Review: MasterVoices Shows that There's Still Life in Gilbert & Sullivan's IOLANTHE in the 21st Century

Maybe the Met should stop thinking about THE MERRY WIDOW and DIE FLEDERMAUS when it takes a turn at operetta--let alone the bevy of comic operas by Rossini and Donizetti that are given more than their due on a regular basis--and let Gilbert & Sullivan (G&S) have a turn at bat.

Judging by the MasterVoices performance of the G&S IOLANTHE (OR, THE PEER AND THE PERI), with a great cast, chorus and orchestra under Ted Sperling at Carnegie Hall the other night, the works of these English masters is getting an undeserved short-shrift in New York these days.

From the sweet, charming overture by Arthur Sullivan, of which MasterVoices' Conductor and Director, Ted Sperling evinced a lovely performance from all, through the amazingly hilarious patter lyrics of the book by W.S. Gilbert, IOLANTHE managed to cheer the Carnegie Hall about as much as imaginable. It showed off the vocal skills of the MasterVoices chorus and orchestra, but also gave a group of acting singers more used to working for Broadway and television a chance to show off a side of their talents not often seen.

While the main part of the story has to do with the fact that fairies are not allowed to marry mortals (which bogged down the action a bit at the beginning), there's more than enough of political commentary, sexual innuendo and complete irreverence--and everything in between--to keep the audience not only its toes, but frequently laughing themselves silly.

When we hear reminders about how the members of Parliament usually leave their brains outside and "vote as their leaders tell them," we know that things haven't changed since the late 19th century, when the piece received its first performance.

There were so many tortuous tongue-twisters in the book, that the supertitles gave up trying to follow some of it and admonished the audience with a kind of "Well, you know". The titles also clarified some outdated references that may have flown by the delighted crowd at Carnegie Hall.

The cast was, in a word, swell, from the first appearance by New York City Ballet's Tiler Peck, in the operetta's only new role, moving with the grace of a fairy at the start of the evening and then showing up again as it moved along to its hilarious conclusion.

Many were known from Broadway and opera, and some TV as well, including David Garrison, whose rendition of one of G&S's most difficult patter songs ("Love, unrequited..."), was staggeringly funny, and Christine Ebersole, the oh-so-slightly ditsy Queen of the Fairies (and Iolanthe's mother).

A pair of Broadway regulars, known for their "legit" voices, Santino Fontana (in a great pageboy wig) and Jason Danieley, played a pair of lords who excelled at making fun of political shortcomings. Their trio with Garrison about how "Faint heart ne'er won fair lady" was a gem.

Phillip Boykin, who's been a great Crown in PORGY & BESS, was a wonderful Private Willis of the Grenadier Guards (who sang eloquently about Parliamentarians being either "a little liberal or a little conservative") and ends up with the Fairy Queen. Shereen Ahmed's keen mezzo, filled the bill as Iolanthe.

Ashley Fabian's soaring soprano, as the female half of the young lovers was a joy, while Schyler Vargas was a lively Strephon, her love, afraid to tell her he's Iolanthe's son and thus half fairy (the top half). Nicole Eve Goldstein, Kaitlin LeBaron and Emy Zener added much humor as a trio of fairies.

While I wouldn't put IOLANTHE quite in the same category as PIRATES OF PENZANCE or THE MIKADO (though the latter is problematic stereotypically these days), all in all, it was an evening of great fun.

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