We're Performing and the Times says it's OK!

Well, for what it's worth (free sounds about right) here is the New York Times Pinafore Review from this weekend. The critic, Steve Smith, seems to have a positive if completely unenthusiastic attitude about what he saw. Among the startling journalistic innovations with which he took the time and trouble to enliven his critique: a synopsis; a photo of a tenor with his mouth open; a couple of adjectives for some of the principals. I'm "consistently amusing," which, considering the blase tone of the rest of the review, to me actually sounds a bit snide. Oh, and there was also the devastating observation that Josephine's diction was occasionally muffled. Whose diction isn't occasionally muffled? Certainly not a soprano's! No, whoever heard of such a thing?

So it's up to me to do the New York Times' job and tell you a few things about why you might want to see it. Al has redesigned the set so it's not so symmetrical. It's much better, though the location of the steering wheel still makes zero sense and the stage right hatch from which Dick Deadeye frequently emerges, and into which I take a dramatic tumble, has been removed, presumably by Equity to protect their brittle-boned baritones. We have a beautiful new backdrop. Unfortunately the upstage part of the set is miles away from the audience and is occasionally in almost impenetrable darkness, making it difficult to tell where that muffled soprano voice is coming from. It's also impossible for us to hear from back there, though microphones are hanging everywhere and the audience has no trouble hearing us. I couldn't comment on how over-miked we are, but I would bet it's too much.

I defy you to find a better acting/singing/looking set of Ralphs and Josephines than we have. And fine people they are, to boot. Laurelyn Watson Chase and fetus was/were on this weekend and will be replaced for Tuesday night's and Wednesday afternoon's performances by the equally muffled Elizabeth Hillebrand. I will be conducting those two performances - my NYGASP conducting debut, just because I thought it might be interesting, and David Macaluso, who has been my understudy for some time, and already playing Ko-Ko, will make his company debut as Sir Joseph. PLUS - Tuesday night is FREE KID night. Bring a kid. Get him in free. Early 7:00 curtain. Wednesday show is at 3 at discounted prices.

If I were a newspaper critic I might also mention that even a half-assed production of Pinafore is a darned entertaining evening, and our production is nothing if not fully-assed. We've got curvaceous cuties, twinkle-toed sailors, including the great, GREAT  ALAN HILL (see photo right, and click it for APPALLINGLY IMMENSE Alans), and ONLY ONE song with encores, saving the un-funniest one for last, so when you REALLY wish that it's over, it is. The theater is very beautiful, the full-sized orchestra playing the original orchestrations is a joy. There's fine, lively and fun choreography by Bill Fabris, who hasn't actually worked with the company in years, but whose dances for this, Pirates, and Gondoliers keep getting revived because they deserve to be. Bill was not the choreographer of Princess Ida last winter or Yeomen last season. I might also add that he has not hired me for non-NYGASP gigs in a while...

I haven't even mentioned that we do three performances of The Gondoliers Thursday, Saturday, Sunday. There's a lot of fun in that one, too, if we can just keep it moving.

Comments

[Ian]

my daughter and I went to and quite enjoyed the Sunday "Gondoliers" performance (thanks for the "this on Father's day!" remark!)..I wondered if LWC might be expecting...she didn't look quite as petite as we remembered her. She did look and sound quite good however, no criticism intended! We've been enjoying listening to you all on the NYGASP vol 1 CD we brought home with us!

[Richard Holmes]

Alright, since we are now owning up to LWC's enceintitude, why not go ahead and let everyone know that I, too, am pregnant.

Zombie Steve will fill you in on all the details, but I think that The Gondoliers was a joyous production. When I was young and did Giuseppe, it was my favorite show. I only got to realize later when I sat out front how very long and tedious it can be IF the performers and production are not a fairly constant delight. I agree with Steve's comments about Bill Fabris' choreography for these shows. Gondoliers is, for me, what would have been the beginning of G&S' "musical comedy" period...you can see this in the way there are so many extended dance sequences ending numbers. Would G&S have continued to be as great with less satire, more skirt-swirling? I doubt it, but at least Gondoliers is a great combination of their two styles (smart and dumb). And the ONLY way you can perform it is brightly, sprightly, and with great choreography, which we have.

Oops, I'm on my soapbox again, but at least it is in the cause of Good.

[MRSTEVE]

So how about it, Bill? Hiring?

[Richard Holmes]

Oh Lord, I didn't know Bill read this! This seems like bald-faced flattery, whereas I am merely....well, kinda bald-faced. Anyway, if you're reading, Bill, I DO love your Gondos choreography, although the long-ago prior production (25 years ago) was good in that respect as well.