{"content":[{"text":"Gilbert & Sullivan presents A Topsy-Turvy Bard \n by Rosa Mondragon Harris \n On Sunday, September 13 at 3 pm, 142 people \n attended the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin’s \n season opening musicale at the Iva Worley Barton \n Th eater at Brentwood Christian School. \n Our Mistress of Ceremonies and G&S President Libby Weed \n welcomed the afternoon’s attendees back to the village of Ploverleigh. \n Th ree months have passed since the nuptials of our lovely Aline and \n Alexis the brave, and the villagers have gathered to celebrate with the \n happy couple. Alexis has planned a romantic celebration of poetry \n and theatre—a mini Shakespearean festival—and almost everyone in \n the village has joined in on the fun, from helping to build a replica of \n the Globe on the grounds of his family estate to sewing costumes. In \n fact, the villagers have also taken on the challenge of learning a few \n lines of Shakespeare that they are excited to recite at the celebration. \n We come upon them as they are entering their fi nal dress rehearsal, \n and we are told that it appears that an extra person in the cast and \n extra monologue seem to have been added to the line-up. To try \n to sort out the problem, Alexis has called for tea to be brought out \n while everyone takes a short break. Instead of helping to determine \n who the extra cast member is, everyone who drinks the tea begins \n to believe they are their assigned Shakespearean character, and each \n bursts into song in the middle of their scenes! \n Th e four servants in charge of serving tea to the guests are the fi rst to \n succumb to the eff ects of this mystical brew. Th ey begin the evening’s \n aff air by off ering us excerpts from Shakespeare’s Scottish Play. Lady \n Macbeth (Jamieson Taylor) steps out and tells us of her ambitions \n for power. She then sings “Th e sun, whose rays” from Th e Mikado. \n Th e Th ree Witches (Susan Meitz, Maurine McLean, Michelle \n Vanecek) appear and reminisce about their days in sorcery school, \n off ering us “Th ree little maids” from Th e Mikado. \n With a sinister mood being set by our fi rst performers, the audience \n is pleased to see Lady Sangazure and Constance Partlett approach \n to deliver their monologues. And who is that with them? Could \n this be that Sorcerer? Th e next three performers approach to off er \n us excerpts from Hamlet. Our Lady Sangazure has awakened as \n Hamlet (Brittany Trinité) and she tells us of the importance of \n telling the story so that its lessons are not forgotten, singing “Sir \n Rupert Murgatroyd” from Ruddigore. Upon Hamlet’s exit, we see \n the next performer appear on the stage and wonder if perhaps this \n is the uninvited performer. Th e Ghost of Hamlet’s Father (Robert \n L. Schneider) sings “When the night wind” from Ruddigore. Th is \n must be the one who spiked the tea! \n Th e villagers continue to enjoy the celebration as our Constance \n portrays Ophelia (Patricia Combs). Said to have inspired Gilbert \n and Sullivan’s Mad Margaret from Ruddigore, Ophelia sings \n “Cheerily carols the lark.” Next, the Vicar, Dr. Daly as Duke Orsino \n (Julius Young) recalls the days when love was lost to him. Yet even \n then, he felt attraction for Constance as much as Orsino felt for \n Olivia. He so longed for the days when he was loved by all the ladies, \n off ering us “When I fi rst put this uniform on” from Patience. \n Ah, the complexities of love! Sometimes it just takes some eff ort \n on the gentleman’s part and the proper hints from the lady. Th e \n Notary as Bassanio (David Treadwell) gets some helpful hints from \n Mrs. Partlett as Portia (Janette Jones). Characters whose lines “all \n that glitters is not gold” do fi nd their way into the G&S canon, as \n 2","bbox":{"left":0.058824,"top":0.043173,"width":0.426483,"height":0.91454}},{"text":"Bassanio and Portia sing “Th ings are seldom what they seem” from \n H.M.S. Pinafore. And once love is found, happiness abounds! One \n of Aline’s dearest friends will also soon be married and sings “When \n a merry maiden marries” from Th e Gondoliers as she portrays Hero \n (Rosa Mondragon Harris), preparing for her wedding day. \n While celebrating love is the day’s theme, Alexis knows that, while \n men love their ladies, they also love their tales of bravery and battles \n for their beloved country. Perhaps that is why he has asked his father \n to give the famous St. Crispin’s Day speech. After his rousing words, \n Alexis’ father, portraying Henry V (Sam Johnson) sings “Th is \n helmet, I suppose” from Princess Ida. Our wedded couple follows \n by giving us a bit of Shakespeare’s greatest love story. On the tails \n of their lines, Romeo and Juliet (Andy Fleming and Alexandra \n Reilman) break out into “O rapture, when alone together” from \n Th e Gondoliers. \n As our lovely evening continues to unfold, wishes for many years \n of happiness are given to the happy couple. Th is brings us to the \n wedding celebration of the Duke of Athens, Th eseus, and the Queen \n of the Amazons, Hippolyta. Much like our celebration, this one also \n had participation from all walks of life—a theatrical presentation by \n the mechanicals, magical intervention by fairies, and the blessings of \n friends, relations, and servants. \n We fi rst hear from one of the workmen, or mechanicals, as Shakespeare \n called them. Bottom (Ian Stillwell) is certainly confi dent of his \n abilities, and he reminds us of one of our favorite G&S characters \n who also exuded more confi dence than perhaps was warranted. He \n concludes his recitation with “I shipped, d’ya see” from Ruddigore. \n Our next duo causes havoc in the forest that recalls the havoc created \n in Ploverleigh just a few months ago. But the reason for the use of \n magic, at least in Shakespeare’s tale, originates from the desire to \n rule the roast, which recalls a battle for control at a woman’s college \n in another G&S show. Oberon (Sarah Steele) and Puck (Abigail \n Stokley) step forward to off er us “Now wouldn’t you like” from \n Princess Ida. \n As we wrap up our Shakespeare festival and three-month wedding \n anniversary celebration for our lovely couple, the cast gives a blessing \n to Aline and Alexis with everyone assembled, much as in the ending \n of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. All join in and sing \n “As before you we defi le” from Th e Grand Duke. \n Th e enchanting evening comes to an end and with Puck’s fi nal words \n from the ending of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, \n the festival concludes. Th e magic begins to wear off , and all in \n Ploverleigh return to being friends and family of the happy couple, \n wishing them the best as they continue their new lives together. \n Libby gave thanks to the singers, our wonderfully talented pianist \n Jeanne Sasaki, and Janette for producing yet another delightful \n musicale presentation for the G&S community. Kee ping in tradition \n with the conclusion of G&S musicales, Sam sang the Pirate King’s \n lead into “Hail, Poetry” from Th e Pirates of Penzance, with the cast \n and audience joining in, and then closing with “Now to the banquet \n we press” from Th e Sorcerer. \n Th e audience and cast members adjourned to the lobby for \n refreshments and continued the afternoon’s merriment. Th e day’s \n charming program was the fi rst creative collaboration of Janette and \n June Julian, who recently joined the G&S board. We look forward \n to Janette and June’s future productions as we head forth into the \n new season!","bbox":{"left":0.514706,"top":0.04303,"width":0.426554,"height":0.893624}}],"images_bbox":[{"left":0.059402,"top":0.065258,"width":0.088353,"height":0.079636}],"images_bbox_not_text_overlap":[{"left":0.059402,"top":0.065258,"width":0.088353,"height":0.079636}]}