Event
The Gondoliers by W.S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan
For four decades and more, the Youth and Junior Choirs of Follen Community Church have been performing Gilbert and Sullivan operettas every June. This tradition, begun by former Music Director Louise Curtis and the Follen Players' director Marilu Nowlin, is now in the hands of the present Director of Music, Thomas Stumpf, ably assisted by Holly Stumpf, who conducts the Junior Choir and is best known in Lexington as Harrington School's music specialist; by lighting designer Tom Christman, set designer Steve Ervin and pianist Eric Mazonson; and by a multitude of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers.
Follen's 47th presentation will be "The Gondoliers, or The King of Barataria", with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on December 7, 1889, and ran for a very successful 554 performances (at that time the fifth longest-running piece of musical theatre in history), closing on June 20, 1891. This was the twelfth comic opera collaboration of fourteen between Gilbert and Sullivan.
THE CAST: Friday Saturday
THE DUKE Of PLAZATORO Eric Marshall Eric Marshall
LUIZ (his Attendant) Nancy McCarthy Jenna Lempesis
DON ALHAMBRA DEL BOLERO Sam Goldie Toby Hartranft
(The Grand Inquisitor)
Venetian Gondoliers
MARCO PALMIERI Sophia Durant Timothy Parsons
GIUSEPPE PALMIERI Brielle Ervin Benjamin Horn
ANTONIO Emily Holton Simon Golovscenko
FRANCESCO Kate Donohue
LUCIANO Anna Parsons
ANNIBALE Julia Weinberg
GIORGIO Georgia Christman
ENRICO Abby Heingartner
GONDOLIERI CHORUS: Robin Armstrong, Evan Bitsko, Dennis Bromley, Jake Byers,
Ben Donahue, Adam Harrington, Noah Harrington, Liam Hefferman, Alex Lenrow,
Will Marshall, Yashu Raj, Elliot Ryan & Benjamin Tidor.
THE DUCHESS OF PLAZATORO Kate Christman Marisa Stone
CASILDA (her Daughter) Lucia Ferguson Lauren Stern
INEZ (the Nurse) Jenna Lempesis Mariel Terceiro
Contadine
GIANETTA Lora Dunn-Hardy Alexis Lloyd
TESSA Sophie Sommer Sarah Condict
FIAMETTA Quincy Snellings Liana Raberg
VITTORIA Mariel Terceiro Mariel Terceiro
GIULIA Tory Brackett
MARIA Abby Cali
LENORA Carrie Bernstein
VIOLETTA Jennifer Trowbridge
CONTADINE CHORUS: Maria Cali, Katharine Courtemanche, Annie Farnsworth,
Lily Harrington, Michele Hellinger, Alice Lee, Karina Lenrow, Rachel Lloyd,
Tessa Manhard, Margaret McCarthy, Sophia Morgan, Abigail Mulligan,
Frances Snellings, Elizabeth Stern, Julia Stern, Juliana Stern.
Choruses also include lead singers on their off-lead night.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Act I: The Piazzetta, Venice, 1750
"The Gondoliers" opens with the chorus of Contadine awaiting Marco and Giuseppe Palmieri, their favorite gondoliers, to come and choose brides. Enter the chorus of gondoliers, led by Antonio; they are selflessly content to wait for the remaining girls. Marco and Giuseppe enter and they and the girls greet each other. They announce their intention of choosing two brides, but tactfully ask to be blindfolded so that fate can decide their choice. After a game of blind man's buff, in which there is a certain amount of cheating, Marco catches Gianetta and Giuseppe catches Tessa.
The Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro, with their daughter, Casilda, and their attendant, Luiz, arrive. The Duke and Duchess tell Casilda that she was married, as a baby, to the infant future King of Barataria, who was abducted soon afterwards and brought to Venice. He has now unknowingly succeeded to the throne. When the Duke and Duchess depart,
Luiz and Casilda rush into each other's arms and she tells him of her newly discovered marital status. The Grand Inquisitor of Spain arrives with the news that the new ruler of Barataria is here in Venice, living as a common gondolier with his supposed brother.
At their departure, the chorus enter, singing the joys of the newly celebrated double marriage. Don Alhambra overhears that Marco and Guiseppe are married and also that they are republicans. He explains that one of them is a king, but suggests royalty is incompatible with their republican ideals. In Gilbert's world, however, ideals can
quickly change with altered circumstances, so the gondoliers decide to sail immediately to claim their kingdom jointly and "abolish taxes and make everything cheap, except gondolas". Don Alhambra forbids the girls to accompany them until the identity of the king is discovered. The gondoliers depart by boat leaving the contadine.
Act II: Pavilion in the Court of Barataria, three months later.
Marco and Giuseppe occupy the thrones of Barataria (having sensibly had a duplicate made). They are regally attired and busily cleaning the royal regalia, surrounded by their court of gondoliers who are amusing themselves without any social distinctions. On cue, Tessa and Gianetta run in, with the contadine. They are enthusiastically welcomed and are celebrating with a dance when they are interrupted by Don Alhambra, horrified at the brazen lack of social distinctions. He reveals that one of the two gondoliers is married to Casilda much to the horror of Tessa and Gianetta.
Finally all is resolved by Inez, the infant prince's nurse who reveals the truth in true Gilbert and Sullivan style.
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LocationFollen Church
755 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington, MA 02420
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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