SAVOYARDS SUCCEED WITH 'THE SORCERER'; [SECOND Edition]
John Aehl For the State Journal. Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wis.: Jul 21, 2007. pg. C.5

Copyright Madison Newspapers, Inc. Jul 21, 2007

"The Sorcerer" was the first truly successful collaboration, 130 years ago, of the long and often tempestuous partnership of Gilbert and Sullivan.

Not nearly as familiar or popular as the later G&S comic operas, especially the "Pinafore," "Mikado," "Pirates of Penzance" trio, "The Sorcerer" nevertheless has enough humor, satirical zinger lines, charming (if not particularly memorable) music, and general foolishness to make it an attractive presentation.

The Madison Savoyards obviously think so. In their (44th!) annual G&S production which opened Friday night, they have put together a generally sprightly affair with mostly fine singing, appropriately overblown acting, some delightful comic turns, colorful costumes, solid orchestral playing, and good pacing and movement on the smallish stage of Old Music Hall on the University of Wisconsin campus.

As a curtain-raiser,the company offered a little extended three-man comic skit that might be right out of "Saturday Night Live" (but with music, and first staged in 1866) called "Cox and Box," which has nothing to do with John Gilbert but has the music of Arthur Sullivan. The whole business turned out to be a full evening, clocking in at three hours.

The sorcerer in this instance casts a mildly menacing shadow, although he is a businessman with the rather sober name of John Wellington Wells, a dealer in magic and spells, including "a penny curse," which sells by the thousands, and a blessing,which doesn't sell at all. The plot centers on a group of marriage-and-love-addled villagers who drink a sorcerer-provided magic love potion - unknowingly, of course - which results in complicated mixed-up pairings, all ultimately righted. Gilbert satirizes early Victorian customs, but with not quite the satirical bite of his later librettos.

Nine principals carry the acting load, plus a villagers chorus of 18. Voices range from serviceable to exceptional, the latter being the ringing clarion of the unquestioned strength of the show, lyric tenor James Schaffner. As Alexis, the primary male love interest, not only does Schaffner command the stage with his vigorous singing, he hams it up delightfully with exceedingly attractive, even ingratiating, pomposity.

He is closely matched by Julie Hutchnison, as Aline, the primary female love interest, who has a solid lyric soprano voice and a high talent for mugging as a confused bride-to-be.

Not everything was entirely ideal. As someone once put it, words, words, words. Gilbert adamantly believed in the purest articulation possible, so the many puns, alliterations (try "lucid lake of liquid love"), and just plain jokes could be recognized and savored. There were too many thrown-away lines this evening, not quite enough precision in diction.

James Rowe, the sorcerer, was competent enough, in his black suit, black stovepipe hat, bald head, and chalky face. But his singing voice was merely adequate (although the role doesn't demand a great voice) , and his voice was just fuzzy enough that the precision of the inevitable (in a G&S show) patter song was difficult to follow.

One would also like a more imposing voice in the vicar, but a mild Jesse Hoffmeister had enough comic turns to please. Ryan Thorn was appropriately arrogant as Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre, Kathleen Buttita again demonstrated her broadly stroked acting prowess at Lady Sangazure (Blue Blood, get it?), and Jessica Warmington possessed the sweet soubrette soprano voice for the ingenue Constance.

Costumes were roughly of the Victorian period - men in black suits, women in Maytime light gowns of myriad pastel colors, all quite lovely. The set was a functional courtyard of a lord's mansion.

All in all, a good production, enjoyable to see, nicely presented.

The farcical "Cox and Box," some 40 minutes long, has two men renting the same room, at different times of the day, unknown to each other, and finally meeting in confusion, understandable rancor, and, at least for the audience, reasonable good humor. The dialogue was by Francis Cowley Burnand. The Savoyards version is quick, quirky, and often quite funny. The Sullivan music moves along nicely and shows signs of the eventual more complex teaming of the Gilbert and Sullivan years, which began in 1871 with "Thespis" (lost), followed in 1875 by another short work, "Trial by Jury" entirely sung.

Schaffner, as John James Box, and Justin Wilder, as James John Cox, teamed up for some good physical comedy, and Thorn, as the landlord, Sergeant Bouncer, began the conflict with his double renting.

The show will be staged five more times: at 7:30 tonight, 3 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. July 27 and 28, and 3 p.m. July 29, all in Old Music Hall.

Indexing (document details)
People: Gilbert, John, Sullivan, Arthur
Author(s): John Aehl For the State Journal
Document types: Review
Section: DAYBREAK
Publication title: Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wis.: Jul 21, 2007. pg. C.5
Source type: Newspaper
ISSN: 0749405X
ProQuest document ID: 1308046471
Text Word Count 754
Document URL: http://proquest .umi .com/pqdweb ?did=1308046471 &sid=1 &Fmt=3 &clientId=48175 &RQT=309­&VName=PQD