I like this production, Jack and Elsie's dynamic especially. 'Tis done is sung too fast for my taste and the sound recording falters in places but overall a very enjoyable watch.
The slapstick shtick created (presumably by the director) added some badly-needed humor to one of G&S's less humorous operas. Though to be fair, John Wellington Wells sang his patter song brilliantly. Otherwise, this was an above-average production all around.
Excellent rendition of GREAT OAK TREE ... Lyrics were perfectly clear and crisp. Her consort has superb voice with resonance and accurate pitch. Bravo!
My favorite production of Ruddigore! I was going to single out that this Sir Despard is my favorite rendition of that character, and then I thought about it and realized it's also my favorite Mad Margaret, my favorite Richard, my favorite Robin, my favorite Roderic, my favorite Adam, Rose, and Hannah, and my favorite Bridesmaids too! (Ohio Light Opera has a better Hornpipe Dance and a better ancestor portraits entrance, though.) But there is a lightness and a spark of life in this that no other production I've seen has. (At least of those on RU-vid.)
interesting choice to have Elsie sing "laughed aloud" rather than "shed a tear" here. Sure, that was the original line before Gilbert changed it to make Elsie more sympathetic, but why here? Was it intended as a sort of "Jack, please stop being a drama queen, you'll get over this" on Elsie's part before she catches on that this is serious? anyhow, this was a great performance, thank you very much for posting!
An excellent production, but, to be pedantic, why are all the peers (except Mountararat and Tolloller) dressed in the blue order of of St George. There are 8 orders in the British peerage and colours of robe including Red, Pink, Light Blue, Green etc.
I'm in Philadelphia's Savoy Company, and we are reviving this one next. The last time we did it was in 1994, so we're doing it for the first time in 30 years!
Such an outstanding performance. I am so glad that I stumbled upon this video from 2008--and I wish I had seen it live. Great singing and acting and the perfect interpretation of the message which I believe W.S. Gilbert intended to convey. Finally, most mobile phones are of the "smart" variety today, but the jingle at the beginning stands the test of time to 2023.
Lyrics: If you want a receipt for that popular mystery Known to the world as a heavy Dragoon, Take all the remarkable people in history, Rattle them off to a popular tune: The pluck of Lord Nelson on board of the Victory, Genius of Target - a marketing plan, The humor of Chekov (which sounds contradictory), Lack of a marriage for Kim Kardashian. A bit of Bruce Lee, who’s the king of karate, The charm of Ms. Bachman upon her campaign, The best of an auto, a red Maserati, The five incarnations of Shirley McLaine. The wit of Steve Sondheim, the talents of Meryl Streep, Congress in session which, yes, makes us want to weep, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mikhail Gorbachev, Thomas Aquinas and N. Rimsky-Korsakov, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Andrew Lloyd Webber, who aims rather low. Take of these elements all that is fusible, Melt ‘em all down in a pipkin or crucible, Set ‘em to simmer and take off the scum, And a Heavy Dragoon is the residuum. If you want a receipt for this soldierly prototype, Get at the wealth of Don Trump (if you can), The vocal mis-stylings of Bieber and all that hype, Force of Newt Gingrich (in case you’re a fan). The technical prowess of Apple and iPhones, Occupy Wall Street (if you think you can), No Tea Party, please, and avoid all those bad bank loans, How ‘bout Obama? Steve Jobs is the man. The genius strategic of Caesar or Hannibal, Maybe the Vikings will win what is winnable, Flavor of Hamlet, Ms. Palin, (a touch of her), Little of Gaga (but not very much of her). Gilbert and Sullivan, we love them so, This song is hard and now on with the show! Take of these elements all that is fusible, Melt ‘em all down in a pipkin or crucible, Set ‘em to simmer and take off the scum, And a Heavy Dragoon is the residuum
I love the steam punk direction. It's really fun and interesting. Ida and Melissa are standouts to me, but the cast is generally excellent. I love how strange and elaborate Ida's hair is.
I love the chase at the end! I always imagined that Grosvenor would try to run for his life, the women would scream and chase after him, and the dragoons would follow suit, sabres rattling.
Well done! I do it myself. I also hold the C as indicated in the score & crack it at the end. I sing the high notes head voice. But didn't D'Oyly Carte tenors sing falsetto in this? There was a 78s version. But possibly Round & Reid do the same although Round certainly had a head-voice top C. So this is a good performance. I just do more of a military accent.
I love this show for several reasons, mostly for the music and the rapier wit of the lyrics. In particular Mr. Goldbury's song that is a very concise treatise on capitalism. replete with all its not so honorable loopholes. King Paramount's reaction is pure gold. "on first sight it strikes us as dishonest..." Utopia Ltd. was first staged in 1891 and had a few later performances through 1904 but did not see another until D'Oyly Carte again presented it in 1975. Interesting to my somewhat conspiratorially oriented mind. Wm. Gilbert was a very accomplished satirist in his day and even ran slightly afoul of Queen Victoria for portraying the Lord of the Admiralty as a man who had never been to sea in HMS Pinafore, a casting that happened to be true of the Real Lord of the Admiralty. He repeatedly mocked the House of Lords, and more than once took a pot shot at the Joint Stock Company's Act of 1862. He has King Paramount do so in Utopia describing a nation that would become a Limited Liability Corporation. The fact this lovely operetta was not again performed for too many years has made me wonder if the reason for this was that Gilbert was too uncomfortably close to what governments had been in fact doing since that odious Act was passed. It is said the United States was incorporated in similar fashion as described in a seemingly harmless poking-fun manner as Utopia does, in 1872. Curious and curiouser as Alice said once...
Musically, and in terms of production values, a very strong performance. Efforts were clearly made over the pronunciation, too. I could take fairly major issue with the men's costuming, but it does not detract from the performance. Well done, GSVLOC!
Totally spoilt by the ridiculous costume choices in Act Two - Gilbert specifies Greek. Julia would be very good, but again Gilbert's satire is undermined by the fact that she does not speak/sing with the specified German accent.
Resetting "Ruddigore" from early 19th century to 1948 is a bold experiment but to unclear advantage here except perhaps to simplify the costuming (or to excuse a "magical" slide projector on stage?). Attempts to improve William Gilbert's topsyturvy comedies tend to be a losing proposition but this troupe of Connecticut yankees show enough enthusiasm to win the day. I am encouraged by Dame Hannah's delivery of the legend "Sir Rupert Murgatroyd" with its challenging complexity, well helped by the lighting and choreography. Alas that boasting Dick Dauntless' defiance of a french frigate would be an anachronism in 1948, and his confusing hornpipe dance has vast scope for improvement. There are rewordings here that would make Gilbert turn in his grave (and I spare him the introductory advertisements that are actually clever and entertaining, especially with their subtexts that will delight the G&S fans who can spot them). Clearly this show is put together by enthusiasts who intend to have fun with an opera they cherish. Someone please provide correct subtitles because the autogenerated ones are poor. Sullivan at least would appreciate the orchestra's faithfulness to his music that comes through well. Some changes here leave me with nagging questions. Why do the bridesmaids need an on-stage choreographer, is this to save the need for a maid to stick out her tongue at the depressed Robin Oakapple? I am not local to Connecticut so I'm unsure whether Sir Despard Murgatroyd gave his ancestors' portraits to "Walker": a gallery in Minneapolis or to a frame shop in Westport. Old Adam surely has no business meeting the ghosts on stage. Poor Mad Margaret has potentially a rich (if politically incorrect today) character that need owe nothing to Shirley Temple / Rudolph Valentino /Edward G. Robinson etc. because G&S must predate anything Hollywood has to offer. Indeed this sort of thing is calculated to cause remark so Margaret, I beg you eschew it, "Basingstoke" remember BASINGSTOKE! Make it so! I end with my special mentions of the delightful chorus of "Hail the Bride of 17 Summers" and the following Madrigal that gets so rudely upset by Sir Despard, and of the novel ballet dancers adding life to "There grew a little flower" in Act 2. This opera opened in 1887 and I wonder how well after 135 years its strange "moral lesson" survives that no good could come of the initial engagement of the equally perfidious and shallow creatures Rose M. and Dick. D., the latter possibly fated to rebirth as a sickly Dick Deadeye in an entirely different, infernally nonsensical naval opera (hinting at "H.M.S. Pinafore").
I've never considered 'The Sorcerer' to be top drawer G & S but I thoroughly enjoyed this production. The performances, direction and choreography are excellent. It's kept moving and the numbers are never static which is just what this piece needs. Very well done.
These productions are excellent, so full of life. 'The Grand Duke' is tricky to bring off as it's G & S on autopilot a bit. But this performance works very well and makes the best possible case for this operetta. Very very enjoyable.
