Here, at the halfway point in our NYC season, is the only City Center 2010 review of which I am aware - a slightly pointless, mildly negative one for "Mikado." It is somewhat amusing in its truthiness and bitchy adjectives (a production which is "plodding," "fiscally underfunded," and "creatively heavy-handed"; various principals who are "frantic," "matronly," and "smarmy"). He praises the staging of the madrigal "Brightly dawns our wedding day" because - YES! - nothing happens! And mentions that the text updates that have become de rigeur in any "Mikado" occur as expected, including at least one too many references to Botox. I have never seen a NYGASP production or performance that was thoroughly bad, and I have never read a negative NYGASP review that was completely without merit, and from which someone might learn something.
He says in the review that RUDDIGORE is Friday night. "Pirates" is. RUDDIGORE is Thursday, Saturday night, and Sunday.
Since I wrote the above here is another online review of the high school English assignment variety, for "Pirates." It is positive. Read it if you don't have any important scratching or looking out the window to do.
OK, one final amendment before I move on to a new post. This one is for RUDDIGORE, from Theatermania. It is qualified-positive (a production that is "modestly entertaining") and, in typical online style, sums up each principal with an adjective. I enthusiastically agree that the ladies were really superb: Sarah Caldwell Smith as Rose was hilarious without overdoing anything and looked like a character from a Victorian picture book, and sang maybe even better than she looked, Caitlin Burke as Margaret was believably twitchy and distracted and brought a lot of sincerity to enforced interpretations this production has always insisted on for Margaret, and Erika Person was the best-sung Hannah ever - she might get a tear from you if you're still paying attention by the time she sings "There grew a little flower," one of Gilbert's great "Titwillow"-type nature parables.
Your enjoyment of RUDDIGORE may be enhanced when you learn that the orchestral horn solos are played by me, a local 802 AF of M member, in the pit. It's a new instrument, and these performances are the first time I've had it out in public.
Lucy (catch her final performance in "Mikado" at the Saturday, Jan 16 matinee) enthuses over the new Dieter Otto Single Bb horn.
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Posted by: Miart | January 16, 2010 at 12:57 AM
I love the above comment! Hey, Steve, interesting thought about the 11th hour nature-parable songs. I like it: Trial: "O'er the season vernal" is earlier in the piece. Sorcerer: "...ye birds above, ye brooklets murmur forth our love...." Yup! Pinafore: "wormy eyes?" "Black sheep dwell in every fold?" Pirates: "Sighing sofly to the river" Yup! Ida: "I leant upon an oak?" Yeomen: "every bird will come down at his word, whatever it's plumage or clime...." OK. Gondos: "His temper was volcanic... thunderbolt... billing/cooing".
Posted by: Sam Silvers | January 22, 2010 at 07:20 PM
Right, Sam. Most of these - well, of them, I guess - are nature allegories. Titwillow and There grew a little flower I kind of consider parables because try to teach and get a bit spiritual.
Posted by: mr steve | January 29, 2010 at 09:53 PM