| |
The Gondoliers by Gilbert and SullivanAll the reviews, and Michael's notices: ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER If William S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan are known for anything today, it's primarily for three of their comic operettas - "The Pirates of Penzance," "H.M.S. Pinafore," and what is considered their crowning work, "The Mikado." Director Kent Johnson has acted in and directed countless productions of all three, including all-new stagings at the Chance Theater in Anaheim Hills over the past three seasons. Having already presented G&S's "big three," Johnson turns his attention to one of the duo's more obscure works, "The Gondoliers." Written in 1889 and staged in London in December of that year, it was the pair's 11th collaboration in 14 years. Coming barely five years and two shows after the success of "The Mikado," it was to be their last, as long-simmering differences finally proved to be irreconcilable. That they didn't remain together is every musical theater lover's loss, because "The Gondoliers" displays both men's creative talents at their best. Gilbert's libretto harks back to earlier works, and his lyrics and verbal wordplay are among his best. Sullivan's music is as rich and beautiful as ever, while some of his lighter ditties are airy and spry. Certain aspects of "The Gondoliers" even point in new directions, the most striking being that its first 20 minutes is sung, grand opera style, rather than spoken. Gilbert's libretto sets the table with a fanciful tale of displaced royalty. His plot devices are rehashed from his and Sullivan's many previous works, but rarely have the settings been so picturesque and charming. In 1750 Venice, the Duke and Duchess of Plaza- Toro arrive with their daughter, Casilda, in search of the missing heir to the throne of Barataria. Twenty years earlier, Casilda's marriage to the prince was arranged when both were infants. The boy soon disappeared, presumably abducted. Now the Duke wants his daughter to be married. When the Duke approaches Don Alhambra, the Grand Inquisitor of Venice, about locating the young man, he is told that the heir is one of two young gondoliers, Giuseppe and Marco. To help identify which, the Don sends for the nurse who raised the infant. He meantime sends Giuseppe and Marco to Barataria to rule that nation jointly until things can be straightened out. Casilda, meanwhile, is told that once the prince is located, she can be married to him. This breaks her heart, because she and the Duke's young drummer, Luiz, are secretly in love. Their romance points up G&S's typical mocking of the class system, a theme also depicted as Baratarian royalty vs. the plebeians of Italy. There's a nice twist, though: Once on the throne, Giuseppe and Marco fancy themselves as great rulers. While it takes Gilbert several scenes to get this plot put into motion, it's well worthwhile. The show's tuneful songs carry us along, and the careful setup pays off in the second act, which introduces further complications. These include the bevy of Venetian peasant girls, from among whom Giuseppe and Marco have already married two, Tessa and Gianetta. Once Don Alhambra learns of this, he forbids them from seeing their wives. At least one of these couples is destined to be permanently separated and, like Casilda, one of the men forced to marry someone he doesn't love. Thanks to a well-worn plot twist, "The Gondoliers" ends happily for all, and even in the play's darkest moments, Johnson keeps the mood brimming with optimism. The show marries Gilbert and Sullivan's classic, tuneful melodic merriment with an irrepressible sense of humor, as Johnson mischievously throws in comical anachronisms. The peasant girls read the "Gondolier Gazette," swooning over cover boys Marco and Giuseppe, Tessa and Gianetta talk in Val-speak, and one very funny gag involves the unlikely appearance of the Village People. Johnson's casting is strong all-around. The three young couples are well-matched, with all six performers well capable of singing light opera (a cross between grand opera and music hall). Erika Ceporius is a lovely Casilda with a gorgeous soprano, her rigidly trained vocal skills potent but not overpowering. As Luiz, Timothy Quirus is an unassuming young gent hopelessly devoted to Casilda, and his tenor matches well with Ceporius, especially in a sweetly harmonized duet. E. Philip Schneider and Nikhil Korula portray Giuseppe and Marco as easygoing Cockneys, a neat commentary on class differences. Schneider's baritone creates pleasing harmonies against Korula's tenor. As joyful brides Tessa and Gianetta, Candice Balen and Kristy Errera are winsome and lovely, Balen's soprano clear and expressive, Errera's strong and precise. Michael Buss and Barbara Gibbs sparkle in the comic leads of Duke and Duchess. As the self-important, basically ineffectual Duke, Buss' baritone is well-used in a clever, martial patter song, while Gibbs, with her fine alto soprano, is an imperious, acerbic Duchess. Casey Long does well as Don Alhambra, a role he's essentially wrong for. A more seasoned actor who can play the heavy in a British accent would be ideal, but the youngish Long is game, dragging a foot in a sinister limp and even singing in dialect. Jenna Kantor's choreography is varied and
always eye- catching. The chorus is suitably animated and,
under Ceporius' musical direction, vocally self-assured, and
Rick Friend's musical accompaniment brings Sullivan's melodies
to life. The show has a pleasing Old World look to it, what
with Oanh Nguyen's set design and costumes by Ceporius that
neatly contrast the colorful simplicity of peasant life with
the fine foppery of nobility. LOS ANGELES TIMES Director Kent Johnson and his cast find silly opportunities in the silly story. Johnson even has the audacity to dress a quintet of characters in Village People get-ups to rouse the second act. An old joke, sure, but it prompts laughs and fits the production's giddy tone... The Venice gondoliers of the title are Marco (Nikhil Korula) and Giuseppe (E. Philip Schneider), ever-grinning bachelors ready to marry the fetching Tessa (Candice Balen) and Gianetta (Kristy Errera). They're all surprised to learn the gondoliers were apparently born in Barataria and one of them is heir to its throne. Mixed in are Casilda (Erika Ceporius), the daughter of the penniless Duke of Plaza Toro (Michael Buss) and his wife (Barbara Gibbs). Casilda, supposedly, was married to one of the gondoliers at birth and is now expected to join him. But she loves the lowly drummer, Luiz (Timothy Quirus). The ominous Don Alhambra (Casey Long) lurks about, pushing everybody this way and that as the plot unfolds. A pair of the best voices, fortunately,
belong to Balen and Errera. Balen's clear, bell-like tones
stand out, and Errera is always confident. Schneider also has
a crisp style... OC WEEKLY But the singing is the thing here, and there's stunning vocal talent at the top. Erika Ceporius and Kristy Errera are powerful female leads matched by the terrific harmonizing of the two males leads, E. Philip Schneider and Nikhil Korula. The singing is so good, in fact, you might find yourself impatiently waiting for the talky exposition to end. There's
also some good acting on the non-singing level. Michael Buss
magnificently embodies the role of a not-so-grand Duke,
gracing the stage with an authentic English accent... NORTHERN LIGHTS Set in 18th Century Venice, this production of "The Gondoliers" is punctuated with snappy tongue-twisting songs, wild and wacky dance numbers, eye-catching costumes, and a vast supply of vocal talent. Besides being eminently entertaining, the original version of "The Gondoliers" is historically significant as the final musical collaboration of Gilbert, Sullivan and their long time impresario, D' Oyly Carte. Directed by Kent Johnson, "The Gondoliers" is The Chance Theater's fourth G & S production - coming on the heals of "The Mikado," "The Pirates of Penzance" and "H.M.S. Pinafore." Each of these productions have been critically acclaimed and generously received by Chance audiences, prompting one more trip to the quirky operetta well. Well done! Johnson, proves what a difference a talented director can make. Every aspect of this classic musical was cleverly crafted and presented with just the right touch. While G&S were quite cutting edge in their day (late 19th Century), a lesser director could have allowed this to be presented as a present day anachronism. Johnson, however, pumped up the humor level with surprising 20th Century pop-culture references that drew howls from the audience. My cheeks still hurt from smiling east to west for two hours! The plot involved infant marriages, switched babies, loves won, lost and won again and multiple pretenders to the throne. It was great fun. Kudos go to the entire terrifically talented sixteen character cast. They sang 21 memorable songs, stepped up to perform a myriad of magical dance numbers (choreographed by Jenna Kantor), and genuinely charmed the audience into submission, with charisma flowing across the stage by the gondola load! The heroine of this piece is Casilda, played to queenly effect by Erika Ceporius. Ceporious has a truly beautiful operatic voice that was well suited to the role. In addition to singing, dancing and acting, she also served as musical director and costume designer. Whew! Other standout women included irresistible Candice Balen (Tessa), looking like Vivian Leigh and capturing the crowd's attention; Kristy Errera (Gianetta) and SuzAnne Joy Braderic (Fiametta) both with superior vocal quality and range; and Michelle Pierce (Giulia) who danced with abandon and great flair. Casilda's mother (The Duchess of Plaza Toro), played by Barbara Gibbs, was catty and unforgettable. Often in these productions it's the men who come up short. Not this time! E. Philip Schneider and Nikhil Korula are the main gondoliers (Giuseppe and Marco). Each had sensational, well trained voices. Timothy Quirus (Luiz) beautifully sang his way into Casildas' heart. Casey Long (Don Alhambra) played the grand inquisitor with menacing humor and toe-tapping talent. And, Casilda's father (The Duke of Plaza Toro), played by Michael Buss, was hen-pecked and very funny! My favorite number came right before
the intermission as the ensemble sang "Kind sir, You
Cannot Have A Heart." The best surprise was as the lights
came up on Act ll. I won't spoil it - but it's a definite
riot!. To find out what all the laughter is about, you'll just
have to go see for yourself. "The Gondoliers" may
have been Gilbert and Sullivan's last show together, but well
over a hundred years later, it still leaves them laughing with
glee. And, that's a very, very, very, very, very, very,very,
very, very good thing indeed! CURTAINUP.COM "The Gondoliers", the last successful collaboration by Gilbert and Sullivan, is considered by many to be their greatest achievement. Unlike "Pinafore", "Pirates", or "The Mikado", which appear regularly even in high school auditoriums, "The Gondoliers" is much too infrequently performed, no doubt due to the length of the work and the unusually heavy demands, both in vocal range and comic acting, placed upon a larger than ordinary cast of singing actors. The plot, for those unfamiliar with this comic opera, is a typically delightful Gilbertian concoction, having to do with Venetian boatmen who may be royals, misplaced babies, childhood marriages, and a paradox-clarifying Nursemaid who sets all to rights in the final scene. It might just as well have been subtitled "The Unimportance of Being a Gondolier". Central to the topsy-turvy plot also is a political and social satire on upward mobility (and the best of all possible forms of government) that is anything but innocuous. Gilbert recognizes that vanity and the itch to domineer are found in persons of all social classes. Consequently when the two Gondoliers are elevated to serve jointly as King of Barataria, trying to please all social ranks, their good intentions produce something merely absurd, "a despotism strict combined/ With absolute equality." In it, the lower orders tyrannically call the shots, while the royals do menial labor for their keep. Similarly, snobbery is anatomized from several perspectives. Gilbert laughs both at persons resentful of rank and privilege who jump at the chance to be upwardly mobile themselves and at persons already of high station whose pleasure lies in pointing out the lower station of others. As the Grand Inquisitor, a character of rank, sings "When every one is somebodee/ Then no one's anybody." This is hardly gentle satire. The production currently at The Chance Theater presents the lengthy work largely intact and for the most part successfully. Given its rarity, it definitely should not be missed. The strengths of the production include first of all several principals (all women) equally skilled at acting and singing. Chief among these are Erika Ceporius as Casilda, the childhood bride of the rightful King of Barataria, Barbara Gibbs as her mother, the Duchess of Plaza Toro, and also Candice Balen and Kristy Errera as Tessa and Gianetta, the wives of the two Gondoliers, Giuseppe and Marco. Second, the sets for each act (by Oanh Nguyen), though simple, are highly suitable and attractive, deserving praise as such and, finally, the costumes by Erika Ceporius are appropriately colorful and attractive. ...Nothing ages more quickly than the externals of satire, and interpolating fresh references has been a staple of G & S performances since the earliest revivals. Particularly winning in this production are the first appearances of the two Gondoliers as the equivalent of contemporary rock stars over whom teen-aged girls swoon, the inflections of the speech of their new brides to suggest they're Venetian Valley Girls, and the hilarious appearance of the Second Act Courtiers in the guise of the Village People. ...The strengths of this production
of G & S's Mount Everest among comic operas outweigh the
limitations, and they lead one to wish that The Chance Theater
will tackle current rarities such as "Patience" and
"Iolanthe" in future seasons. WALLFOUR.COM The Chance Theater in Anaheim Hills has made a name in producing new and avant-garde scripts. But over the last few years they have made a point to dabble with the old time classic operas of Gilbert & Sullivan. This year they have kick-started their season with The Gondoliers, the final opera written by the timeless duo. The show is set in Piazetta, Venice in 1750 and is based on the story of two brother gondoliers that share the throne while the Inquisition sorts out who is the rightful heir. Both were raised within the code of gondoliers, and therefore believe in the equality of all men. This along with their feelings toward “republican” values causes them to do away with the traditions of the kings court. They choose to sleep in the servant quarters, do away with bows and other acts of servitude and formality, and choose to mop the castle floors themselves while fulfilling their kingly duties. Then with a strange turn of events everything is eventually restored to normal, but not before your belly hurts from all the laughs this talented cast gives through the roles they play to perfection. The moment we sit down we see a wonderful period set put together by Oanh Nguyen, complete with arched doorways and translucent widows along the upstage wall. The lighting design by Robert G. Davis compliments the set very well, creating a sort of Disneyland kind of perfection to the stage. Add in the costumes designed [by] Erika Ceporius, and you start the show with a colorful period look. As the brothers move into the court and bring in their new ideologies the costumes move forward with them. Even the taped music was top quality, and on opening night the show moved like a well oiled machine. With everything else put together, director Kent Johnson did a wonderful job of keeping the opera accessible with images and ideas that the audience could relate to. The opening scene has been adjusted to have four common ladies singing (with uncommonly good voices) about our two brothers who will each be picking a bride. The scene plays like a quartet of teenagers waiting to get their hands on the boy band N’Sync. Later in the show, we are presented with valley-girl-type wives, the Village People doing a new rendition of YMCA, a cross-dressed mother, and a Princess Di look alike. The show stays upbeat most of the way and certainly has some star performances. The show depends greatly on our star duo of Giuseppe and Marco, the gondoliers, played by E. Phillip Schneider and Nikhil Korula. Throughout the show these two are in sync (not meant to be a pun on the previous reference). They handle the fast paced songs of Sullivan well and their comedic timing is impeccable. Not to be outdone however are Candice Balen and Kristy Errera, playing their valley-girl-wives. With a proper balance between lust for money and the desire to consummate their recent marriages, these two could easily end up as the audience favorites. Other strong performances include Erika Ceporius who does triple duty on this show as costume designer, musical director, and as the role of Princess Casilda. Despite a few line drops, Casey Long as Don Alhambra is hilarious with his dead pan delivery and frustration. ... Besides those previously mentioned, SuzAnne Joy Braderic should be noted for her beautiful voice as she leads in song during the show’s opening. With all these great voices, Chance has not sacrificed anything in its staging. The choreography, by Jenna Kantor, is constantly moving with lots of fun upper body movement that adds to the material. Michelle Pierce leads the way when more difficult dance is called for. Finally, the ensemble never breaks—the funniest activity coming from behind the main action. ... This is a great show. It makes me wish
I could go back and see The Chance Theater’s previous looks
at Gilbert and Sullivan. But since I can’t, maybe other
theatres in the county will take note. Gilbert and Sullivan
still play well in 2002. AOL DIGITAL CITY Light opera from the masters, Gilbert and Sullivan. There are two Venetian gondoliers and one of them is supposed to be king but no one is sure which because their late father got confused as to which one was born to him and which given to him. So the gondoliers have to rule as one until this dilemma is solved. But it's an opportunity for Gilbert and Sullivan to target corrupt politicians and sanctimonious preachers and to poke fun at opera plots. Some featured songs: "Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes," "When a Merry Maiden Marries," "In Enterprise of Martial Kind." |