The central branch of the Seattle Public Library has a collection of old recordings of Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society productions. A few are on dvd and can be checked out (like the 2007 Princess Ida I watched a couple months ago). Most, however, are on cassettes that live in the special collections on the top floor and can’t leave the library.
View from the 10th (top) floor:
Today, I made my first foray into the older archives. I decided to start with the 2000 Yeomen of the Guard – Yeomen is going to be the summer 2016 show, and I was curious to see what Seattle G&S did the last time they performed it.
Watching cassettes from special collections is an adventure. They have portable VHS players, but there’s no place to put in headphones, and there’s no private room or cubicle to watch in. So I ended up sitting in a corner of the reading area and turning the volume very low. It’s a good thing I’m so familiar with the libretto! There was a bridal party that passed by at one point, and some people examining old books and copying things, but generally it was pretty quiet and I was able to enjoy the video without worrying about disturbing too many people.
On to the review! Here are a few impressions and things I found particularly interesting:
1. During the overture, there was a montage of behind-the-scenes footage showing the set being built and the orchestra rehearsing. I think that’s a very nice touch, showing how the production came together and giving a bit of limelight to the folks behind the scenes.
2. Gloomy set with lots of different levels and a huge gear/wheel in the background. You could see people (tech crew?) turning the wheel in some close-ups during “When our gallant Norman foes”. There were some lights under the stage that shone up through grills. These were used to great effect to illuminate the headsman’s block in the Act I finale.
3. Super interesting Phoebe/Wilfred dynamic. You could see the sparks flying between them whenever they interacted. This Phoebe is very sure of herself, and this Wilfred is one of the most sympathetic versions I’ve seen. In his first entrance, he gave her a simple sprig of flowers. The flowers got passed back and forth, both characters used them to illustrate parts of the dialogue, and they were utterly destroyed by the end of the scene. @fuckyeahgilbertandsullivan, you mentioned a Seattle production that made you ship Phoebe/Wilfred. Was it this one, by any chance?
4. Reinsertion of Wilfred’s cut song, “When jealous torments rack my soul”, excellently performed. (It’s on YouTube, here.)
5. The entire chorus remained onstage for the dialogue between Dame Carruthers and the yeoman, and also the beginning of her song. The chorus ladies reacted as she listed off names of prisoners – mostly with sighing, but there was a distinct “eww…” at the mention of Warren the preacher-poet.
6. Shortly after “Is life a boon?”, Sgt. Meryll slipped a note to Fairfax, presumably informing him of the escape plot. He didn’t read it onstage, but he must have had plenty of time to do so back in his cell before the Lieutenant brought Elsie to him. And yet he still went through with the marriage!
7. Interesting Jack/Elsie dynamic, too. I got the impression that she views him as her protector (clinging to him nervously when the Lt. explains the marriage scheme), and that she wishes he would take their relationship more seriously (angry cutthroat gesture in his direction after he tells the Lt. that they’re not married because “there is a limit to my folly!”). There’s some affection between them, but it’s clearly not a stable relationship. He’s a graceful dancer and a lot of fun to watch, but not a completely sympathetic character.
8. This Sgt. Meryll has strong feelings about Leonard’s reputation. He could be seen urgently nodding at Fairfax to agree with the yeomen soloists in the Act I finale. After Fairfax laughed off the yeomen’s stories as an exaggeration, Meryll appeared to give him a stern talking-to.
And then, just as I was starting Act II, they announced that special collections was closing for the day. I’d misread the hours. Now I have to wait until next weekend to find out how it ends! Argh!
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