Iolanthe: An AppreciationWhen BAct decided last summer to present Iolanthe, I found myself appointed director almost by accident. I had never directed a musical before, let alone an operetta, and I was somewhat unnerved by the prospect. Fortunately I was able to get a music director, Jennifer Cole, who has as good a feel for Gilbert and Sullivan as anyone I know, and a choreographer, Andrea Schreiner, who has a knack for effective staging. My first decree as director was that this would be a "traditional" production in the sense that we would present the piece as written (with a few exceptions). That production of Iolanthe has just completed its run, and I have to say that it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. I know it brought joy to most of the people who were involved in it, as well as to our very appreciative audiences. I feel a profound sense of gratitude to W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan for giving so much pleasure to so many people over so many years; since there is no way to express that gratitude to them directly, I express it here.
One thing that struck me forcefully about this opera is that it is a brilliant piece of theater. Gilbert and Sullivan here have a sure eye (and ear) for what works on the stage. There seems to be a general impression that Gilbert was merely a writer of clever words and Sullivan a composer of pretty tunes. In fact, however, Gilbert – who in his day was well known as a playwright and director, quite apart from his collaboration with Sullivan – was a master of stage production in all its aspects, including such intangibles as structure, balance, and timing, and Sullivan seems to be perfectly attuned to Gilbert's needs in this respect. Iolanthe carries the audience along with it from beginning to end, without sagging or losing their interest even for a moment.
This "theatrical" quality is by no means evident (to me at least) upon a reading of the libretto, or even the hearing of a recording or the viewing of a video. When I agreed to direct Iolanthe, I was not very familiar with it, and although it seemed like a nice enough piece, I couldn't really understand why so many Gilbert and Sullivan fans consider it to be the best of the Savoy operas. It was only after many weeks of rehearsal that I began to suspect that we had not merely a good but an extraordinary show. This was due in large part to the talents and hard work of our music director, choreographer, cast, and tech crews, but also I think to the opera itself; if you are willing to take it on its own terms and give it what you can, it will pay back unusually high dividends. (In this respect it reminds me of Shakespeare.)
So thank you, Messrs. Gilbert and Sullivan, and thank you, BAct, for allowing me to be a part of such a wonderful experience.
April 2001