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| Iolanthe Postcard |
| The director’s notes of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe, now running until May 30 at Theatre Ten Ten state, “A draw back to a lot of the G&S that is performed today is that with 50-60 performers on a large stage, it is easy to miss the intricacy of the lyrics…the details, the puns.” Indeed, the overall strength of this performance at Theatre Ten-Ten is the delightful clarity of text, nicely delivered by a group of performers who have been well-directed to faithfully and traditionally interpret this classic piece.
Iolanthe is a story of two colliding worlds: the peers (English Parliament) and the Peers (fairies) with unmistakable attraction to each other and yet just can’t seem to get along. The action opens as the title character (prettily sung by the luminous Jacquelyn Baker) is brought back from her 25 year banishment, inflicted upon her after she married a mortal. (She received banishment instead of death because she agreed to never see her mortal husband again). Upon her return to the fairies, she reveals that she has born a son who is now 25 years old and half fairy. The son is lowly shepherd Strephon, (Frederick Hamilton) in love with the beautiful Phyllis, (a perfectly pretty Kelly Cooper) a ward of the Lord Chancellor, who, along with the remainder of Parliament, lusts after Phyllis for himself. Since every marriage to one of his wards requires his permission, the Lord Chancellor is making it quite difficult for the two lovers to get together. Things complicate even more when Phyllis becomes enraged to discover Strephon cuddling with Iolanthe, who, since a fairy and immortal, appears to be no more than 17 years old.
And so we’ve got the typical romantic comedy complications of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. Theatre Ten Ten’s production, well-directed by Judith Jarosz, with excellent musical direction by Matt Castle, makes no attempt to deepen any of the implications of this work, to subvert gender roles, to make political claims, and all I can say is thank goodness. What Theatre Ten Ten does so successfully in this production is to provide a faithful, well-sung, and highly enjoyable version of this G&S classic. In its intimate setting, this production of Iolanthe is a wonderful introduction into the Gilbert and Sullivan canon.
While without exception all of the performances are strong, some are truly stand-out, such as Greg Horton’s Lord Chancellor, whom he plays with a broad and vocally-skillful ease, his dynamic face twitching with perfect comedic timing. Cristiane Young as the Fairy Queen beautifully coos her part with a hilariously sensitive melodrama, and the tight-knit band of Peers, excellently played by Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper, Morgan Sills and David Tillistrand provide for the sharpest and most enjoyable moments in the production.
True to her vision, Judith Jarosz's "jewel box" production of Iolanthe succeeds in exposing the intricacy of Gilbert and Sullivan's delightful score and book. This production is a charming and lovely interpretation of a charming and lovely operetta, and worth the trip uptown for the bit of the magic that a beautiful score and witty lyrics can provide.
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Theater Ten Ten
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Category: Musical
Written by: Gilbert & Sullivan
Directed by: Judith Jarosz
Produced by: Theater Ten Ten
Opened: April 30, 2004
Closed: May 30, 2004
Running Time: 2 hours
Theater: Theater Ten Ten
Address: 1010 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10028
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Tickets: $19.00
TDF
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Creative Team
Written by: Gilbert and Sullivan
Directed and Choreographed by: Judith Jarosz
Musical Direction by: Matt Castle
Associate Musical Direction by: Phillip Kirchman
Produced by: Theatre Ten Ten
Light Designer: George Gountas
Set Designer: Caitlin McCleery
Costume Designer: Joanne Haas
Asst. Costume Designer: Emily Parman
Cast
Jacquelyn Baker as Iolanthe
Kelly Cooper as Phyllis
Frederick Hamilton as Strephon
Greg Horton as The Lord Chancellor
Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper as Lord Mountarat
Lisa Riegel as Leila
Morgan Sills as Lord Tolloller
David Tillistrand as Private Willis
Ruth Weber as Celia
Cristiane Young as Fairy Queen
Sarah Zeitler as Fleta
Crew
Production State Manager: Jenny Rosenbluth
Asst. Stage Manager: Ivonne Herrera
Accompianists: Matt Castle, Kenneth Cooper and Philliip Kirchman
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