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 Austin
Gilbert & Sullivan
devotees were entranced by the Summer 2009 Grand Production
of Iolanthe; or, the Peer and the Peri - with nine performances
by a sparkling cast and orchestra, June 11-21. This fanciful
comedy, considered by many to combine Sullivan's finest
opera compositions with another of Gilbert's comic plots
and his witty and waggish dialogue, delighted patrons
of all ages.
 Iolanthe ("eye-oh-LAN-thee") presented
a topsy-turvy love story involving fairies and members
of the House of Lords - a political fairy tale that only
Gilbert & Sullivan could conceive.
 Artistic
Director Ralph MacPhail, Jr. and Musical Director Jeffrey
Jones-Ragona once again presented an unforgettable Gilbert & Sullivan
classic musical comedy, with one of Sir Arthur Sullivan's
most beautiful
scores along with rousing choruses.
 Beautiful costuming
and set design transported audiences to a colorful
fairyland - where British noblemen encountered lovelorn
fairies from a golden glen - followed by these immortal
beings invading the Houses of Parliament in London
- with Big Ben chiming in the havoc. Tantantara! Tzing,
boom!
 Performances were held at the Travis High School
Performing Arts Center. The Gilbert & Sullivan
Society of Austin thanks all the performers, the Gillman
Light
Opera Orchestra, sponsors, volunteers, and Society
members for making this year's show a treasure to behold.
First performed in 1882, Iolanthe
is one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s
fourteen musicals, and is universally regarded as one of Sir
Arthur Sullivan’s most beautiful scores - a high water
mark in terms of music, wit, cleverness, and color. |
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Synopsis
 After
Iolanthe, a fairy, commits the capital offense of marrying
a mortal, she is banished from Fairyland for life. She gives
birth to their son, Strephon, who, as a result, is
half
mortal, half fairy. After the Queen of the Fairies, who is
fond of Iolanthe, agrees to pardon her, Iolanthe announces
that her son Strephon will soon be married to Phyllis, an Arcadian
shepherdess.
Problems occur when it turns out that every member
of the House of Lords is also in love with Phyllis. The Lords
and Phyllis happen upon a meeting between Strephon and his
mother (who still looks seventeen) and the Lords convince Phyllis
that Strephon is being unfaithful.
 The fairies punish the Lords
by sending Strephon to Parliament and casting a spell that
makes all the peers pass any bill that Strephon wants. Phyllis
soon forgives him and the two are once again in love. After
the Lords complain to the fairies about Strephon's success,
the fairies end up falling in love with them.
In the end, the
Queen of Fairies changes the law banning fairies from marrying
mortals. Thus, each fairy ends up marrying a peer, while the
Queen marries a Grenadier Guard, Private Willis. |
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