"I have a song to sing, O!"
With 29-piece orchestra!
Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan Hear cast interview Libretto by Sir W.S. Gilbert
June 4 –13, 2010 At Cahn Auditorium - 600 Emerson, Evanston, IL
Gilbert's poignant tale of unrequited love melds with Sullivan's stirring music to create the most majestic of all their collaborations...played out in the colorful pageantry of late Medieval England.
The hauntingly beautiful score includes:
• Were I Thy Bride • A Man Who Would Woo a Fair Maid • When a Wooer Goes a-Wooing
Gilbert and Sullivan's favorite operetta!
Ages 10 and older |
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They don’t know Yeomen
By Michael Kotze
This may be a bitter pill for many to swallow but the fact is, some people don’t like Gilbert and Sullivan. According to these naysayers, if you’ve seen one of their operettas, you’ve seen ‘em all: how many more drippy tenors, simpering sopranos and chattering “comic” baritones can a person take?
Even the most ardent G&S aficionado will admit there’s something of a formula at work in the Savoy operas; after all, the team was writing for a relatively stable company of performers, each with their own singular strengths and weaknesses, who turned up in show after show. Remember too that neither Gilbert nor Sullivan took a particularly lofty view of their collaborations. They recognized them as crowd-pleasing entertainments. If giving the public what they wanted had made the pair rich, why alter the recipe?
A cure for what ails them
The enthusiastic Savoyard relishes all these variations-on-a-theme that pop up in the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, be it the incarnations of their beloved patter man, or just how tonight’s gorgon alto will rear her formidable head. But enough of that—we’re not talking about the enthusiasts here. Much as it pains us, we’re talking about those poor benighted souls who don’t like Gilbert and Sullivan.
To those, I recommend The Yeomen of the Guard as a potential cure for their debilitating condition.
A glance at the program, followed by the first half hour or so of Yeomen’s Act One, may at first seem to confirm the G&S-averse public in its prejudice—always a nice, cozy feeling. All the regular personnel are present and accounted for; a quick change of costume, and we could be doing The Mikado. But if our loyal opposition will hang on a bit longer, while keeping an open mind, they’ll begin to see that The Yeomen of the Guard is different.
Yes, all the old G&S archetypes are there, but this time, they’re human. Their actions have consequences, and when they express their emotions we are invited not to chuckle at their predicaments but to empathize, to share their joy and pain. In The Yeomen of the Guard, we find these usual Savoy suspects stranded beyond the borders of Gilbert’s Topsy-Turvyland, that madcap region where every absurd crisis is put to rest by an equally absurd solution. Yeomen’s London is a very different place, dangerous and unforgiving. A happy ending is not guaranteed.
This innovation was no accident, but the direct result of growing tension between composer and librettist. Arthur Sullivan made it no secret that he was growing dissatisfied with the continued artificiality of Gilbert’s plots. When it became clear that 1887’s Ruddigore would not enjoy the success of its long-running predecessor, The Mikado, there was no agreement between composer and librettist as to a new piece to take its place.
No more magic potions
Gilbert once again put forward his beloved “lozenge plot,” in which a magic lozenge effects a metamorphosis in all who swallow it. It wasn’t the first time Sullivan rejected this distinctly unpromising premise, and he was no doubt especially exasperated on this occasion: this was precisely the sort of story that again and again he told Gilbert he wished to avoid. “A ‘puppet show,’ and not human,” he wrote in his diary in the fall of 1887. Months had passed during which it was clear a new Gilbert and Sullivan operetta was needed, but none was forthcoming. As winter settled upon London, it seemed perhaps the famous collaboration was at last at an end.
But Christmas Day brought a surprise. That morning, during a meeting of Gilbert, Sullivan and their impresario and business partner Richard D’Oyly Carte, Gilbert presented an idea for their next collaboration; not the dreaded lozenge, but something entirely new. In Sullivan’s diary entry for December 25, 1887, one reads “Gilbert read plot of new piece (Tower of London); immensely pleased with it. Pretty story, no topsy-turvydom, very human and funny also.”
And so, in the autumn of 1888, Gilbert and Sullivan’s “New and Original Opera,” The Yeomen of the Guard, had its premiere at the Savoy Theater. Note that designation on the first page of the program; it is nearly identical to those that had come before it, with an interesting omission. Iolanthe had been “An Entirely Original Fairy Opera,” The Mikado, “An Entirely New and Original Japanese Opera,” while Ruddigore was styled “An Entirely Original Supernatural Opera.” No such disingenuous qualifications for Yeomen: it was a “New and Original Opera,” and that was that.
The Yeomen of the Guard is set in 16th century London and tells the story of Colonel Fairfax, soldier and aristocrat, imprisoned and condemned to die owing to the false accusations of a scheming cousin who will gain the Colonel’s fortune upon his demise at the hands of the headsman. A pair of strolling players, the out-of-work jester Jack Point and street singer Elsie Maynard, are drawn into the plot when Fairfax decides to thwart his cousin’s designs by getting married. When the opportunity arises for Fairfax’s escape, the newly wed Elsie finds herself in a very difficult position.
It’s a great story, shot through with mordant wit, but it must have cost Gilbert an untold number of sleepless nights. As we say today, it took him well outside his comfort zone—no satire, no madcap reversals of logic and no send-ups of theatrical or political figures. Setting aside his customary bag of tricks made him so uneasy that he continually second-guessed himself while working on the new piece, contemplating major changes right up to opening night. Would the public accept Gilbert’s new direction? Would they come expecting the usual antics and be disappointed? It seems no accident that one of Yeomen’s central figures is a desperate jester.
Inspiring musical greatness
He need not have worried. True, some at the first performances were puzzled by the tone of the piece, but before long its special qualities asserted themselves, and the public found itself enchanted. The libretto is a success on every level: plot, characterization and verse are all up to Gilbert’s highest standards. But perhaps the greatest triumph of all was it inspired Sullivan to write some of his greatest music.
Much is made of the grandeur of the Yeomen score and, true enough, many of its pages would not be out of place in a grand opera. But that alone is not what places Yeomen among Sullivan’s finest work. What is so striking is his level of engagement with the material and the sheer variety and richness of his response. Sullivan’s previous operetta, Ruddigore, certainly has some wonderful moments, but there is also much in which Sullivan appears to be on autopilot. The tunes are effective enough vehicles for Gilbert’s lyrics, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot going on underneath, and much of the orchestral accompaniment is distinctly prosaic.
The Yeomen of the Guard, on the other hand, positively bursts with music. The score is full of dramatic and unexpected twists and turns, the orchestration bristles with interest, and even the orchestral postludes at the ends of numbers brim with ideas, as if Sullivan simply couldn’t stop composing. Listen to the final bars of the two Act One trios—the first subtly captures the anxiety of the moment, the second puts a beautifully contemplative spin on a melody that seemed pure bluster the first time we heard it. In moments like these, Sullivan’s genius as a musical dramatist truly shines.
Even after the success of Yeomen, Gilbert still had his doubts about the step the team had taken. Five months into its run he wrote to Sullivan, “The success of The Yeomen, which is a stage in the direction of serious opera, has not been so convincing as to warrant us in assuming that the public wants something more earnest still…We have a name jointly for humorous work tempered with occasional glimpses of earnest drama. I think we should do unwisely if we left altogether the path we have trodden together so long and so successfully.” These are the words of an anxious jester. Their next piece, The Gondoliers, would indeed be comic, but at Sullivan’s insistence it steered clear of Gilbert’s “lozenge” tendencies. The Gondoliers would again be “very human and funny” and inspire Sullivan to another of his greatest scores. The lesson of Yeomen was well learned.
So, if you’ve seen one Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, you haven’t seen them all, especially if you haven’t seen Yeomen, which just might be the point of entry to the delights of the Savoy operas those unfortunate naysayers need. In time, it may well prove there really aren’t people who don’t like Gilbert and Sullivan, just people who haven’t yet seen The Yeomen of the Guard.
Yeomen "Balcony Talk"
Join Michael Kotze, Light Opera Works' resident G&S expert, for
This free discussion is offered prior to The Yeomen of the Guard
• Saturday, June 5, 6:45 pm (doors open 6:30) • Sunday, June 6, 12:45 pm (doors open 12:30) • Saturday, June 12, 6:45 pm (doors open 6:30) • Sunday, June 13, 12:45 pm (doors open 12:30)
No RSVP needed; just attend any talk date of your choice
Press Release
Contact: Christopher Riley
Light Opera Works presents
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Evanston, IL: THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD tells the story of Colonel Fairfax, soldier and aristocrat, imprisoned and condemned to die through the false accusations of a scheming cousin who will gain the Colonel's fortune upon his demise at the hands of the executioner. A pair of strolling players, the out-of-work jester Jack Point and street singer Elsie Maynard, are drawn into the plot when Fairfax decides to thwart his cousin's designs by getting married before his execution. When the opportunity arises for Fairfax's escape, the newly wed Elsie finds herself in a very difficult position.
THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD is directed and choreographed by Light Opera Works artistic director, Rudy Hogenmiller. Hogenmiller has directed and choreographed many productions for the company including THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, MY FAIR LADY, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, KISS ME, KATE, SOUTH PACIFIC, THE MIKADO and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. He has been recognized with six Joseph Jefferson Awards and 17 nominations for best direction and choreography in Chicago. Hogenmiller has been a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers for more than 25 years.
Light Opera Works music director Roger L. Bingaman conducts the 29-piece orchestra. Bingaman made his first appearance on the Light Opera Works podium in 1997, conducting THE MERRY WIDOW. Since then he has conducted many Light Opera Works productions, including BEAUTIFUL HELEN OF TROY, THE STUDENT PRINCE, SWEETHEARTS, NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY, SOUTH PACIFIC, 110 IN THE SHADE, KISS ME, KATE, BITTER SWEET, OKLAHOMA!, GIGI, IOLANTHE, THE MUSIC MAN, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, MY FAIR LADY and THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE. Bingaman has been director of the apprentice program and chorus master for the Sarasota Opera since 1998.
Casting for THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD includes Colm Fitzmaurice (Colonel Fairfax), Alicia Berneche (Elsie), George Andrew Wolff (Jack Point), Dennis Kelly (Sergeant Meryll), Sahara Glasener-Boles (Phoebe), Alex Honzen (Wilfred Shadbolt) and Susan Adler (Dame Carruthers).
Colm Fitzmaurice (Colonel Fairfax) returns to Light Opera Works, where he has been seen in THE STUDENT PRINCE, H.M.S. PINAFORE, THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, THE MERRY WIDOW and, most recently, IOLANTHE. Colm has sung many of the leading G&S roles in New York City and throughout the United States. He is regularly featured with New York's Gilbert and Sullivan Players. This fall, Colm returns to Milwaukee's Skylight Opera in H.M.S. PINAFORE. At Skylight, he has also appeared as Valére in TARTUFFE, Henry in THE MIDNIGHT ANGEL and Nanki-Poo in THE MIKADO. He made his European debut as Tamino in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE in Paris, and later toured Germany as Tony in WEST SIDE STORY. Colm has been featured with Virginia Opera, Dayton Opera, and Kentucky Opera among others.
Sahara Glasener-Boles (Phoebe) is making her Light Opera Works debut. She graduated from Kent State University with a Master of Music degree in 2005, and performed with Cleveland Opera, Cleveland Opera on Tour, Lyric Opera Cleveland and as a member of the Young Artist Program at Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, New York. She spent the last eight summers performing with the Ohio Light Opera in Wooster, Ohio. She recently returned from Los Angeles, California where she performed a one-woman operetta program for the Friends of Operetta Foundation. Now living in Chicago, Sahara performs with the Quest Theatre Ensemble, and will travel to Brazil in January with their production of BLUE NATIVITY.
Alex Honzen (Wilfred Shadbolt) appeared with Light Opera Works as Pooh-Bah in THE MIKADO, Mountararat in IOLANTHE, the Pirate King in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, Agamemnon in LA BELLE HÉLÈNE, the Second Gunman in KISS ME, KATE, Herr Schlick in BITTER SWEET, Jud Fry in OKLAHOMA!, Du Fresne in GIGI and Karpathy in MY FAIR LADY. Other appearances include DuPage Opera Theatre (Scarpia in TOSCA), the Dubuque Symphony (Brahms Requiem), Chamber Opera Chicago (Mr. Bennett in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE), da Corneto Opera (Fra Melitone in LA FORZA DEL DESTINO), Bowen Park Opera (the Count in THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO), American Opera Group (Escamillo in LA TRAGÉDIE DE CARMEN) and the Narrator in Stravinsky's L'HISTOIRE DU SOLDAT with Chicago Chamber Musicians.
Yvonne Strumecki (Dame Carruthers) has been seen at Light Opera Works as Bloody Mary in SOUTH PACIFIC and Sister Berthe in THE SOUND OF MUSIC, as well as the ensemble of CANDIDE (also understudying the Old Lady). She returns after a hiatus from the stage, during which she worked on her master's degree in creative writing at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Other roles include Gertrude in HANSEL AND GRETEL, the Witch and Jack's Mother in INTO THE WOODS, Witch #1 in DIDO AND AENEAS, Mother Superior in NUNSENSE, Yente in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, and the voice of Audrey 2 in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS..
The design team for THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD includes Tom Burch (Scenic), Jill Van Brussel (Costumes), Marvin Riebe (Hair and Make-Up), Andrew Meyers (Lighting), David Lee Bradke (Sound), Katie Beeks (Stage Manager) and Paige Keedy (Production Manager).
The Opening Reception for THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD is sponsored by Whole Foods Evanston and by Lulu's Dim Sum and Then Sum. Whole Foods Market is the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods, with two locations in Evanston.
Ticket prices for THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD range from $32 to $92. Ages 21 and younger are half price. To order tickets, or for more information, call the Light Opera Works box office at (847) 869-6300 or order 24 hours a day online at www.lightoperaworks.com
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Light Opera Works is a resident professional not-for-profit theater in Evanston, founded in 1980. The company's mission is to produce and present musical theater from a variety of world traditions. All productions are presented in English, with foreign works done in carefully edited modern translations. Maximum scholarship is employed to preserve the original vocal and orchestral material as well as the spirit of the original text whenever possible. Audiences have come to know that at Light Opera Works they will experience repertoire often unavailable on the stages of commercial theaters and opera houses, in modern productions with professional artists and full orchestra.
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Light Opera Works' mission is to produce musical theater from a variety of world traditions, to engage the community through educational programs, and to train artists in musical theater.
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By Dorothy Andries June 10, 2010
'Yeomen of the Guard' a colorful, but woeful tale
Light Opera Works' production of Gilbert and Sullivan's enigmatic operetta "The Yeomen of the Guard" opened Friday at Northwestern University's Cahn Auditorium.
It is quite unlike the most popular of Gilbert & Sullivan works. There are no fairies or pirates or imaginary kingdoms. Neither is the story, set in medieval England, exactly a comedy and, most disappointing, it has only a marginally happy ending.
What it does have, however, is careful direction by Rudy Hogenmiller, Light Opera Works' artistic director, beautiful music, with a full orchestra conducted by Roger L. Bingaman, and a sparkling cast, all of which does compensate for the less than hilarious plot.
George Andrew Wolff plays Jack Point, the jester and he was born for this role. His skillful antics, his comic timing and physical comedy steal the show every minute he is on stage. Plus he has a lovely singing voice and a winning presence.
In "Yeomen" he is part of a traveling comedy couple, the other being Elsie, sung by Alicia Berneche. The soprano is a perennial favorite, having appeared at Light Opera Works in major roles such as Mabel in "The Pirates of Penzance" and Marian in "The Music Man." She also appeared as Daisy in "The Great Gatsby" at Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The convoluted story includes Col. Fairfax, an innocent man condemned to die in the Tower of London; Sergeant Meryll who wishes to save him as Fairfax once saved his life; Meryll's daughter Phoebe, who is in love with Fairfax, though they have never met; Wilfred Shadbolt, an assistant torturer in the Tower, who is in love with Phoebe, though she detests him; and the prison matron Dame Curruthers, who is pursuing Sgt. Meryll, who does not want to marry.
There's more. Fairfax wishes to marry before he is executed, because he does not wish his wicked cousin who falsely accused him of sorcery, to inherit his estate of 100 crowns. Elsie, with the consent of Jack Point, agrees to marry Fairfax since he is due to die in an hour and she will then received the crowns. She wears a blindfold during the marriage ceremony.
Dennis Kelly portrays a distinguished Meryll and Sahara Glasener-Boles makes a vivacious and sympathetic Phoebe. Alex Honzen has a booming bass-baritone voice and is the source of much of the humor in the tale, and Yvonne Strumecki plays the comical Curruthers. Colm Fitzmaurice is Fairfax, the romantic lead, essentially a dull role, which he does little to bring to life.
Three things are paramount for a Gilbert & Sullivan show to succeed without supertitles -- diction, diction, diction, and the soloists are outstanding in their articulation, allowing us to get almost all of the jokes. Choral numbers, however, remain a problem.
The show is ably directed and choreographed by Rudy Hogenmiller, artistic director of Light Opera works, and costumes by Jill Van Brussel include the Tower guards in vivid red and gold Beefeater attire.
But don't be surprised if you find yourself as woeful as poor Jack Point when the curtain goes down. Gilbert and Sullivan usually give us much happier and tidier endings!
June 7, 2010 By Albert Williams
Recommended The Short List
Though not as well known now as hits like The Pirates of Penzance or The Mikado, this is one of Gilbert & Sullivan's best works. The 1888 operetta is set in 16th-century England, at the bloody Tower of London, and concerns a sticky web of romantic entanglements involving a condemned prisoner, his jailer, the daughter of a tower guard, and a traveling jester and his lady love. Anticipating modern musical theater, Yeomen deftly juxtaposes loopy whimsy with emotional complexity and surprisingly dark humor. The music features ravishing vocal ensembles and arias as well as rapid-fire patter songs, and the script and lyrics include some of W.S. Gilbert's wittiest wordplay. Rudy Hogenmiller's solid Light Opera Works staging boasts fine performances -- standouts include George Andrew Wolff as the jester, Alicia Berneche as his inamorata, and Alex Honzen as the jailer -- and the large orchestra under Roger Bingaman's baton does justice to Arthur Sullivan's muscular brass fanfares.
June 6, 2010 By Leah A. Zeldes
Rating: Four Stars
Delightful singers highlight of sensational ‘Yeomen’
Gorgeous voices, thrilling music, a terrific 29-piece orchestra and a poignant plot — Light Opera Works’ Yeomen of the Guard has it all.
Perhaps the most moving of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas, Yeomen takes place at the Tower of London, where the dashing Col. Fairfax is imprisoned, due to be beheaded on a trumped-up charge of sorcery. Phoebe Meryll has never met him but is as distraught over his fate as she is disdainful of the attentions of the lovesick jailer Wilbert Shadbolt. Her father, Sgt. Meryll, vows to save the colonel, who twice saved his life, and with the help of Phoebe and her brother, Leonard, plots to secret Fairfax from the Tower by disguising him as Leonard, an arriving guardsman.
Meanwhile, Fairfax vows to thwart the greedy kinsmen whose false accusation landed him in jail and do him out of an inheritance by marrying before his death. His friend, the lieutenant of the Tower, agrees to find him a bride. When the strolling players Jack Point and Elsie Maynard appear, he tempts them with an offer of 100 crowns if Elsie will wed the doomed man. Jack and Elsie are sweethearts, but since the groom will be beheaded in an hour, they agree.
Then Fairfax escapes, leaving Jack and Elsie aghast that she is now the wife of a fugitive.
Though less whimsical than most of the G&S canon, Yeomen features plenty of wit and humor and one of Sullivan’s loveliest scores. Rudy Hogenmiller directs a strongly traditional interpretation with a cast of stupendous singers. Company newcomer Sahara Glasener-Boles brings a divine soprano and a saucy demeanor to Phoebe, particularly delicious as she taunts Shadbolt in "Were I Thy Bride." Soprano Alicia Berneche gives us a plaintive and lyrical Elsie.
Mezzo-soprano Yvonne Strumecki makes a majestic Dame Carruthers, the Tower housekeeper, a patriotic spinster with her eye on Sgt. Meryll.
Alex Honzen creates a hilarious Wilfred Shadbolt, head jailer and assistant tormentor, sardonic and smitten with Phoebe. He mournfully pours out his situation, with a fine baritone, in "When Jealous Torments Rack My Soul," a song Gilbert and Sullivan cut from the original score but which has been restored in this production:
When jealous torments rack my soul, My agonies I can’t control, Oh, better sit on red hot coal Than love a heartless jade.
Dennis Kelly as Sergeant Meryll, Colm Fitzmaurice as Col. Fairfax, Michael Reckling as Leonard and Robert Brady as the lieutenant are also strong.
George Andrew Wolff‘s interpretation of the disappointed Jack Point misses the target a bit. In the early scenes, he seems too stolid, and at the finish he goes overboard into exaggerated bawling. Still, he has a gorgeous voice, and turns out delightful renditions of "I Have A Song To Sing, O!" with Elsie, his solos "I’ve Jibe and Joke" and "Oh! A Private Buffoon is a Light-Hearted Loon," and "Hereupon We’re Both Agreed" with Shadbolt.
While the choreography and staging could be livelier, the brilliant vocals make this a don’t-miss production. If you’re a G&S fan, you’ll love it, and if you’re not, you should be.
June 6, 2010 By Tom Williams
Highly Recommended
“I have a song to sing…”
Magnificent production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s 1888 masterwork:
Light Opera Works sure knows how to mount Gilbert & Sullivan’s operettas. Their latest production is a wonderful production of what this reporter believes is Gilbert & Sullivan’s finest work – The Yeomen of the Guard. Yeomen contains all of the wit and satire expected in a G & S operetta yet it has the sweet charm and lovable characters with one in particular that brings us to tears at the end – Jack Point, played with comic aplomb and empathy by George Andrew Wolff.
That 1888 production played for 423 performances in London. It is one of the more emotional, dark and serious works by G & S. It exudes a rich soaring score by Arthur Sullivan. The fine harmonies, patter songs and powerful ballads propel Yeomen into a wonderful songfest. Director Rudy Hogenmiller in the current Light Opera Works production has assembled a cast of adept singers, including the golden tenor Colm Fitzmaurice (Colonel Fairfax), the rich soprano Alicia Berneche (Elsie), the power bass baritone from Alex Honzen (Wilfred Shadbolt), Dennis Kelly’s tenor and Sahara Glasener-Boles’ expert mezzo soprano. These talents together with the fine chorus and Roger L. Bingaman’s 29-member orchestra presented a most memorable evening of operetta.
The Yeomen of the Guard tells the story of Colonel Fairfax, soldier and aristocrat, who is imprisoned and condemned to death from false accusations. He wishes to marry before he is put to death so that his accuser cousin will not get his estate. A pair of strolling players (Jack Point and Elsie Maynard) get entangled in the plot as Elsie agrees to marry Fairfax for 100 gold coins. When Fairfax escapes, Elsie is in a difficult place when she falls for what she thinks is Sergeant Meryll’s son, who is really Fairfax in disguise.
The plot complications produce many pun-laden one-liners besides the smooth, sweetly charming arias that produce laughs; tuneful melodies that feature my favorite G & S song – “I Have a Song to Sing…” which is beautifully (and comically) delivered by George Andrew Wolff and Alicia Berneche.
Light Opera Works’ production of The Yeomen of the Guard is the finest G & S mounting that I’ve ever witnessed. It looks smart, sings beautifully, and is rich in humor and pathos. George Andrew Wolff makes Jack Point a sad character that leaves many in tears at the show’s end.
Get to Cahn Auditorium because Yeomen only runs through June 13.
June 7, 2010 By Lawrence Bommer
Reportedly Gilbert and Sullivan’s favorite among the Savoy operas, this is also their most operatic, as in tragicomic, collaboration. It works wonderfully, both as satire, psychology and, yes, a refreshing familiarity. (The plot, involving a secret marriage, may come from “The Mikado” but the characters are worthy of Dickens.) The 11th of the 14 operettas, their three-hour charmer, equally joyous and moving, is set in the Tower of London during Tudor times: A wrongly accused and gloriously gallant soldier is falsely accused of witchcraft by a scheming relative who wants his estate. Facing death and wishing to thwart the villain, Colonel Fairfax marries the mistress of Jack Point, an itinerant fool, who agrees to let Colonel Fairfax become her husband as long as she is soon a widow and free to return to Jack.
Of course, in the topsy-turvy world of G & S good intentions turn into life’s jokes and love’s obstacles. Fairfax must disguise himself as one of the beefeaters (Tower warders) and that allows Gilbert to introduce such wonderful characters as the oafish jailer Wilfred, his irrepressible and reluctant sweetheart Phoebe, the dour Dame Carruthers who’s as bloodthirsty as the prison she grew up in, and the title folks, a splendid chorus of loyal pensioners who are always game to save an innocent hero from beheading.
As the synopsis suggests, “Yeomen” is not silly summer fluff. How could it be when, unlike all other Savoy works, it opens with no chattering chorus on stage but a simple maiden at her spinning wheel and ends with a character collapsing and perhaps dying? Sullivan’s music rises to this semi-serious occasion, complete with the usual exuberant wedding choruses, sober-sided madrigals and melancholy ballads but also brimming over with a scary intensity that seems worthy of the Tower itself.
Rudy Hogenmiller’s triumphant Light Opera Works revival works on every level: The look, sound, feel and accuracy come through full force. George Andrew Wolff’s Jack Point is the perfect surrogate for Gilbert himself, a jester who never gets enough respect for amusing folks by exposing their folly. Colm Fitzmaurice brings a soaring tenor to the equally noble role of Fairfax, while as his unwitting wife Elsie, Alicia Berneche handles her arias with grace and conviction.
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