3 Cheers for Gilbert & Sullivan

When you play piano for a theatrical production, it’s often both the best and the worst seat in the house. You’re often right where the action is- in the midst of it, in many cases- but we also have our hands full and most of our attention has to be on the music we’re playing and on the matter of listening to the singers and supporting them. That’s always the case, no matter where we are situated. It was especially true with this year’s J-Term Opera Workshop because I was right up on the stage with the singers- off to the side- so I could only see the backs and sides of the performers and no faces. And while I certainly had at least a general sense of the intricate and charming staging and choreography that had been created by Allison Hull (with Elena Batman stepping in on two pieces), it was not until I had a chance to watch the video shot by the college’s AV department that I came to truly appreciate the theatrical deliciousness of our production – and in particular, the energy and focus with which our students performed these wonderful pieces. We had a blast throughout our J-Term rehearsals …. but it’s really important for that to add up to something great in the end. And this video confirmed that, once and for all.

Our performance actually began with yours truly, up on the stage, with a parchment in my hands, intoning “Hear ye, hear ye, all of you! A decree from the Lord High Chamberlain!”

That decree announces that all of the words of Gilbert & Sullivan are banned … because they are

“most obnoxious, rude, and coarse…a dangerous and disruptive force…

threatening the very foundation of this Commonwealth which we all love.”

This is very upsetting news to these young singers, who respond

“what an ugly pot… filled with you-know-what…

has to us been brought by a brainless, bumbling sot!”

As they continue to express their outrage over this decree, a figure enters that none of them seems to notice. He stands there, silently listening to what they’re saying.

Finally, one of the singers notices and yells “Silence, all of you! The Royal Lord Chamberlain……

is HERE!”

They all turn and see for themselves that it is indeed the Royal Lord Chamberlain. As if on cue, they suddenly smile at their unexpected guest, and adopt a far-more respectful tone as they sing:

“We beg you- please, reconsider your decree.

Give us an hour or more and you’ll see

That though they are insolent, arrogant and haughty,

Often risque and even rather naughty,

each score is a precious gem-

and we love each and every one of them!”

From there, the singers present a cavalcade of highlights from various Gilbert & Sullivan shows, beginning with Iolanthe, a tuneful score that deserves to be far-better known than it is.

“We are dainty little fairies”

“Entrance of the Peers”

“If we’re weak enough to tarry”

“The Midnight Scene”

After that we did excerpts from the Gilbert & Sullivan show that I know better than any of the others, because I have performed the role of Ko-Ko the Execution: their blockbuster hit The Mikado.

“Three Little Maids from School”

“A Wandering Minstrel”

“Braid the Raven’s Hair”

“The Sun whose Rays”

“Brightly Dawns our Wedding Day”

The first half finished out with single excerpts from three different Gilbert & Sullivan shows, beginning with “List and Learn” from The Gondoliers.

“I Jib and Jive” (song of the court jester) from

The first half concluded with a trio from Princess Ida that is a thinly veiled spoof of the wildly popular “Three Little Maids” from The Mikado. Three men have disguised themselves as women to sneak into an all-women’s university whose motto is “Men: Nature’s Greatest Mistake.”