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Operetta hums with wit, wisdom

By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN
Published March 31, 2006

It's a scathing satire of politics, snobbery, self-importance and, of course, true love, all set to the high-speed songs that are the trademark of the creative duo.

The Gilbert & Sullivan Players continue their version of the fast-paced operetta at the Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center at 8 tonight, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Set in Venice in 1750, The Gondoliers begins as a group of pretty young maidens vie for the attentions of the happy-go-lucky gondoliers, Marco and Giuseppe Palmiere (Constantine Grame and Jamie Bierchen). The two are blindfolded so they can choose at random, thus making every girl's chances even. After all, the Palmiere brothers believe in complete equality for everyone (a ridiculous tenet when it comes to choosing a mate, but that's the point).

The two blindfolded men choose Tessa and Gianetta (Leah DeLorenzo and Faith Van Buskirk Feldt), and the other gondoliers take the leftover girls as their brides-to-be, amid much singing and dancing.

Suddenly, the duke and duchess of Plaza Toro (John Smith and Sara Buckley) come in with their daughter, Casilda (Susan Carr), and servant , Luiz (Tom Bronson). They're there to visit the grand inquisitor, Don Alhambra del Bolero (Bruce Taylor).

It seems their daughter was, as an infant, married by proxy to the young prince of Barataria, and the rather down-at-the-heels duke and duchess have arrived to proclaim their daughter queen, as the old king has died.

There's just one problem: Years ago, Don Alhambra had spirited the prince away to Venice to save him from his father the king, who had suddenly given up the Catholic Church to become a Methodist. The boy had been given to a gondolier to be raised as his own son. Unfortunately, the gondolier drank too much and got the prince mixed up with his genuine own son of the same age, so it seems no one knows who is the rightful prince.

Fortunately, someone does: old Inez (Sharon Murray), who was nursemaid to the prince before he was taken away to Venice. The inquisitor cheerfully suggests bringing Inez to town and torturing her until she says which man is the real prince.

Meanwhile, the two gondoliers co-rule as co-kings. They do, as true egalitarians, giving sinecures to all their fellow gondoliers, a sly comment on professed reformers who act just like the people they've supplanted once they're in power.

Three months later, the kings are merrily co-ruling when the inquisitor returns, Inez in tow, to solve the mystery - which she does, to the satisfaction of all concerned.

Meanwhile, the operetta has poked fun at monarchs, seemingly happy arranged marriages, genuinely unhappy arranged marriages, royalty that rents itself out to commoners who want to appear to be in high society, and shallow affections, all done by people so self-serving that they overlook the duplicity of others who are equally self-serving.

In true Gilbert & Sullivan fashion, a lot of what happens isn't logical and doesn't make sense upon close scrutiny.

But who scrutinizes G & S? After all, it's all for fun and fun for all.

[Last modified March 31, 2006, 06:26:16]