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Reviews of Our 2002 Production
From Steadstyle Chicago:
Critical Evaluation: *** out of ****
"The Yeomen of the Guard" is said to have been Gilbert & Sullivan’s favorite operetta, but audiences expecting the usual "topsy turveydom" of the celebrated British composer and lyricist are in for a surprise. First produced at the Savoy Theatre in London 1888, "Yeomen" offers an uncharacteristic mixture of humor and pathos. Sullivan, the high-brow classical composer who always regretted his involvement in Gilbert’s "low burlesques," had his opportunity to compose a serious score, although one that was still accessible and witty enough for audiences of the period.
The story is set in the 16th Century at London’s Tower Green, where an innocent man is scheduled for execution. An unscrupulous relative has convinced the populace that the brave Colonel Fairfax’s scientific experiments are the results of witchcraft, and he is sentenced to meet the axe-man’s blade. Friends of Fairfax construct an elaborate plot that involves the prisoner impersonating a member of the Tower Guards and a quick marriage to a peasant singer. Romance and unrequited love are merrily mixed as Fairfax cheerfully awaits his reprieve.
In their current mounting of "The Yeomen of the Guard," the Evanston-based Savoy-aires society are to be applauded for their handsome production values, superlative orchestra and fine performances. Music Director Daniel Robinson gets a rich and mellifluous account of Sullivan’s ravishing score, and the cast is nicely outfitted in Jennifer Edwards’ splendid period costumes.
Peter C. Voigt and Sonali Rodriguez are both in beautiful voice as the happily doomed Fairfax and his beloved singer Elsie Maynard. Kingsley Day makes the sad jester Jack Point as touchingly vulnerable as he is comically nimble. And Christopher Diez has a brilliant comic turn as Wilfred Shadbolt, the lovelorn but opportunistic Head Jailer and Assistant Tormentor.
Where this production errs is communicating Gilbert’s tangled plot and deliciously witty lyrics. It also proves that even trained singers cannot project over weak acoustics without proper amplification. The Savoy-aires perform in the large Chute middle-school auditorium, a serviceable venue with a large stage but poor sound quality and even more uncomfortable wooden seats. It is time for this reputable 38-year-old operetta society to join the 21st Century. With such outstanding production values, it is a shame not to be able to understand the singers.
From Chicago Critic:
This outstanding show was a complete surprise to me! The Savoy-aires have been performing Gilbert & Sullivan operettas for 38 years, yet many Chicago theatregoers don’t know about them. If The Yeoman of the Guard is an indication of this group’s quality, then ‘let the word go out’ that this group produces terrific opera. The show featured a 50 piece orchestra and 40 actors with lavish sets and colorful 16th Century costumes. It featured many fine singers and excellent actors. Savoy-aires have all the ingredients correctly in place.
The Yeoman of the Guard is the least topsy-turvy work from Gilbert & Sullivan even though it is full of humor, chaos, and a complicated plot. Both men considered Yeomen as their best work. The melodies are rich and beautiful, the orchestrations varied and lush, the story believable and touching, the characters sympathetic, and the ending ironic as well as poignant. Gilbert’s sensitivity to emotional truth and his genius for weaving humor into the darkest of human experience is most rewarding. Beheading criminals on Tower Green is historical fact. Gilbert & Sullivan’s genius could take such horrors and using wit, romance and paradox, create a fabulous work of art.
The music from the 50 piece orchestra made the show for me. What a sound! The music is ravishing, and the delightful repartee, airy persiflage, and memorable song lyrics are more than enough to keep ant performer or audience member happy. Music Director Daniel Robinson’s orchestrations allowed the excellent cast to sing without using amplification. The Chute Auditorium lacks natural acoustics making some singers hard to hear. It seems that they don’t teach ‘projecting’ to singers today.
Among the outstanding cast members, Sonali Rodriguez as Elise Maynard was terrific with a beautiful voice and a sensual demeanor. Peter C. Voigt was outstanding as Colonel Fairfax with a fine voice and much natural charm. But the ‘star’ of the show was Kingsley Day as the comedic and tragic jester Jack Point. Day demonstrated a nice range of comedic and dramatic talents.
I enjoyed this show and would recommend it to Gilbert & Sullivan patrons as well as those who enjoy the large sound of classical music performed by a full orchestra. The pageantry, the lavish sets and costumes all contribute to a show that saturate your senses leaving all of you delighted.
Recommended
The Savoyaires P.O. Box 126 Evanston, IL 60204 E-mail: info@savoyaires.org Phone: (773) 262-2954
The Savoyaires are sponsored in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency