EAST CALAIS – As usual, the Unadilla Theatre begins its summer season with a Gilbert and Sullivan opera, and this year it is “The Gondoliers,” written in 1889, their twelfth production together.
The setting is Venice in the first act and then the Kingdom of Barataria in the second, a fictitious island country obscurely located across the seas. Like their other operas, the plot revolves around lovers prevented from consummating their relationship by amassing complications, with the ever present mantra of the importance of duty, but here with an exploration of republican (read, egalitarian) political values, a long struggle in England’s own imperfect and social class ridden democracy.
The scene opens in Venice with a beautifully painted background of the central piazsetta with that Ducal Palace and St. Marks. The two heroes of the drama enter, the supposed brothers Marco and Guiseppe Palmieri, who are young, charming gondoliers, play skillfully and sing with strong voices by two real brothers, Charlie and Neil C. Cerutti respectively. They are looking to find wives among the local farm girls and have chosen Gianetta and Tessa, and act impressively and with excellent vocal talent by Emily Milne and Erin McIntyre respectively.
A dilemma soon arises when they learn that one of the gondolier brothers is actually heir to the throne of Barataria, for both had been whisked away as mere babies from their country of birth by the Spanish Grand Inquisitor, very well performed in his slightly sinister mannerisms by Nial McCallum. He brought to Venice for their upbringing by a local gondolier, but in the process which boy was the true prince became confused. To add to the increasingly absurd entanglements, the Duke of Plaza-Toro, an impoverished grandee of Spain, delightfully portrayed by Victor Caamano, and his wife, the Duchess, whose haughtiness was consistently embodied by Nessa Rabin, as well as their daughter Casilda, played by Emma Cerutti, all arrive and announce that years ago when their daughter was an infant she was pledged in marriage to the same baby heir to the throne of Barataria. To add to the muddle, Casilda, despite her hierarchial arrogance, is in love with the family’s owly attendant Luiz, who Adam Hall plays convincingly.
Of course Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas are all comedies and have happy if improbable endings, so out of these multiple conundrums it turns out that the babies were originally switched around and substituted by a nurse foster mother and that Luiz is the actual heir apparent and now King of Barataria
In the second act the temporary joint kingship of the two gondoliers in the palace of Barataria takes the form of an experimental republic, where everyone is equal in status in terms of political power. Well-meaning but somewhat difficult in practice, this ideal form of government parallels the very slow evolution of England from an absolute monarchy to a functioning parliamentary democracy.
The “Gondoliers” is very ably directed by Mary Jane Austin and Eric Kroncke. Alison Cerutti is the amazing piano accompanist. Additional supporting actresses and actors are Arthur Anderson, Andrew Hudson-Sabens, Ellen Blachly, Carrie Youngblood, Yvette Shedrick, Betsy Ainsworth, Barbara Barra, Beth Damon, Claire Dumas, Ellie Geier, Tamara Marteney, Laura Milne, Ekaterina Syncova, Olga Syncova, Sean Cummings, Rich Rayfield and Bruce Westcott.
The “Gondoliers” is rich in Gilbert’s enjoyment of words in the lyrics and Sullivan’s ever-engaging, beautiful melodies, of which the film “Topsey Turvey” gives some deeper insights into their creative working methods. This performance has all the wonderful enthusiasm and positive energy of Unadilla’s Gilbert and Sullivan productions, making for a thoroughly enjoyable evening at the theater. Next weekend, July 11, 12 and 13, will be the final chance to see it on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. For more information, call (802) 456-8968 or go online at unadilla.org.
David K. Rodgers
David K. Rodgers is a writer, mason and card carrying dilettante, who dabbles and babbles in art. He has lived in East Craftsbury for the past 40 years.
