Performances of The Zoo have become ever more common over the last couple of decades. Mature companies do not fear to program it as a curtain-raiser to one of the shorter Savoy Operas. This was the second time a triple bill of The Zoo, Cox & Box, and Trial by Jury has been presented at a Festival. To those who had any doubts, tonight's performance proved, once again, that these three operas work brilliantly together. This was the Festival at its near-best.
The Pennine Players, who presented The Zoo, are apparently a "pick-up" group that was assembled at six weeks' notice after another group bowed out. Director Janet Cowley, who also sings soubrette roles with the G&S Opera Company, directed a sparkling performance that showed the opera's charms to best advantage. Terence Rees--who owns the autograph score--pronounced it one of the best productions he'd seen.
The opening scene shone--the chorus strutting their stuff while Carboy sat gloomily in a corner contemplating suicide. The chorus reactions after Brown's fainting spell were also a highlight. Every chorister was a unique character, and the variety of the costumes was spectacular. The principals were uneven; Carboy, Brown, and Eliza were the best. The performance was done in by its conductor, who took lethargically slow tempi that threatened to drain the opera of life.
Next came Cox & Box, given by the Lincoln Gilbert & Sullivan Society, with John Carter (Cox), Nick Sales (Box), and Tony Smith (Bouncer). Smith also directed, with Andrew Nicklin conducting. During the overture, Cox acted out a pantomime of waking up, opening the window, washing his face, getting dressed, etc. It was beautifully timed to the mood changes in the music--a perfect example of a choreographed overture that "worked."
The rest of the performance was traditional. This was the cut-down "Savoy Version," and everytime I hear it, I lament all the wonderful material that has been left on the cutting-room floor. The three actors did a wonderful job with the piece, missing a few comic opportunities, but scoring plenty of points with the audience. As in The Zoo, I thought tempi were a bit sluggish.
Savoynet has appeared as an organized performing group at each of last three Festivals. In 1996 and 1997, Savoynet performed concert versions of The Gondoliers and The Sorcerer in Philadelphia, at the Festival Club. Last year, there was a fully-staged Cox & Box in Buxton's smaller Paxton Theatre, but an 11:00am Sunday time slot didn't draw much of an audience. This year was Savoynet's first main-stage performance.
Many people wondered what kind of show could be given by people who live thousands of miles apart and who only see each other "electronically," but by the time the curtain fell on Trial by Jury, a near-capacity crowed in the Buxton Opera House was convinced! The Savoynetters had rehearsed for only three days, but their Trial was much better than many I've seen that rehearsed for months. It was amateur G&S at its very-near best.
All of the cast, chorus, and even production staff were members of Savoynet. Producer Mike Nash gave us a mostly traditional version of the work, but there were a few twists. For example, the Associate (J. Donald Smith) transcribed the court's proceedings on a laptop computer. The heraldic crest posted above the Judge's bench featured a large '@' sign. At several points in the action, there were interpolated chorus interjections, which were perfectly timed and added a fresh perspective to the opera.
Choreography was minimal--this being the hardest thing to do well in a compressed rehearsal period. However, all of the chorus were distinct characters and participated fully in the action. Anyone needing a primer on how a G&S chorus should act could have started right here. Sam Silvers was a lecherous Judge who had little but sex on his mind. He sang the part with fine musicianship not always heard in this role. Sharon Brindle was a vivacious Plaintiff. I thought it was most clever that she had long black hair, and all the Bridesmaids were blondes. Most directors fail to exploit the impact of color contrasts, but Mike Nash had thought it through beautifully.
Nick Sales, playing his second principal role of the evening, was a devil-may-care Defendant, who spent much of the opera reading the newspaper. He sang the role with his accustomed lyrical beauty. Philip Walsh was an officious Counsel, doing his best to keep under control a client who had other things on her mind. John Genzano contributed an Usher who seemed frustrated at all the indignities being perpetrated in his courtroom. Bob Richards was the fatherly Foreman.
Musical Director David Cound was the only one of the evening's three conductors to get the tempi right. The show breezed along--as it should--and his dependable beat kept the piece together (not a trivial undertaking when the performers have only just met each other).
For months, Savoynet debated whether to do a post-show cabaret at the Festival Club. Every performing group is offered the opportunity, but not all accept. It seems almost perverse to put on a whole other show the same evening. But, Sylvia Greinig coaxed the group into it, and the result was one of the funnest cabarets the Festival has yet seen. Highlights included:
I did not take notes during the cabaret, so my apologies to anyone that performed whose name I missed.