Iolanthe at Hobby Center: Zilkha Theater

The comic works of Gilbert & Sullivan are the foundation on which American musical theater is built. Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri, their seventh opera, satirizes British politics, particularly the House of Lords. The story begins with the return of Iolanthe, a fairy who had been banished for marrying a mortal. Her son, Strephon, is a half-fairy shepherd who loves Phyllis, a ward of the Lord Chancellor. However, the entire House of Lords also has designs on her.

When Strephon’s fairy lineage is revealed, the fairies use their magic to make him a powerful member of Parliament, leading to chaos and reforms that outrage the stodgy, self-important peers. Meanwhile, the Lord Chancellor wrestles with his own romantic feelings for Phyllis and a very tangled sense of duty.

The opera gleefully mocks aristocratic privilege, bureaucracy, and the absurdities of government while blending witty dialogue with beautiful music. With its blend of fantasy, romance, and satire, Iolanthe remains one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s most clever and tuneful works, delighting audiences with its magical world and pointed social commentary.