Most
people, especially those not really familiar with the canon, think of
Gilbert & Sullivan as “light opera” or
“operetta”, and they were labeled as “comic
operas” when they were written. But, to those
who know and love G&S, the truth is that Gilbert & Sullivan
were the first real writers of what we now know as “musical
theatre.” The great theatre works of composers
and lyricists from the 20th century truly are the "living legacy" of
W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan!
I've Got a Little Twist takes
exactly that thought and brings it home in an intimate setting -
placing the spotlight on the enduring beauty and truth in these
"original" musical theatre songs.
This 80 minute cabaret act is an homage to all that is wonderful about the G&S repertoire and what it helped to inspire. Every
number has “a little twist" and even the title itself is a twist
- a word-play on the lyric "I've got a little list" from the The Mikado. Comedy and clever juxtapositions are center stage.
Some songs have been put into different settings, and some include new lyrics (in whole or in part). Musically,
many of the numbers have been arranged in styles appropriate for the
more intimate cabaret setting, and all G&S numbers are interpreted
by the performer from a new, unique perspective. Classic
musical theatre songs by Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hammerstein,
Bernstein and others are used to compliment their G&S counterparts,
and the medley numbers are witty delights.
In
the opening number, which includes some of G&S's greatest hits,
even the most casual listener is sure to recognize at least one of the
songs. Later in the program a “legacy of
patter” number shows how, while G&S were the original kings
of the "patter song" (a song with brisk tempo and rapid-fire lyrics),
their musical theatre progeny continued the proud tradition.
With
only a few lyric changes, Gilbert’s clever commentary on liberals
and conservatives, originally sung by a sentry on duty outside the
houses of parliament, becomes the theme song for a bartender on duty
election night. The famous “nightmare song” from Iolanthe is
reset in present-day Manhattan as a group of New Yorkers experience
their own worst fears – introduced and concluded with a clever
musical theatre excerpt – while the faux aesthetic military men
from act 2 of Patience become contemporary buddies bemoaning
the fact that women nowadays do not know what they want - leading to an
inevitably sexist conclusion about the role of a “maid.”
The
most touching moments come in the form of more intimate and personal
renditions of classic G&S arias such as "Alone, and yet alive" from
the The Mikado or "Oh, is there not one maiden breast" from The Pirates of Penzance.
Performed
by some of the best talents from New York Gilbert & Sullivan
Players – an organization dedicated to “giving vitality to
the living legacy of Gilbert & Sullivan” - this is a diverse,
unique and entertaining night of fantastic music, old and new.
