The Gilbert and Sullivan Newsletter Archive

The Trumpet Bray

NEGASS
New England Gilbert and Sullivan Society
P. O. Box 367, Arlington, MA 02174-0004

"Ye torrents roar! Ye tempests howl!"

Vol. XX, No. 2
September/October, 1995


Don't know yah! Don't know yah!


Panel Discussion at MIT: On Sunday, October 15 at 3 PM we'll meet in Room 4149 of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to enjoy a discussion on the subject of Directorial Joys, Trials and Challenges in Gilbert & Sullivan. Jonathan Strong will moderate a panel consisting of such directorial stars as Juliet Cunningham (a Charter NEGASSer whose abridged G&S performances have shone through several First Night celebrations), Chuck Berney (a former NEGASS president whose Royal Victorian Opera Co. specializes in obscure Gilbert works), and Melody Scheiner (an excellent performer in her own right, who has had a run of successes staging productions for the North Shore Light Opera Co.). With any luck, we may also see Jim Ellis and Bill Venman from Valley Light Opera of Amherst, and, if they can duck out of their rehearsals in time, Wayne Vargas and Bruce Miller, who are currently directing at MIT.

HOW TO GET THERE: The meeting will be held in MIT Room 4149, i.e., "Building 4, First Floor, Room 49." MIT is easily accessible by T: take the Red Line either to the Kendall stop and walk west through the campus, or to Central and walk south down Mass. Ave.
BY CAR: Once you've found Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge (which is easy),
take it towards Boston, and park before you reach the river. (Parking
lots, although posted "restricted," are actually free and open to all
comers on Sundays.) Climb the big, impressive steps to the main entrance,
at 77 Mass. Ave., and check out the map on the righthand wall of the lobby
just inside to reassure yourself that finding the room will be easy: just
keep walking down the main corridor (ask folks where the "Infinite
Corridor" is if you're lost) until the room numbers start with a "4",
and then turn off to the right and look for "4149." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OSLO PINAFORE/Bristol Picnic: On August 27, a crowd of NEGASSers met in Rhode Island to enjoy the Ocean State Light Opera's latest offering, PINAFORE, and others joined them at Mrs. Shepherd's home in Bristol for if not a banquet and a dance, at least a picnic and an impromptu SORCERER singthrough, which still adds up to "too much happiness" in Our book!

OSLO's show was, to quote Bill Rodriguez of the Providence Phoenix, "arguably both theirs and Gilbert & Sullivan's best." Still quoting Bill, "Even the set, by Katherine Lovell, is funny. The background quarterdeck is painted in nurseryroom colors, with cutout clouds complementing the effect... The most impressive of the voices is [Frederic S.] Scheff's honeyed tenor, as Ralph; and [Cecilia Schiano] Rodi, as Josephine, also rises above the throng. The company eightinstrument orchestra, conducted by Ann Danis, nicely maintains a sprightly mood." Bill also singles out the "villainous Dick Deadeye (a deliciously hissable Thomas Epstein)" and David Price's Sir Joseph, who "provides most of the comical high points." Barbara Youmans as Buttercup and Edgar Edwards as the Captain also receive praise. (Thank you, Alan Hopfenberg, for sending Us the review!)

After sharing various treats, including Fred Hughes' spectacular homegrown melons, we wandered into the Shepherd mansion, lured by the sound of a sweet tenor voice practicing the part of Alexis to the accompaniment of the evening's pianist, Mike Bromberg. If the name We received is correct, this voice belonged to Ronald Rathier, an OSLO performer, and was worth double the price of admission to the evening's entertainment. (Well $0 x 2 = okay, that's not very flattering, but it was meant to be!) Charlie Hotchkiss was Ron's Act I Aline, whose father must have been very tall, seeing as how her mother, Lady Sangazure, was played by Nancy Burstein (nearly a foot the shorter of the two). Rebecca Burstein was a sweet young Constance, whose strawberryblond hair pegged her as the daughter of Patricia Brewer (whose Mrs. Partlett gets better every time!). Don Smith, turning pages for Mike, took a turn as Page to read the line introducing Peter Cameron as a quite respectable Family Sorcerer. Mark Hotchkiss maintained his dignity as Sir Marmaduke, while Dick Freedman appropriately lost his as Dr. Daly, not all that long after We took over as Aline for Act II. (Any connection, Dick?) We beg to offer an unqualified apology for not catching the name of the promising young bass who sang the Notary We're sure We'll hear him again.

With an effort, we finally all tore ourselves away from the Shepherd family, gathered around Mrs. Shepherd. We're looking forward to returning next year! mlc



Tentative 199596 Meeting Schedule:
11/19 TBA
12/17 A G&S Christmas Carol
1/21 G&S Collecting (Hosted by J. Don Smith)
2/25 LMLO GONDOLIERS (Produced by
Patricia Brewer)
3/31 TBA
5/5 Sudbury Retrospective (PRINCESS IDA)
6/9 Election/Business meeting


~ NEXT BRAY COPY DEADLINE: October 29~
Next BrayStuffing: On Sunday, November 5 at 3 PM we'll meet at Our new home 13 Cottage Avenue, Arlington, MA to fold & stuff the Bray and to read through a Gilbert play to be announced. Call Us at (617) 6469115 for directions and further information. mlc
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Welcome, Welcome, Welcome We new members William S. Kelly and Joyce Stanley. William just moved to CT from the Chicago area, and is offering to create a Web page for NEGASS. Joyce writes, "As someday it may happen that some members must be found, Please put me on the list..." (Sounds like Our kind of person!) Hearty Greetings Offer We! mlc
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Remember that a heart for thee is fretting! Former Sudbury Savoyard John Amber sends news from Florida: he's about to mount a SORCERER, with proceeds to benefit the Nursing Program at St. Pete Jr. College, where his group performs. And former NEGASS treasurer Phil Young sends greetings from California We hope that he and Carlina are enjoying the Sunny Southern Shore and the attention of the Dear Young Friend with whom they're living now! mlc
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A G&S Christmas Carol: Start planning to take part in our December meeting a DYO version of the Dickens classic with a side of Sullivan. Here's a list of the Dramatis Personae, with the songs they singoh! (asterisks indicate apparently male roles which could be played by women):
*Balladeer (TitWillow)
*Narrator (dialog only)
Ebenezer Scrooge ( "I Am So Proud," "The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring," the Pirate King's song, "I Stole the Prince", and "My Eyes are Fully Open")
Bob Cratchit ("I Am So Proud," "My Eyes Are Fully Open")
*Tiny Tim ("I Am So Proud")
Fred Scrooge ("I am the Captain of the Pinafore")
Mr. Kindheart ("The Flowers that Bloom," "My Eyes are Fully Open")
Mr. Goodman ("The Flowers that Bloom," "He is an Englishman")
Old Fezziwig ("Eat, Drink & Be Gay," "For the Merriest Fellows are We")
Jacob Marley's Ghost (the Major General's song)
The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present & To Come ("Three Little Maids" in addition, Past sings Sir Joseph's song, and Present sings "I Know a Youth")
Three Gossips (I Stole the Prince)

Also listed, with no solos indicated, are PoohBah, Emily Cratchit, Ghost of Samuel, PasserBy, Dora Lincoln, and a Chorus of Ghosts, Party Guests, Scrooge's Relatives, etc., who sing "Now to the Banquet We Press."

President Dick Freedman is organizing this gala. Find his number or email address on the back page of the Bray, and put in your oar! mlc
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SCORES FOR RENT: TRACY TRANSFERRED TO C&B. C&B Productions, which is bent on creating recordings of uncut versions, with dialogue, of the whole G&S canon (so far they've presented COX & BOX and MIKADO) announces that they've purchased most of Tracy Music's G&S music library. (Folks in the know have always gone to Tracy, rather than calling the more wellknown Schirmer's, for G&S orchestral scores: Schirmer's has a habit of "editing" a few things, and then claiming copyright and actually charging royalties!) C&B now have vocal and instrumental scores for most of the G&S shows available for rent. (No to GRAND DUKE; yes to COX & BOX, and, naturally, no THESPIS.) They'll rent out piano/vocal scores for 3 months at $6 per score (or $3 for chorus parts only). They also list "Orchestration Rental" for everything except SORCERER and YEOMEN, with parts generally available for Violin I & II, Cello, Bass, Flute, Trombone, Timpani, Viola, Oboe, Clarinet I & II, Trumpet I & II, and Horn I & II (no Conductor's Score is listed it's worth a query!) this is for a period of one month, and the cost is $85. [Let Us take this opportunity to put in a plug for Sudbury's David Larrick, who can provide you with anything orchestral you may want for SORCERER at a very low figure, including his own setting of the Ahrimanes scene call him at (508) 8976226.]

In addition, C&B has "...the orchestra for MIKADO recorded and available for rent. This is a tape digitally recorded, mixed and mastered specifically for the stage. The rental period is for three months. The rental cost is $495.00 and includes 3 recordings of the show, with vocals, for your principals to use as a guide." We're not entirely sure what makes this worth $495, unless the idea is that the sample vocals are on a separate track which can be turned off, so that the tape can be used for a complete keraokestyle performance, saving the expense of hiring an orchestra...? If anyone understands this better, tell Us, tell Us all about it!

Write to C&B Productions, PO. Box 26334, Tampa, FL 33623 for more info or to order CDs of their MIKADO ($24.95) or COX & BOX ($14.95), or libretti ($2.50), or TShirts ($10). (Shipping & handling are extra.)


QUAINTNESS REMAINDERED: Wally Mason tells Us that How Quaint the Ways of Paradox, an annotated G&S bibliography by Philip H. Dillard, which was reviewed in these pages some months ago, is available from Edward R. Hamilton, Booksellers, of Falls Village, CT 060315000. Hamilton deals in remaindered books, and is charging only $9.95 for this really pretty good little volume of facts order it as Book #745596 before they're all gone!


SASSM INDEX: An Index to the Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Magazine, Nos. 140, 19771995, by Geoffrey Dixon, published in association with the SASS, is now available. Send £6.00 post paid (US $10, post paid by airmail) by cheque made payable to G. Dixon, to Mr. G. Dixon, 93, Carcluie Crescent, Ayr, Scotland KA7 4SZ.


G&S PHOTOS: Mr. Dixon has also created The Gilbert & Sullivan Photofinder, An index to published illustrations of Savoy Opera, published by Rhosearn Press, 1995. It's a 270 page softcover volume, ISBN: 0 9525532 0 1, available for US $28 (airmail post. paid), in return for a cheque payable to G. Dixon and sent to Rhosearn Press, 93, Carcluie Crescent, Ayr, Scotland KA7 4SZ.


CDs SIGHTED: I just picked up a couple of CDs for $1.49 each at Odd Job Trading. They're called "Operetta Highlights" Vol 1 and 2 and include selections by Martyn Green, singing MajorGeneral Song, Little List and TitWillow; Nightmare Song and Flowers That Bloom. These were from a recording he did for Columbia Records in the 50s. The CDs also have Nelson Eddy and others doing the usual operetta stuff. I don't know if these discs are likely to turn up in Boston, but you've been alerted. They're Sony Music Special Products releases, 1993. FRANCES YASPRICA


"ARTHUR SULLIVAN" by Jacobs Remaindered (Still). An example of 'netting joys: Ralph MacPhail, the Savoynet administrator, placed the following on the net in late August: Yesterday's mail brought Catalog #61 from Berkshire Record Outlet Inc., Rte. 102 Pleasant Street, RR 1, Lee MA 012389804. In addition to LPs, Cassettes, and CDs of G&S and S interest (old D'Oyly Carte reissues, overtures, Sullivan Songs, etc.), they are offering, in their remaindered book section:

"B296: Jacobs, Arthur Arthur Sullivan A Victorian Musician Revised version of the composer's biography. 494 pages including musical illustrations + photos AMADEUS PRESS: HARDCOVER 1992 11.99." Address is above; 800 number is 18009921200 for orders ($15.00 minimum). Hours: Mon.Sat. 10:00 to 5:00 ET. FAX 14132434340. Internet Address: BerkRedOut @aol.com (from Titipu: ara@kiisnet.kiis.or.jp)


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REVIEWS:
I faced a very unusual situation when I attended the College Light Opera Company's SORCERER. I left with the feeling that I had seen a very good performance. What made it unusual was that I have been accustomed to much better than that from CLOC!

The music was superb throughout, both the orchestra and the singing. Adam Burdick (Alexis) I have praised in my earlier review of MIKADO. But I had overlooked the excellent Laura Murphy (Aline), Laura Sosnowski (Constance), and Martin C. Hurt (Dr. Daly), who had been in the chorus for that earlier production.

Nick Paone (John Wellington Wells) was masterful in this role, as he has been in the others I have seen him in (Jack Point, KoKo, and others) over the past three years. His prestidigitation was well done, except that the flashes of light brought about by his incantation were too far removed from the area where he had been conjuring. But the rest of the cast suffered, in my estimation, from problems in directing. For example, Alexis sat Aline down on a seat at the corner of the stage, and then turned his back to her and sang a love song to the Music Director! The chemistry between the two was unconvincing, even apart from that.

The "Wild with adoration" duet between Sir Marmaduke and Lady Sangazure is intrinsically difficult to act convincingly, I think, but they came close. The setting was a minuet at the wedding banquet, with all but the singer going into a freeze during the asides. If they had been able to put a spotlight on the singer and dim the lights on the rest of the stage, it would have been even better.

There was one girl in the wedding party costumed as a preadolescent. This only distracted, making me wonder how they were going to pair her up. They took care of it satisfactorily, arranging for her to unobtrusively slip offstage as the others paired up. I can only conclude that she was costumed that way because the numbers were not even. And a serving girl carried in a huge ham, in "Now to the banquet we press", but she carried it as if it weighed nothing! All in all, very minor problems, but just not up to the extremely high standards CLOC had measured up to in the past. DICK FREEDMAN



GRAND DUKE in NYC: There is [was in early August mlc] ... a production called DUEL, or THE GRAND DUKE, a revised version by Christopher Taylor, in NYC. This is yet another revision of Gilbert & Sullivan's problematic final collaboration.... DUEL is a more radical reworking than usual. Among the cuts: Ernest's "Were I a king" was dropped, but the melody was used for a new duet for the Baroness and Rudolph (or Wilhelm as he's called in this production) which replaced "As o'er our penny roll we sing" (which was eliminated.) Also cut: "Strange the views", "When you find you're a broken down critter", parts of the Act I finale: "Oh listen to me dear" (Lisa and Julia's duet); "The die is cast" (Lisa's solo).
Changes in Act 2 are even more radical. "Take care of him", Lisa's song is dropped, but in compensation she has appropriated "Broken every promise plighted," Julia's lament. Julia and Ernest lose their duet "If the light of love's lingering ember" (which winds up going to Ludwig and Lisa just before the finale). The entry song for the Prince of Monte Carlo's party "We're rigged out in magnificent array" is out, as well as Rudolph's "Well you're a pretty kind of fellow".
The cuts have the effect of reducing the roles of Ernest and Julia and beefing up Lisa's part.... Julia though has become a more peripheral character.... Ludwig, already the most substantial role, loses nothing in this version. Unfortunately the performer was one of the weakest links in this cast and some reductions in his material would have been welcome. Either the "Sausage roll" song or the Greek patter song (or even both) never would be missed. The Grand Duke, who already had too little stage time, suffered the indignity of the loss of both of his solos. As the actor in this production was particularly good a nicely droll sense of humor, with a dash of quiet dignity this again hurt the show... The numbers cut were missed, but it was nice to see DUKE in any format, and if this was not the ultimate solution, it was an earnest attempt and will perhaps inspire others to give it a go. Even secondrate G&S is superior to much of what is staged these days, so I think it is worth the effort. FRANCES YASPRICA


Glimmerglass YEOMEN: I am writing to give you my thoughts after seeing a Sunday matinee performance of Glimmerglass Opera YEOMEN. After a very enjoyable IOLANTHE last year, I was disappointed in the YEOMEN production. The sets and costumes were shared with the Welsh National Opera production, which debuted earlier this year to mixed notices. The director, Tim Harris, who was imported from the WNO production, was new to Glimmerglass (and to me). He has directed some G&S and opera in the UK (including a D'Oyly Carte GONDOLIERS).

The set was awkward and cramped, giving the soloists and chorus little room to maneuver. The director had a number of principals (most notably Phoebe) clutching at the wall representing the "bloody tower." And numbers that were staged well, such as the "Merryman and his Maid" and "Hereupon we're both agreed" were unable to sustain much momentum into the subsequent scenes.

The performances were generally fine, although Marguerite Krull as Phoebe was hampered by bizarre instructions from the director early in Act I. The standout performer was Stephen Powell, who was a singing Jack Point. Unfortunately, his "death" scene was clumsily staged.

Nonetheless, it was great to hear the music performed by topnotch musicians in a wonderfully intimate setting in Cooperstown. I hope the next production (I'm hoping for PATIENCE or GONDOLIERS) will be directed by Dorothy Danner, who handled MIKADO and IOLANTHE so admirably
M. CAREY LEAHEY

BUXTON REVISITED: We've received much email from many sources concerning this year's Festival, its outcome, and plans for next year. The following is a hash of whatever We've received, without specific attribution. Thanks to Don Smith, Dick Freedman, Debra Hanggeli, Peter Zavon, and anyone else whose name We may have lost in Cyberspace mlc.

The Second International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival took place in Buxton, England from July 30 through August 13,1995. The Final Order of Performances, in chronological order, was:

30 July John Reed and His Friends
31 July PATIENCE [Wakefield G&S Society, Wakefield, UK]
1 Aug. PINAFORE [Houston G&S Society, Houston, Texas]
2 Aug. THE CHIEFTAIN [Dagger Lane Operatic Society, Hull, UK]
3 Aug. PIRATES [Manx G&S Society, Douglas, Isle of Man]
4 Aug. YEOMEN [Rose Hill Musical Society, UK]
5 Aug. SORCERER [Stars of the Original D'Oyly Carte Company]
6 Aug. RUDDIGORE [South Anglia Savoy Players, South Anglia, UK]
7 Aug. MIKADO [The Savoy Company, Philadelphia, PA, USA]
8 Aug. PIRATES [The Essex Group, Essex, England]
9 Aug. IDA [The Lamplighters, San Francisco, CA, USA]
10 Aug. IOLANTHE [Hancock County G&S Society, Maine, USA]
11 Aug. GONDOLIERS [Festival Production]
12 Aug. SORCERER [Stars of the Original D'Oyly Carte Company]

St. Mary's Roman Catholic High School was the first runnerup in last year's festival with their innovative GONDOLIERS. As they were not doing G&S this year, they were invited to participate as a fringe group, on 13 Aug., with Jesus Christ Superstar.

The winners of the various competitive categories at the Festival were presented during a Gala Awards Banquet in the style of the Oscar Awards, complete with video clips of the nominated performances. The International Festival Winner was determined by a point system based on maximum points assigned by the Adjudicator in predefined categories. The Adjudicator, David Turner, observed that in 1994 only one company accumulated 90 points or more, but this year (1995) four companies had done so.

International Festival Winner: The Lamplighters (San Francisco, CA) [Hooray for the USA!!!]
First RunnerUp: Houston G&S Society (Houston, TX)
Second RunnerUp: The Essex Group (Essex, England)
Best Overseas Society: The Lamplighters (San Francisco, CA)
Special Adjudicator's Award (discretionary) to Melissa Wortman for Costume Design in the Lamplighter's production of IDA
Best Female Performer: Sally Brown as Rose Maybud in RUDDIGORE
Best Male Performer: Paul Lazell as Roderick Murgatroyd in RUDDIGORE
Best Character Actress: Betsy Walker as Katisha in MIKADO
Best Character Actor: John Craige as Major General Stanley in PIRATES (Manx G&S)
Best Producer (Best Stage Director, in American terms): Barbara Heroux for the Lamplighter's IDA Best Musical Directors: Robert Linder for Houston G&S PINAFORE
Best Supporting Female: Lisa Young as Buttercup in PINAFORE
Best Supporting Male: Mick Wilson as Dick Dauntless in RUDDIGORE
Best Female Singer: Kimberly Lane as Josephine in PINAFORE
Best Male Singer: Baker Peeples as Hilarion in IDA
Best Choral Item: "Hail Poetry" from the Essex Group's PIRATES
Best Concerted Item: The Act II Madrigal, "Brightly Shines" from MIKADO

Space does not permit Us to list all the runnersup, but it should be known that nearly every show had at least one nomination in at least one category. This was clearly an excellent set of productions and when We think that performers, sets, costumes, etc., all had to "sail to this island, tossing in a manner frightful" and deal with jet lag before even thinking of setting up to perform well, We're impressed.

We're looking forward to Don Smith's Buxton Diary in the next Bray. mlc

NB: Next Year's Festival Starts in Philadelphia! Ian Smith, the Festival Director, is now on SavoyNet, and posted this message:

Here is how you apply to participate in next year's Festival simply fax Int + 44 1422 355604 or phone Int + 44 1422 539161 or write to me at The Old Vicarage, Haley Hill, Halifax HX3 6DR England with details of your show. Ideally I need a video of a recent production. However if, as Chicago are discussing, you decided to stage a composite production, it would be good to let me have videos of existing groups. And of course please remember that I will be crossing to the States in September/October and happy to meet with you at that time.

I am planning two of the original D'Oyly Carte productions for Philadelphia SORCERER and RUDDIGORE and I should be in a position to announce the cast in the coming days. I anticipate two performances of each (probably matinee and evening). The cast is looking very exciting.

The dates for 1996 are: Philadelphia: Saturday July 20th to Sunday July 28th. Buxton: Sunday August 4th to Sunday 18th inclusive.
[Is it time to plan a NEGASS trip to Philly? mlc]

:) :o :) ;o :) :o :) ;o :) :o :) ;o :) :o :) ;o :)
Strange SavoyNet Games: In case you think all Savoyards are dull dogs indeed, heavily debating deep topics, here's an example of normal SavoyNet silliness, sent to Us by Randi Kestin:
Cast for MUPPET MIKADO:
NankiPoo ... Kermit
Katisha ... Miss Piggy
(I think they should change names to KermiePoo and PiggySha; sing to yourself the line "I claim my perjured lover, KermiePoo!" and you'll see why.)
KoKo ... Fozzie
PoohBah ... Sam the Eagle
PishTush ... Gonzo
(I especially thrill to the idea of these last three performing "I Am So Proud"!!)
YumYum ... the Human Guest Star
PittiSing ... Carmilla (Gonzo's favorite Chicken, ends up with PishTush)
PeepBo ... another chicken
(This would yield, I think, a delicious "Three Little Maids". )
Mikado ... Animal
Now what about a Muppet TRIAL BY JURY?!?!?! BRIAN SWEENEY

:) :o :) ;o :) :o :) ;o :) :o :) ;o :) :o :) ;o :)
SAVOYNET: It's been a while since We published directions to Savoynet in the Bray it's about time for a refresher: The last We heard, you join by sending the message SUBSCRIBE SAVOYNET to listserv @bridgewater.edu. Email your contributions to the conversation to savoynet@bridgewater.edu.

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CALENDAR:

The Connecticut G&SS will present SORCERER, directed by Bob Cumming with assistance and costume coordination by Lucy Weed (popular folks with the NEGASS cognoscenti), on 10/27 &28 at 8 PM, and 10/29 at 2 PM. Call 18008661606 for tix & info.

Auditions for the HarvardRadcliff G&S Society's Fall show, YEOMEN, will be held during the week of September 18, through Harvard's Common Casting process call the HarvardRadcliff Dramatic Club (4963030) for casting schedules and further details. Performances are planned for 11/3012/9. Eileen St. David, new NEGASS member and lauded director of Harvard's recent PATIENCE, will be directing YEOMEN as well. For more information contact Paul Galvez <pgalvez@fas.harvard.edu> (617) 4932862 or Paul Titterton <pftitter @fas.harvard.edu> (617) 4933119.

HRG&SS has also been rehearsing TRIAL all summer, We hear, with performances planned for Sept. 29 & 30 and Oct. 57. (Wayne Vargas should be wonderful as the Judge!) Call (617) 4964747 for more info.

The celebrated Hancock County G&S Society will perform in concert on October 7 at 7:30 PM, sponsored by the Monson Arts Council of Monson, MA. Call Susan Costa at (413) 2675178 or Barbara Keffer at (413)2674286 for more info.

Boston Conservatory will be staging RUDDIGORE October 1921 at 8 PM; 10/2122 at 2 PM, and 10/22 at 7 PM at 31 Heminway St. in Boston. Tix are $15 and $10. Call their box office at (617) 5363063 for more info.

The Savoyard Light Opera Co. will perform Romberg & Hammerstein's operetta, The New Moon [Yes We know it isn't] on November 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 & 19. Call (508) 3717562 for more info.
The MIT Gilbert and Sullivan Players will present SORCERER November 11, 16, 17, & 18 at 8 PM, and November 12 & 18 at 2 PM in La Sala de Puerto Rico, MIT Student Center, 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Stage Director is Wayne Vargas (last year's MITG&SP Lord Chancellor, and previously director of IO at Harvard); Music Director is Bruce Miller (director of last year's IO at Holy Cross) with assistance from mlc; and producer is NEGASS's own Dick Freedman. Ticket prices range from $6 to $10. To order tickets call: (617) 2530191, email: savoyardsrequest@ mit.edu, or WWW form: http://www.mit. edu:8001/activities/gsp/reservations.html

The longstanding and excellent Amherst, MA, group, Valley Light Opera, plans PRINCESS IDA on 11/35 and 10 & 11. Call (413) 5488119 or 2539662 for more info. [Perhaps a group of potential Sudbury Savoyard auditionees ought to plan to attend together...]

Boston Academy of Music plans a double bill of TRIAL/SORCERER "set in the Roaring 20s and... presented as companion pieces with many of their characters in common." [We hope Aline isn't The Plaintiff!] The one performance will be 11/24 at 8 PM in Sanders Theater, Harvard U. Director: Richard Conrad; Conductor: Ernest Green. Familiar names in the cast (besides Richard himself) include David Murray, Mark Nemeskal and David Stoneman. Tix are $35, $25 and $15. Call (617) 2420055 for tix & info.

The Sudbury Savoyards will hold their annual "tworing circus" (Meet the Directors party) on November 20, in preparation for November 27 and 29th auditions for their March '96 production, PRINCESS IDA. Directors for this year's production are Jim Ravan (Music) and Marion Leeds Carroll (Staging). As usual, all proceeds will benefit the United Methodist Church's Fund for World Hunger. Call (508) 4438811 or email savoyard @sudbury.ultranet.com for more info.

LincolnSudburyConcordCarlisle residents: Check the catalog of the LSHS Adult Ed Program for news of A Savoyard Singalong on Monday evening, 10/28, to be presented by the Sudbury Savoyards.

We're told that the Huntington Theater Co. of BU will definitely produce IOLANTHE, dates being Jan. 5 Feb. 4, 1996. Call their box office at 2660800 for more info.

Dame Rumour Whispers that Curtain Call Theater in Braintree is planning MIKADO for 3/96. We called (617) 3565113 for further info, & got a tape but no human reply does anyone know more?


Noted by new member William S. Kelly: The New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players will be on tour, performing PINAFORE May 11 at 2 PM and 8 PM at the Shubert in New Haven, CT. Phone numbers, anyone?


The Sudbury Savoyards have just launched their own newsletter, called The Sudbury Savoyards' Sandwich Board, and are talking about a small, nonmusical summer production in '96... more news as it breaks!


THE NEW ENGLAND GILBERT AND SULLIVAN SOCIETY
PO Box 367, Arlington, MA 021740004

President RICHARD FREEDMAN
(617) 6309525 ~ wk/voice mail: (508) 8804032
email: freedman.richard@mail.ndhm.gtegsc.com
Vice President PATRICIA BREWER: (617) 3233480
Secretary CAROL MAHONEY: (617) 6481720 Membership Officer BILL MAHONEY: (617) 6481720
Treasurer CARL WEGGEL: (508) 4740396 Program Chair SHELDON HOCHMAN: (508) 8427617 Editor MARION LEEDS CARROLL: (617) 6469115
email: mlcar@ibm.net

NEGASS membership dues are $15 and up. Please send membership inquiries to Bill Mahoney at NEGASS, PO. Box 367, Arlington, MA 021740004.



Marion



Page created 28 Nov 1996