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It's
smooth sailing for magical Rogue Opera 'Pinafore' production
Rogue Opera is in the midst of its
delightful performances of Gilbert and Sullivan's classic operetta "H.M.S.
Pinafore, or The Lass Who Loved A Sailor." Clichés aside, this is an event
not to be missed.
The singing is superb. How can you go wrong with the likes of Thomas
Prislac as Captain Corcoran, Patricia Leines as his daughter Josephine, Tami
Martson as Buttercup and Vanessa Nowitsky as Cousin Hebe?
Add to that Christopher Stoney as Bill Bobstay and Chris Phillips as Bob Becket,
mix in the Southern Oregon University Choir, and you have a rich blend of
exceptionally talented voices. A capital crew indeed.
But wait. There's more.
Tenor Craig Gilmore of Los Angeles, a longtime member of the country's premier
Gilbert and Sullivan touring company, Opera A La Carte, sings the role of Seaman
Ralph Rackstraw, who loves the captain's daughter. Los Angeles-based
baritone Terrell Anderson, another Opera A La Carte veteran, plays Dick Deadeye.
The production, which began its Medford run Thursday, is under the able
direction of Richard Sheldon, the noted British Gilbert and Sullivan specialist
and founder of Opera A La Carte in Los Angeles. And for the purists out there,
"He is and English man."
According to those who were on the set during rehearsals, Sheldon is also a
hoot. His choreography and stage directions keep the audience engaged and
laughing from the moment the curtain goes up. Sheldon also gives a hysterical
performance as Sir Joseph Porter, who proudly sings, "I thought so little
they rewarded me, by making me the Captain of the Queen's Navy."
Artistic director and conductor David MacKenzie has assembled an able crew of
his own, a 20-piece orchestra whose playing is, in the best British tradition,
spot on.
The audience in the nearly filled Craterian Thursday spanned a wide range of
ages. From the sounds of the laughter, applause, comments and standing ovation,
the show was a hit for young and old alike. I sat behind a group ranging from
teens to twenty-somethings and they were clearly enjoying the songs, the clever
lyrics and the satirical dialogue. Not bad for a play that first opened
126 years ago.
Many of the songs, the staccato delivery and over-the-top English military
orchestration are Gilbert and Sullivan trademarks that have worked their way
into our common musical vocabulary. The danger is to simply crank out the tunes,
be silly and hope everything works.
Sheldon is dedicated to making sure that never happens and he takes his
responsibilities quite seriously. The Savoy operas of Gilbert and Sullivan
have become an art form in their own right. But Sheldon's direction is not meant
to keep these operettas locked into a single vision of how they should be
performed. That would turn them into stuffy museum pieces.
There is nothing stuffy about the Rogue Opera production. It is fresh, clever
and a visual treat as well. The beautiful set keeps us squarely on the deck of
the H.M.S. Pinafore, while the brilliant costumes join in evoking the pomp of
the British Empire era.
As it was Sir Arthur Sullivan's 162nd birthday, Sheldon led the audience in
singing "Happy Birthday" at play's end Thursday while a cake was
brought on stage. Had Sir Arthur been in the audience, he would have loved
every minute of it. - Richard Moeschl
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