and Sergeant of Police (Peter Wilhelmsen); Jean Wiseman (ELAC) costumed the show at both venues, and provided all the props. Jean sang in the chorus in Portsmouth, but in Mystic, ELAC members made up more than 50% of the chorus; the organization and practice were due to the rehearsing efforts of ELAC Musical Director John Dreslin. And they mostly stayed in our homes again.

ELAC is invited to UK to sing with Opera Comique in July of 1999; not sure yet we can make it, and 2000 is the second choice. This time, we propose to present Trial, and the casting will depend on availability. We propose to perform with Opera Comique in Portsmouth Hampshire, and possibly in Dorking and Canterbury, the scene of our former (1986) triumphs. -- Best wishes

-- Ted Wiseman

MITG&SP is currently holding interviews for Stage and Music Director and Producer for its spring '99 show, YEOMEN. For more info, contact MITG&SP via e-mail at savoyards-request@mit.edu, call (617) 253-0190, or visit http://www.mit.edu/activities/gsp/home.html

Harvard-Radcliffe G&S plans Gondoliers (directed by Frank Habit '92-'93 and Logan McCarty '96) in December: 12/3, 4, 5, 11 and 12 at 8 PM, and 12/5, 6 and 12 at 2 PM. Opening night is Black Tie, followed by a company/audience reception; while the closing performance will be HRG&S's traditional "Hack Night." For more info, contact tmoore@fas.harvard.edu, or phone 617- 496-4747 - or visit their Web page: http://www.hcs. harvard.edu/~hrgsp/

Lead auditions for The Sudbury Savoyards' 1999 production, IOLANTHE, will be held 12/8 & 9 at 7:30 PM at the Sudbury United Methodist Church, on Rt 27 in Sudbury, MA. (Note: chorus members are welcome without audition! - but they're also welcome to attend the 12/8 audition, to fill in the chorus parts for the auditioners and get a feel for the company.) Performances will be April 22-24 at the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. To meet this fun and worthy group (which donates all proceeds to a fund for the relief of world hunger) and this year's Stage-and-Music Director, Kathy Lague, join the Savoyards for a party at 7:30 PM on 12/4 at the home of Tom & Nancy Powers, 201 Union Ave., Sudbury, MA. Visit the SS's Web site at http://www.sudburysavoyards.org/ or call 508 443-8811 for more information.

UMGASS (The U Michigan Society) will present PATIENCE Dec. 3-6, with stage direction by NEGASSer Mitch Gillett. Call (734) 647-8436 or email umgass.exec@umich.edu - or check out www.umich.edu/~umgass - for more info.

THE Gilbert & Sullivan Society (of England) 1998-99 meeting plans include the dates Dec. 8, Feb. 24, April 9, and May 5 -- if you're on that side of the pond, give them a look-in! Write to Honorary Secretary Margaret Bowden, 1 Nethercourt Avenue, Finchley, London, N3 1PS for more info.

NYG&SS (the New York society) will hold its next meeting at 8 PM on Wednesday, 12/16. Future meetings will be held Sat., 1/9; Wed., 2/10; Fri., 3/19; Thurs., 4/15; Fri., 5/14 and Sat., 6/12. All meetings are at CAMI Hall, 165 W. 57th St., NYC. Doors open at 7:30; the meeting starts at 8, and the Inner Brotherhood go out for coffee afterwards.

The Nashua Symphony is advertising the North American Premier of the Sullivan Cello Concerto, planned for Saturday, January 9, 1999, 8:15 p.m. For more info, check their website <http://newww.com/org/nso/intro.html>, or phone 603.595.9156 or 800.639.3101.

The Hancock County G&S Society will perform Trial/Pinafore February 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14. July 15, 16, 17, 1999 at the Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth, Maine. Leads include NEGASSers Lee Patterson (Counsel, TRIAL) and Irv Hodgkin (PINAFORE). For more info, call Lee at (207) 244-4044.

The New England Opera Club newsletter informs Us that Simsbury (CT) Light Opera plans YEOMEN in April: 4/10, 11, 17, 18, & 24. Call (860) 658-9824 for more info.

Troupers Light Opera Company will perform Yeomen on May 8, 9, 14 and 15, 1999 in New Canaan High School. For further information please call Christine Zaremba at 203-847-8778.

The Huntington Theater's run of Mikado will take place May 21-June 20, 1999. The Huntington now has a web site at http://www.bu.edu/HUNTINGTON. See last month's Bray for President Dick's info about auditions.

The Valley Light Opera plans to present a double bill of TRIAL and The Foundling (libretto by Mary Finn, music by Bob Weingart) in the fall of the year 2000. We're looking forward to it - it'll be the first time this very deserving little Finn/Weingart opus will be staged since its debut several years ago.

Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art NYC this winter for a celebration in honor of the 75^th anniversary of the founding if The Blue Hill Troupe. Sat., Dec. 12 at 4 PM will feature a panel discussion on Sullivan led by F. Woodbridge Wilson, followed at 7 PM by a concert featuring 4 NYC groups (The Village Light Opera Group, The Bronx Opera, the NY G&S Players, and Theatre Ten Ten). And On Sat., Feb 27, Ralph MacPhail will lead a panel discussion on the partnership among G, S, and D'Oyly Carte, which will be followed by a concert at 7 PM by The Blue Hill Troupe.

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HTML by rnf@null.net December 3, 1998