Sir W. S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan are the well-known Victorian-era duo recognized for establishing the distinctive English type of the operetta. Over a span of 25 years within the late 1800s, they collaborated on 14 operettas. Their works are recognized for his or her whimsical plots and comedic characters, typically with social and political satires, set to Gilbert’s sharp-witted libretto and Sullivan’s infectious tunes. G&S are recognized to have influenced many Twentieth-century musical theatre creators, together with Broadway legends like Cole Porter, Ira Gershwin, and Oscar Hammerstein. Their works have permeated fashionable tradition, with influences in literature, movie and tv.
Regardless of the music and language of G&S being simply accessible to audiences of all ages, there was dwindling in curiosity of their works, which have now develop into a dying artwork of types. G&S operettas are admittedly very dated each in subject material and presentation. Their humour and satire, deeply rooted within the context of the British Empire and Victorian society, have misplaced relevance within the trendy world. Given competitors from extra up to date musical choices from big-named firms like Mirvish, it has develop into a lot much less financially viable to placed on fully-staged G&S productions.
Up till the Nineteen Seventies and 80s, a number of Toronto music theatre firms just like the Toronto Gilbert & Sullivan Society and Clarkson Music Theatre have been staging G&S solely or often. The Toronto Operetta Theatre nonetheless does, each few years. Till not too long ago, the North Toronto Gamers produced re-imagined G&S works with their very own parodic twists. Some organizations, just like the Toronto G&S Society and the Centre for Opera Research and Appreciation, have switched to performing G&S works in live performance solely.
As we speak, St. Anne’s Music and Drama Society (MADS as they name themselves) is the one group in Toronto that has been performing G&S operettas solely and yearly since 1964. Initially based by Clifford Poole and Roy Schatz, it grew from a bunch of singers coming primarily from the church choir, to an over 70-strong firm that pulls vocalists and crews from the broader group and all walks of life.
St. Anne’s Music and Drama Society (MADS)
In 2009, MADS carried out Pirates of Penzance on the Worldwide Gilbert and Sullivan Competition in Buxton, England. They have been nominated for Finest Conventional G&S Efficiency, and the soprano who sang the function of Mabel received Finest Feminine Vocalist. For MADS’ fiftieth anniversary in 2013, they once more took on the Buxton stage with The Gondoliers.
The Yeoman of the Guard
MADS has staged all 13 of the surviving G&S operas. For the corporate’s 61st manufacturing this yr, they are going to be staging seven performances of The Yeomen of the Guard, their sixth time performing this operetta. The solid of 40 shall be accompanied by an 18-piece orchestra.
The Yeomen of the Guard premiered in 1888 to large success. It’s considered G&S’ most severe opera that doesn’t have a predictable comfortable ending. The dialogue is in quasi-Shakespearean English, devoid of satire of British establishments. The rating is broadly thought of to be Sullivan’s most lovely, with the overture written in sonata kind fairly than the same old potpourri of tunes from the opera.
We spoke to MADS Inventive Director & Producer Laura Schatz and among the vocal leads about this upcoming manufacturing.
A Household Affair
MADS is at the beginning a household enterprise. Schatz has been concerned in MADS since childhood, and took over as Inventive Director from her father Roy who based the corporate. She has sung in all however the first MADS productions of Yeomen. This operetta has a particular place in Schatz’s coronary heart, as one in every of her favorite reminiscences of her late father was him taking part in Jack Level, his signature function.
A big portion of the solid has been common individuals of their exhibits for a lot of many years. It is not uncommon to have dad and mom, youngsters and even grandparents take part within the present collectively. This yr, a household of 4 with two barely youngsters are all performing in Yeomen, together with a number of mom and son or daughter duos.
Philip Garde is a testomony to this fantastic household custom — he made his first MADS cameo when he was a six-month-old child. Now in his 20s, Garde has been performing with the corporate for over 10 years, and it has come full circle for him to be starring as one of many leads in Yeomen. He describes his character of Jack Level as one of many few completely tragic roles that the G&S wrote.
“There are such a lot of fascinating nuances to his character, every bringing a chance to discover one thing new. This additionally makes him a really daunting character to play — to tread the road between the utter absurdity of his forward-facing persona and the depressed, melancholy man who hides beneath.”
The Forged
Schatz could be very pleased with this yr’s solid, which varies broadly in age and expertise.
“MADS is a spot the place youthful singers can get expertise on stage and be taught stagecraft. A few of our singers are vocally educated, however determined not to enter music as a profession. In actual fact, our two leads are legal professionals! We give a distinct segment platform for individuals who have regular day jobs who love singing to carry out. Additionally they profit from skilled vocal teaching from our Music Director, Kate Carver, who teaches on the College of Toronto and Laurier. The standard of singing could be very excessive. Our ensemble could be very concerned within the choreography as effectively. Despite the fact that MADS stays a group outreach of St. Anne’s Church, we’re definitely not church-group calibre! In actual fact, tenor Colin Ainsworth and soprano Rachel Cleland each honed their crafts in MADS earlier than going onto a celebrated skilled singing profession.”
To draw youthful audiences to G&S, Schatz says you will need to have recent younger blood within the solid.
Emma Lavigne, a second yr Voice Efficiency pupil at U of T, is becoming a member of MADS for the primary time. She was first launched to G&S by her mom. “I like the music of G&S and the twisty-turny plots of their exhibits. I’ve all the time been drawn to musical theatre regardless of my focus in opera. I really feel that G&S productions are a good looking marriage of the 2 types.”
One other U of T Voice pupil additionally making a MADS debut is Josh Gibson. “I completely adore the group of MADS and have felt so welcome as a newcomer. My first impression is that this group is crammed with a number of ardour and want to share one thing they love. G&S to me is the right mix between my two passions; musicals and opera. There’s a lot genius within the music and dialogue. I might extremely advocate MADS to any younger artist trying to choose up expertise on stage whereas having enjoyable studying nice music.”
Then, there are those that maintain coming again yr after yr. That is Beth Armstrong-Chauvin’s tenth efficiency with MADS. Despite the fact that she is a brand new mother with a four-month-old child, she merely couldn’t, “miss the possibility to carry out in a high quality manufacturing with an incredible solid and incredible orchestra.” She is singing the lead function of Elsie. “Lots of the G&S sopranos can really feel a bit “fluffy.” Elsie has substance which makes her more difficult to play but in addition much more enjoyable.”
Preserving the G&S Legacy
Schatz says that it isn’t simple for G&S to be carried out effectively. “G&S wants lovely, educated, voices that may do justice to Sullivan’s music, and actors who perceive Gilbert’s comedic and dramatic intentions effectively sufficient that they’ll each maintain the unique humour and intentions and painting these in a way that trendy audiences can admire. It’s a delicate steadiness.”
Yeomen additionally has its distinctive challenges. “Yeomen is lesser recognized and never as lighthearted. It doesn’t have the patter music that almost all keep in mind from the extra fashionable operettas. This makes it tougher to promote. The dialogue could possibly be a bit stilted and obscure if not spoken effectively, however this yr’s leads do it so effectively and have the flexibility to get the humour throughout. The music is so astounding that the performers are so engaged.”
MADS hopes to maintain the G&S legacy alive by participating youthful, newer audiences. As Lavigne and Armstrong-Chauvin put it, “Despite the fact that younger folks could also be intimidated by the concept of opera, G&S walks the right line between opera and musical theatre, and is a stupendously enjoyable method to dip your toes into the opera world. It’s accessible to audiences of all ages with components of comedy and foolish enjoyable in each present, with the added bonus of all of it being sung in English.”
Schatz needs everybody to know that G&S themes are nonetheless related in right now’s world. Together with Sullivan’s elegant music, Gilbert’s humour nonetheless shines and has the flexibility to make us giggle at ourselves and our society. Toronto is lucky to have MADS to proceed celebrating and sharing the legacy of Gilbert and Sullivan.
- St. Anne’s Music and Drama Society presents The Yeomen of the Guard January 31 to February 9 at St. Anne’s Parish Corridor. Discover tickets and extra data [HERE].
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Denise Lai is a Physiotherapist and School Professor. She is an alumnus of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and a rusty piano participant.
