Live Event: Gilbert & Sullivan’s classic "The Yeomen of the Guard"

The Yeomen of the Guard—which debuted in 1888, with book and lyrics by W.S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan—is famous among Gilbert &; Sullivan enthusiasts for its dramatic story and its magnificent score, which includes such famous songs as “Is Life a Boon,” “I Have a Song to Sing, O!” and “Strange Adventure.” The current production
is the Light Opera Company’s first since 2009.

 

The story is set at the Tower of London in the 1510s, during the reign of Henry VIII. Phoebe Meryll has fallen in love with the dashing Col. Fairfax, unjustly imprisoned and set to be executed in an hour as the opera opens. Phoebe, her brother and her father, a sergeant of the Yeomen of the Guard, come up with a desperate scheme to save
Fairfax--a scheme which initially succeeds, but which unexpectedly involves Jack Point and Elsie Maynard, strolling players who happen to be performing at the Tower on the day of the execution. Before long, not only Fairfax but also Phoebe, her brother, her father and even Jack are at risk of arrest and execution.

 

The story is rich and involving, but allows plenty of room for humor, especially in a subplot in which Phoebe’s would-be suitor, the head jailer and assistant tormenter Wilfred Shadbolt, tries to get Jack to teach him how to be a jester.

 

In the new production of the opera, Chris Diamond of Glen Cove and Kara Vertucci of Lindenhurst play Jack Point and Elsie Maynard. Isabella Gaskill of Bay Shore and Ian Joyal of New Hyde Park play Phoebe and Wilfred, with Ben Salers of Northport as Sergeant Meryll and Julian Hernandez of Jericho as Leonard Meryll. Thomas Dean of Baldwin plays Colonel Fairfax, with Terry Hochler of East Meadow as Dame Carruthers and Delaney R. Page of Lynbrook as her niece, Kate. Marc Vun Kannon of Wading River appears as the Lieutenant of the Tower, and Jordan Breslow of Bellmore as the First Yeoman. The director is Gayden Wren of Queens, and the music director is Stephen O’Leary of Baldwin. Michael C. Haigler of Manhattan conducts the orchestra..

“The Yeomen of the Guard has a depth and realism that’s unique in the Savoy operas,” said Wren, a longtime member of the company and also the author of an acclaimed book about Gilbert & Sullivan. “There are laughs and there’s melodramatic drama as well, but it all grows out of the characters. They’re real, well-rounded people who have the kind of contradictions and ambiguities that you find every day in real people, but rarely in comic opera. People feel for these characters because Gilbert and Sullivan feel for them, and tell their stories in a way that lets us really get to know and believe in them. “Both Gilbert and Sullivan separately said that The Yeomen of the Guard was the favorite of their own operas,” Wren concluded. “Gilbert picked a quote from ‘Is Life a Boon?’ to be inscribed on Sullivan’s memorial on the Thames Embankment. It’s breathtaking, one of the best works of musical theater ever written. It takes a lot to mount this show, in terms of talent, money, musicians and so forth, so we don’t do it often. But when it comes up, we’re thrilled.”

The Yeomen of the Guard will be presented on Saturday May 16th at 2 PM at The East Hampton Library, located at 159 Main St in East Hampton. The event is Free, however registration is required. Interested individuals can register at this link https://easthampton.librarycalendar.com/event/gilbert-and-sullivan-yeoman-guard-912 or call (631) 324-0222 ext.3