Mid-career masterpiece

 

by Michael Kotze

 

Iolanthe was Gilbert and Sullivan’s seventh collaboration; ultimately, they would write 14 operettas together in what proved to be a partnership without precedent. With Iolanthe, we find them smack dab in the middle of that remarkable career.

 

When Iolanthe opened on November 25, 1882, Gilbert and Sullivan were the lions of the English musical stage. They already had H.M.S. Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance under their belts, and their last effort, the Oscar Wilde parody Patience, ran nearly 600 performances, a track record that left them without any serious rivals. What’s more, Patience inaugurated the newly built Savoy Theatre, an ambitious venture on the part of Gilbert, Sullivan and their business partner Richard D’Oyly Carte.

 

Savoy shrine

 

Patience moved into the new theater midway through its run; the opening night of the Savoy was much more about the wonders of the palatial new building than the offering on stage. Iolanthe would be the first operetta to premiere in D’Oyly Carte’s glittering new temple dedicated to the worship of Gilbert and Sullivan.

 

Take that word “glittering” quite literally: The Savoy was the first theater, indeed the first public building, to be lit entirely by electric light. Doubtless many flocked to Patience to have a look at this technological marvel, but Iolanthe would take this innovation one step further, putting the new electric lights on stage to create entirely original scenic effects.

          

No less glittering was the audience at the Iolanthe premiere; by this time, Gilbert and Sullivan first nights were well established as important social occasions to which the leading lights of Victorian society went to see and be seen. The London gossip columnists had a field day listing the notables present on these occasions: lords and ladies, captains of industry and finance, politicians and the more fashionable artists all found their way into the next morning’s papers.

 

Of course, Iolanthe’s first night press was not confined to the social columns; it was a big event for the drama critics, and coverage on the theater pages was exhaustive, with in-depth descriptions of the décor, costumes and performances, not to mention the G&S words and music. Comment was generally very favorable, though a few critics complained about the similarities that were beginning to crop up in Gilbert’s libretti; “Same set of puppets that Mr. Gilbert has dressed over and over before,” groused the man from the Echo.

 

Dressing them up

 

This is not entirely fair. True, Gilbert and Sullivan had established a more or less regular troupe of players; the nine principal performers of Patience transferred directly into the nine leading roles of Iolanthe. So, yes, we had the “same set of puppets” on stage, but credit must be given to Gilbert for varying their dressing with great aplomb. Though the performers remained the same, the roles were often very different.

Take for example baritone Richard Temple. In The Pirates of Penzance, he played the swashbuckling Pirate King, in Patience he was bluff, British-to-the-core Colonel Calverly, and would go on to play the comic-grotesque title role of The Mikado. So it was hardly expected that he would take the romantic leading role of Strephon in Iolanthe. Not that there wasn’t a romantic leading tenor on the premises; but Durward Lely, who would go on to create Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, was here entrusted with the comic duties of Lord Tolloller.

 

Even the leading soprano roles, so often interchangeable in many operettas, were given an interesting Gilbertian spin: the guileless babe-in-the-woods Patience could hardly be more different from the Iolanthe’s calculating Phyllis. In a further tribute to the versatility of the Gilbert and Sullivan stock company, both roles were ably taken by the lovely Leonora Braham.

 

Life left in the formula

 

But perhaps to some extent, that critic from the Echo had a point. Seven shows into their collaboration, Gilbert and Sullivan were settling into something approaching a formula. Gilbert’s humor again found its basis in a collision between the literal and the fanciful (no doubt stemming from his successive careers in the legal and theatrical professions). And Sullivan’s music again explored the same territory, bound on one side by English folk song and drawing room ballads, on the other by a Schubert or Mendelssohn-styled classicism, with a few peaks of grand opera parody dotting the map.

 

But if this was formula, the formula was by no means played out. While Iolanthe may bring to mind aspects of the team’s earlier efforts, it has a freshness and exuberance all its own. Gilbert has rarely been funnier, both in his send-up of the British aristocracy, and his dauntlessly logical pursuit of the implications from being of mixed mortal and fairy parentage.

 

The connoisseur’s G&S

 

Sullivan’s music for Iolanthe, while making no great stylistic advances, abounds with ingenuity and variety, particularly in its Act One finale, a display of musical fireworks that may well stand unmatched in his entire output. And the patter song, always a point of anticipation in a G&S opera, here finds its apotheosis in the Lord Chancellor’s “Nightmare Song.” Add to that some of Sullivan’s most sparkling ensemble numbers, and it’s easy to understand why Iolanthe’s score is the favorite of many Savoyards.

           

Indeed, this product from the midpoint of a great collaboration shows Gilbert and Sullivan both at the very peak of their powers. Though the pair had a formidable string of hits behind them, and would go on to write shows that were even more popular (The Mikado), and even grander in scale (The Yeomen of the Guard), they would never write a better one than Iolanthe. It is altogether irresistible.

 

                        

Veronica McHale (Queen of         Frank DeVincentis (Private    Frank DeVincentis (Private

the Fairies) welcomes Jessye     Willis) stands guard as         Willis) sprouts fairy wings

Wright (Iolanthe) back to           Veronica McHale (Queen       with help from Veronica

Fairyland.                                  of the Fairies) stirs up          McHale (Queen of the Fairies)

                                                Parliament.

For Immediate Release:                                                      Contact: Rachel Greenhoe

July 14, 2008                                                         (847) 869-7930 ext. 15 (Press Only)

                       

Light Opera Works Presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s IOLANTHE

August 16-24, 2008

Who:        Light Opera Works

What:              IOLANTHE

An Operetta

Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan

Libretto by Sir W.S. Gilbert

Run: Press Opening Night: Saturday, August 16, 8pm

         Sunday, August 17, 2pm

         Wednesday, August 20, 2pm

         Friday, August 22, 8pm

         Saturday, August 23, 8pm

         Sunday, August 24, 2pm

Where:     Cahn Auditorium

600 Emerson Street

Evanston, IL

Tickets:   Main Floor- $85, $65 and $45

                 Balcony- $65, $45 and $29

*Children ages 21 and younger are half price.

Box Office: The Light Opera Works Box Office is located at 927 Noyes St. in Evanston.

To purchase tickets call (847) 869-6300 or order online at LightOperaWorks.com.

 

Evanston, IL: In IOLANTHE, a group of rowdy fairies meddle with British parliament to ensure that love will conquer all.

 

IOLANTHE will be directed by Kurt Johns.  In 2007, he directed BERLIN TO BROADWAY WITH KURT WEILL for Light Opera Works.  Kurt directed the critically acclaimed IRON, TALE OF THE ALLERGIST’S WIFE, and VINCENT IN BRIXTON (After Dark Award) and THE MISTRESS CYCLE at Apple Tree Theatre.  He directed THE WATER COOLERS (Jeff nominated) at the Lakeshore Theatre.  Kurt appeared in the Broadway productions of ASPECTS OF LOVE and CHESS. He portrayed Enjolras in the First National Tour of LES MISERABLES and starred Off-Broadway in SHARON! directed by Geraldine Fitzgerald. At the Goodman Theatre, Kurt appeared in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE and SHE ALWAYS SAID, PABLO. He played Hildy in WINDY CITY (Jeff nominated), Baron Felix in GRAND HOTEL, Che in EVITA and Harold Hill in THE MUSIC MAN at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. Kurt received a Jeff Award for A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING at the Drury Lane Theatre. 

 

Light Opera Works artistic director Rudy Hogenmiller will choreograph IOLANTHE. Hogenmiller has directed and choreographed many productions for the company including KISS ME, KATE, SOUTH PACIFIC, THE MIKADO, THE MERRY WIDOW and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. He has been recognized with six Joseph Jefferson Awards and 16 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 will conduct the 28-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! and GIGI.  Bingaman has been director of the apprentice program and chorus master for the Sarasota Opera since 1998. 

 

Casting for IOLANTHE includes Jessye Wright (Iolanthe), James Harms (Lord Chancellor), Alicia Berneche (Phyllis), Colm Fitzmaurice (Strephon), Veronica McHale (Queen of the Fairies), Frank DeVincentis (Private Willis), Alex Honzen (Lord Montararat), Bill Chamberlain (Lord Tolloller). 

 

Jessye Wright (Iolanthe) last appeared with Light Opera Works as Manon in BITTER SWEET.  Miss Wright is among four mezzos earning distinction as an “Upwardly Musical Artist on the Move” in Symphony Magazine’s Guide to Emerging Artists.  Past productions for Miss Wright include Mozart’s MESSIAH at Carnegie Hall with MidAmerica Productions; the title role in CARMEN at Ravinia Music Festival with Opera Theater North; and Pitti-Sing in THE MIKADO with Nashville Opera.  A past national semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions, Jessye received the Ardis Krainik Memorial Prize in Voice from Chicago’s National Bel Canto Foundation and won 2nd place in the 2005 International Classical Singer Competition. 

 

James Harms (Lord Chancellor) was at Light Opera Works last summer directing BITTER SWEET.  He then played the title role in SCROOGE! THE MUSICAL and revived his award winning role of Albin in LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at Theatre at the Center.  He recently performed in the remounting of THE VISIT, a new musical with Chita Rivera and George Hearn at Signature Theatre in Virginia.  A member of Actors’ Equity Association since 1963, he has appeared at nearly all the major theaters in Chicago and has toured nationally and internationally in EVITA, THE FANTASTICKS and JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT.  Mr. Harms is the recipient of eight Joseph Jefferson Awards. 

 

Alicia Berneche (Phyllis) appeared last summer at Light Opera Works as Sari Linden in BITTER SWEET and previously as Resi in THE GREAT WALTZ.  Ms. Berneche has performed extensively in the United States, appearing at Lyric Opera of Chicago as Daisy Buchanan in THE GREAT GATSBY, Goodman Theatre, The Barbican, and BAM in the world premiere of Philip Glass’ GALILEO GALILEI, and was on the roster of the Metropolitan Opera. During this past season she performed DIE FLEDERMAUS with the Austin Lyric Opera and Orlando Opera, THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE with Virginia Opera, and returns as Despina in COSI FAN TUTTE at Sarasota Opera. Upcoming performances include Mimi in LA BOHEME at Skylight Opera Theater and Mabel in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE at Sacramento Opera.

 

Colm Fitzmaurice (Strephon) appeared with Light Opera Works as Frederic in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, Ralph in H.M.S. PINAFORE, Prince Karl Franz in THE STUDENT PRINCE and Camille in THE MERRY WIDOW.  This season, he premiered at New York’s City Center and toured the United States as Prince Hilarion in PRINCESS IDA, Frederic in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, Ralph in H.M.S. PINAFORE and Marco in THE GONDOLIERS, all with The NY Gilbert and Sullivan Players.  Other recent appearances include a concert of Spanish Zarzuela and song in Pontevedre, Spain and Henry in MIDNIGHT ANGEL with Milwaukee’s Skylight Opera Theater. Colm made his European debut in Paris as Tamino and later toured Germany as Tony in WEST SIDE STORY.   He has starred with Dayton Opera and Virginia Opera and has sung with Indianapolis Opera and Pittsburgh Opera.

 

Veronica McHale’s (Queen of the Fairies) recent credits include her debut with Union Avenue Opera as La Zia Principessa in SOUR ANGELICA, La Ciesca in GIANNI SCHICCHI and the cover role of Dame Quickly in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of FALSTAFF.   She was also featured in the Classical Singer January 2008 issue.  This fall she is pleased to be the Alto soloist in Rossini’s, PETITE MESSE SOLENNELLE with The Bel Canto Chorus, as the result of winning second place in their Oratorio competition.  This November, Veronica will perform Dame Quickly in a New York Opera Society production of FALSTAFF at the Municipal Theater of Castres, in France. 

 

Frank DeVincentis (Private Willis) has been active in oratorio and opera for the past seven years.  His performance credits include Germont in LA TRAVIATA, the title role in SWEENEY TODD, Seneca in L’INCORANAZIONE DI POPPEA and Cinderella’s Prince in INTO THE WOODS.  Frank is also a member of THE 3 BARITONES– a concert trio specializing in opera, lieder, and contemporary American music. 

 

Alex Honzen (Lord Montararat) has appeared with Light Opera Works as The Pirate King in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, Pooh-Bah in THE MIKADO, the Second Gunman in KISS ME, KATE, Herr Schlick in BITTER SWEET, Jud Fry in OKLAHOMA! and Dufresne in GIGI.  Other appearances include DuPage Opera Theatre (Scarpia in TOSCA), The Dubuque Symphony (BRAHMS REQUIEM), Da Corneto Opera (Melitone in LA FORZA DEL DESTINO), Chamber Opera Chicago (Police Agent in THE CONSULT), Bowen Park Opera (Count Almaviva in LE NOZZE DI FIGAROL) and American Opera Group (Escamillo in Peter Brook’s LA TRAGEDIE DE CARMEN).

 

Bill Chamberlain (Lord Tolloller), a frequent performer with Light Opera Works, was last seen as Lord Shayne in last season’s BITTER SWEET.  He has also performed with Lyric Opera of Chicago (where he was a member of the Lyric Opera Center), Santa Fe Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Fort Worth Opera, Skylight Opera Theater, Texas Opera Theater, Bowen Park Opera (Waukegan, IL), the Grant Park Music Festival, Long Leaf Opera (Durham, NC) and the Opera Company of North Carolina.  Other roles include Don Ottavio in DON GIOVANNI, Nika Magadoff, the Magician, in Menotti’s THE CONSUL, the Dance Master in ARIANDNE AUF NAXOS, Peter Quint in Britten’s THE TURN OF THE SCREW, Pang in TURANDOT and Doc in THE MOST HAPPY FELLA.  

 

The design team for IOLANTHE includes Courtney O’Neill (Scenic), Darcy Hofer (Costumes), Marvin Riebe (Hair and Make-Up), Andrew Meyers (Lighting), Miles Polaski (Sound), Mary Kate Rix (Properties), Jenniffer J. Thusing (Stage Manager) and Paige Keedy (Production Manager). 

 

Ticket prices for IOLANTHE range from $29 to $85.  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 

 

IOLANTHE is Light Opera Works’ second show of 2008. The season will continue with SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM (October 3 – November 9) and end with Meredith Willson’s THE MUSIC MAN (December 26 – January 4). Discounted ticket packages are still available.

 

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 and outreach programs and to train artists in musical theater.

 

Chicago Sun-Times August 19, 2008 By Hedy Weiss   Highly Recommended   A fresh twist on Victorian satire Light Opera Works’ ‘Iolanthe’ is stylishly droll Contemporary audiences tend to roll their eyes at the mention of Gilbert & Sullivan, quickly consigning that bristlingly sardonic team to the dustbin of quaint British Victorian music hall history. A big mistake, for just think of it this way: Librettist William S. Gilbert was really the Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert of his day. And frankly, it's too bad neither Stewart nor Colbert have the services of a composer as droll and playfully mocking as Arthur Sullivan. Just take a peek at Light Opera Works' beguiling, often-hilarious revival of "Iolanthe," now in a lavishly designed, hugely engaging revival. The show, which puts a Victorian spin on Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Nigh t's Dream," tells the fanciful tale of a group of smug, superficially gentlemanly members of the House of Lords and their romantic entanglements with the "peri" subculture (a "peri" is a fallen angel, supernatural sprite or woodland fairy, but let's just call those gathered here a group of mischievous, eternally young women). And because "Iolanthe" is very, very English, this is not simply a classic tale of sex and politics, but one of class tension, too. The little miracle in all this is how deftly and convincingly the Light Opera Works cast manages to make the show feel wholly fresh. Credit director Kurt Johns for his impeccable sense of style, Rudy Hogenmiller for his zesty musical staging and conductor Roger L. Bingaman and his 26-piece orchestra for the deliciously grand sound. And don't overlook Gilbert's timeless wit, either. Listen to the lyrics of the Lord Chancellor's song about insomnia (a brilliant turn by the peerless James Harms). Or delight in the naughty knowingness of the super-smart Grenadier Guard (Frank DeVincentis), who muses on the way humans can be neatly divided into those "a little bit liberal and a little bit conservative." (DeVincentis brings down the house with this song and should be hired to repeat his performance at both political conventions.) There is equal fun to be had in the on-again, off-again romance between Strephon (Colm Fitzmaurice is perfection), the boyish half-man, half-fairy who moves from shepherd to leading member of Parliament, and the upwardly mobile shepherdess Phyllis (a deliciously manipulative Alicia Berneche). She, in turn, is pursued by several bigwigs, including two lords (terrific turns by Alex Honzen and Bill Chamberlain). Meanwhile, Veronica McHale is all grande-dame hauteur as Queen of the Fairies, Jessye Wright is full of dignity as Iolanthe, the long-suffering bride of a mortal, and Natalie Ford, Heather Brandon-DeSouza and Baylea Morgan lead the rest of the addled but adorable fairies who complicate (and brighten) the lives of the lords.   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer Press August 16, 2008 By Dorothy Andries   Recommended 'Iolanthe' insists you believe in fairies   The world of Gilbert and Sullivan is as oblique and strange as the cosmos inhabited by opera. The audience must suspend disbelief and enter into a sphere where the wise are befuddled, the foolish win the day and everyone pretty much believes in fairies. Light Opera Works opened G&S's "Iolanthe" Saturday night (Aug. 16) at Cahn Auditorium in Evanston and there were fairies everywhere. Unless you accept this, nothing wonderful can happen. And wonderful things do happen in Gilbert and Sullivan's topsy-turvy world, where they tweak the noses of the pompous, in this case the British House of Lords, and even bend the laws of the fairy kingdom for a happy ending. Here's the setup. Iolanthe is a fairy who 25 years ago broke a fairy command and married a mortal. She had a child, Strephon, who is half human, half fairy, whom she raised in exile as a shepherd. He has fallen in love with Phyllis, a shepherdess, who is also a Ward in Chancery, like being a minor ward of the state. The Queen of the Fairies commutes Iolanthe's harsh sentence and she is allowed to be with her son again. However, fairies stop aging at 17 years, so when Phyllis spots her beloved kissing his mother, she believes he is untrue and breaks their engagement. Try to stay with me here, because there's lots more. The entire House of Lords is also in love with Phyllis, as is her guardian, the Lord Chancellor. Gilbert and Sullivan make fun of everyone, but saved their harshest satire for the Lords, who arrived wearing in red capes, with large ermine collars. "Bow, bow, ye lower middle classes," they sing, "Bow, bow ye tradesmen, bow ye masses." You get the idea. Courtney O'Neill designed a very pretty production for Light Opera Works. The first act is set in an Arcadian landscape. When the curtain opened Saturday there was a mist floating among the toadstools, flowers and trees. Strephon, played by Colm Fitzmaurice and Phyllis, sung with distinction by the lovely soprano Alicia Berneche, were in matching pale blue outfits and with their blond hair they resembled 18th century porcelain figurines. Ten twinkling fairies -- all superb dancers -- included two standouts Heather Brandon-DeSouza as Leila and Natalie Ford as Celia. Ford had the title role in Light Opera Works' recent production of "Gigi." There were 10 members of the House of Lords and their main players were Bill Chamberlain as Tolloller and Alex Honzen as Mountararat. The second act, set in the House of Lords, included a silhouette of the London skyline. Iolanthe was played by Jessye Wright, who is a natural. Her mezzo-soprano voice was unforced, she moved with utmost grace, and she is a fine actress. The Queen of the Fairies is a comic role and Veronica McHale had fun with it. Private Willis, the object of her affections, had a little number in which he wondered wryly why every child born in England was either a liberal or a conservative. Gilbert and Sullivan provided the musical world with wonderfully intricate tongue-twisting numbers called patter songs. "Iolanthe" has one of the most famous -- "The Nightmare Song," which was sung by multiple Jeff Award winner James Harms as the Lord Chancellor. As he navigates the patter song's dense and multiple rhymes, the singer must go faster and faster until he is gasping for breath. To say that Harms tore up the covers would be an understatement. He not only nailed the words, but he finished with a dazzling acceleration. The show was directed by Kurt Johns, and artistic director Rudy Hogenmiller did the musical staging. English is a language which is notoriously difficult to understand when sung, but catching the mischief and satire in the lyrics is crucial to the enjoyment of the show. Bravo to Light Opera Works music and chorus director Roger Bingaman and the entire cast for making diction a high priority. Bingaman conducted the 26-piece orchestra in the pit, which, as always, added immeasurably to the success of the production. You don't have to believe in fairies to enjoy this show, but it helps.     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chicago Tribune August 18, 2008 By Chris Jones   "Iolanthe" marches on with lilt   They’ve got some spunky fairies up in the Evanston “Iolanthe.” One brought to mind Kristin Chenoweth, and another Amy Winehouse, albeit more smiley. A couple even did cartwheels in their sprite duds.   The youthful vigor and insouciance of the fairy ensemble, and a very droll performance from Frank DeVincentis as Private Willis, of the Grenadier Guards, save Kurt Johns’ Light Opera Works revival of the 1882 Savoy opera from its intermittent inclination toward the satirically stiff and the visually formulaic. And when things start to settle into the predictably arch—and whenever a great long chorus line of peers starts marching on from the wings and walking around each other, they surely do—at least the great James Harms is on hand as a live-wire Lord Chancellor.   Incidentally, the character of the Lord Chancellor inspired the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist to add four yellow stripes to the sleeve of his robe. “Iolanthe” might seem archaic, but among Gilbert and Sullivan fanatics, the piece is justly lauded for its superlative Arthur Sullivan score and a witty W. S. Gilbert book that bounces from demi-fairies in an Arcadian landscape to a skewering of British peers who do nothing in particular, and do it very well.   Light Opera Works employs its usual full orchestra in this summer production, which will appeal to traditionalist Gilbert and Sullivan devotees, and the singing is mostly quite strong. In particular, AlexHonzen delivers a magnificent “When Britain Really Ruled the Waves” andHarms is just terrific on the tour-de-force “Love, Unrequited, Robs Me of My Rest.”   Nailing the right style for “Iolanthe” is a tricky business. The sweet-voiced romantic leads of Colm Fitzmaurice’s Strephon and Alicia Berneche’s Phyllis are perfectly pleasant here, but bland and irony-free. Veronica McHale’s Queen of the Fairies delivers vocal gusto, but broadly and not for all tastes. And I don’t think Jessye Wright, although she is a warm presence, was ideally cast in the title role.   But DeVincentis and several others get the tone just right—honest but a tad Pythonesque. And unpredictable. The show is further enhanced by the young designer Courtney O’Neill, whose hip set lands her firmly in the fairy camp. May the insouciant giddiness of the young—and young at heart—shake the cobwebs from the rest of the enterprise.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steadstylechicago.com August 16, 2008 By Joe Stead   Iolanthe – 3 stars   For those who like their Gilbert and Sullivan straight up (full orchestra, lavish production values, legit voices and reverence for the original Victorian period), Light Opera Works is a pretty safe bet.  And this year's operetta, sandwiched between two Broadway classics and one revue, is the infrequently performed "Iolanthe," a good match for the company’s lush production standards.  A mix of supernatural whimsy and British politics is the prime vehicle for Sir William S. Gilbert's droll folderol, and it's hard to imagine Sir Arthur Sullivan's effervescent musical score in finer hands than conductor Roger L. Bingaman and the rich 26-piece orchestra.   The seventh of the Savoyairds' 14 eternally popular collaborations,"Iolanthe" is a perfectly respectable middle-of-the-road piece for G&S. Those familiar with "The Pirates of Penzance," "The Mikado," "H.M. S.Pinafore" or any of the other works by this most successful team of 19th Century Brits will recognize plot, character, lyrical and musicalparallels to their other work.  That is partly due to the fact that Sirs William and Arthur were writing for a stock ensemble of familiar "types".  Plus it's pretty hard to argue with a successful formula that reaped them sizable fortunes, if not always critical adoration.   There's disharmony in fairyland, as we learn how the title character came to be banished to the bottom of a river to keep company with the frogs. Her crime?  It seems that 25 years ago Iolanthe loved and married a human being and even bore a son before receiving her harsh sentence by the Queen of Fairies.  That son, Strephon, now grown and engaged to be married, is faced with the dilemma of being half human (his bottom half) and half fairy.  Since fairies are immortal and never age, that means his lower extremeties are destined to age and die, while his own mother looks quite several years his junior.  This bit of folly brings out the feminine jealousy o f his intended Phyllis, herself a ward of Britain's House of Lords, all of whom would be most happy to make her their wife.   The plot and its execution are beyond silly, and those unaccustomed to the antiquated British vocabulary favored by Gilbert may have troublefollowing the lyrics, particularly when sung in breakneck choral fashion. That said, this is a very pretty and faithful rendering, as stage director Kurt Johns and artistic director Rudy Hogenmiller pay homage to the centuries-old traditions of the D'Oyly Carte classic productions.  There's not a lot of opportunity for Hogenmiller's choreographic talents to shine, but his "musical staging" certainly keeps the merriment flowing.  And the voices of the entire cast are superb.   It is always a treat to see the spry and distinguished veteran actor James Harms, blithely cavorting through the tongue-twisting patter numbers of The Lord Chancellor, and the handsome tenor Colm Fitzmaurice charmingly straddling the mortal and fairy worlds as Strephon. Jessye Wright is shimmeringly radiant as his fairy mother Iolanthe, and Alicia Berneche is fetching as the conniving apple of his eye.  The male chorus is especially robust here, with notable standouts from Bill Chamberlain and Alex Honzen as friendly rivals for young Phyllis' hand.  It's a lovely looking performance, with costume coordinator Darcy Elora Hofer providing plenty of whimsy and sparkle (the Lords' capes even have their own choreography).   Lighting designer Andrew Meyers beautifully shapes Courtney O'Neill'scut-out set.  The sound is crystal clear, a rarity at Cahn Auditorium,with some eerie reverb thrown in for mystical effect in certain spots by designer Miles Polaski.  "Iolanthe" is a silly little trifle, but Light Opera Works gives it a beautiful production. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chicagocritic.com August 16, 2008 By Tom Williams   Highly Recommended   High satire and velvety melodies propel Gilbert & Sullivan’s IolantheRoger L. Bingaman’s 26-piece orchestra deftly enriches the velvety SirArthur Sullivan’s music to “Iolanthe,” a comic fairy operetta. “Iolanthe” opened the Savoy Theater in London in 1882 as the seventh of 14 collaborations between Gilbert & Sullivan. Many consider this their most sophisticated and clever work. I was totally captivated with the blend of wit, satire and lush melodies of this timeless work. Sir W.S. Gilbert’s scathing satire of British aristocracy, the House of Lords, lawyers, and political parties still won the hearts of the English by use of funny, bouncy music and cutely innocent fairies. Gilbert pokes fun while winking an eye—all in good English fun.   Iolanthe (Jessye Wright), 25 years earlier committed the fairy moral sin of marrying a mortal. The Fairy Queen (Veronica McHale) reduced hersentence from death to banishment for life if she left her husband andnever communicated with him again. Ridden with guilt and coaxed by thefairies, the Fairy Queen pardons Iolanthe. Iolanthe tells the fairies that she has a son, a half-fairy, half-human named Strephon, an Arcadian Shepard (Colm Fitzmaurice). She states: "He's a fairy down to the waist, but his legs are mortal.” Strephon tells Iolanthe that he is in love with a mortal, Phyllis (Alicia Berneche), a ward of The Lord Chancellor (James Harms), who forbids Phyllis to marry Strephon.   Meanwhile, we meet the Lords, led by Lord Mountararat (Alex Honzen) andLord Tolloller (Bill Chamberlain)—the inept British aristocracy moreinterested in English manners and fellowship than romantic love. The peers (members of the House of Lords) become smitten by the peri (fairies). The two types interact at Parliament as The Lord Chancellor struggles whether to marry Phyllis himself. The Fairy Queen and her peri save the day. All live happily once the peers and the peri become united.   G & S’s “Iolanthe” is a melodiously enchanting work so filled withcuteness and harmless humor that we simply sit back and enjoy our tripinto fairyland. Sullivan’s score has light opera techniques, comic patter songs, and stirring love songs that, together with funny repeating lyrics, give the score a humorous tone that we enjoy. The piece doesn’t take itself seriously at all. This lightness is refreshing. We have as good a time as the performers—we all smile.   Light Opera Works’ production, under the swift flowing direction by Kurt Johns and movement by Rudy Hogenmiller, allows the satire and comedy to flourish. Rich voices from Alex Honzen (baritone)=2 0and Bill Chamberlain (tenor) together with Veronica McHale, Jessye Wright and Natalie Ford do justice to the lyrics. James Harms’ apt comic turns are amazingly effective—especially with his complicated nightmare patter song. Colm Fitzmaurice and Frank DeVincentis are marvelous as Strephon and Private Willis. The ensemble work here is first class, blending fine harmonies and swift movements. Be sure to catch this vintage Gilbert and Sullivan operetta soon—you only have a few days to laugh and tap you toes to such a charmingly pleasant musical treat. “Iolanthe” is a sweet summer treat.