The Grand Duke is the last G & S operetta written and is not considered their greatest work. In fact, as far as I know, there really aren't any Grand Duke tunes that have managed to make it into the "greatest hits of G&S" category. I knew all this before going to the performance and my expectations were fairly low.
I'm happy to report that the operetta exceeded my expectations in every way. There is a great deal of humour in the play and there are some pretty memorable numbers as well. Maybe it isn't at the same high standard as Mikado, Pirates of Penzance or Gondoliers, but it isn't too far off.
This production was put on by the St. Anne's Music and Drama Society, an enthusiastic group of actors and singers in Toronto. As amateur productions go, this was pretty much as good as it gets. There was a sizable orchestra in the pit, the leads were talented and the chorus was well-rehearsed. The costumes and sets were also pretty good considering that we weren't looking at professional theatre.
Most notable among the players were Ron Orenstein as the actor who becomes the Grand Duke for a day, Corinne Lynch who plays an actress who aspires to be the Grand Duchess and the venerable Roy Schatz who has been playing G & S forever. It was a joy to see these actors ply their craft.
Here are some of the photos from the event.
Thanks for posting this review of our show. I was in the chorus.
ReplyDeleteAlto and Viola