W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, the classic duo responsible for 14 zany Victorian operettas, were never big on "coherent plot," said Hannah Jones '14, director of Brown University Gilbert and Sullivan's latest production "Princess Ida." Instead, the duo gave their audiences stirring music, satirical dialogue and a general good time. "Princess Ida" continues in this grand tradition, presenting a rollicking musical journey perfect for an evening free of thought before the finals crunch.
The show never takes itself too seriously, a deliberate move by the production team to combat some of the more sexist aspects of the production's subject matter, Jones said. The story focuses on Prince Hilarion (Rob Volgman '14), a young man determined to marry the princess selected for him in infancy despite her decision to open a women's university and forgo all men. To this end, he and two friends disguise themselves as female students — a move leading to several comical, cross-dressing scenes in which the men's skirts do not exactly match their deep voices. They are soon caught, inciting a literal war of the sexes.
The original production sought to satirize women's education, but this creative team had no intention of doing the same. "My entire goal was to make the show fun and as un-sexist as humanly possible aside from actually changing the script," Jones said. "We messed with the characters a little bit, especially Hilarion, because if he is more of a vapid idiot, the show becomes more about stupid people and less about sexism." This is an appropriate fix for the kind of work in which even the characters refer to themselves as "lacking in intelligence."
Volgman successfully portrayed the bumbling prince through three acts with overconfidence and idiocy. "I have been doing character work by watching movies such as Anchorman and Zoolander," he said.
On a musical note, the production lived up to Gilbert and Sullivan's original lofty example. Meghan Kelleher '12, who portrayed the title character, has a voice that is both powerful and expressive, capable of communicating Ida's staunch feminism and the beauty of some of her lighter arias.
Maya Stroshane '11, in the role of Lady Blanche, also delivers an impressive performance that exhibits her ability to hit high notes not originally in the score, but newly arranged by Matthew Jaroszewicz '12, the production's musical director. Unfortunately, some of her highest and lowest notes are lost beneath the music of the orchestra. The musical ensemble, also conducted by Jaroszewicz, sounds professional but occasionally overpowers some of the performers.
Both Bryan Tyler Parker '11, as Hilarion's father, and local community actor Ken McPherson as Ida's father were comically exceptional as an aggressively stalwart supporter of the military and a happy, sarcastic jerk, respectively. Their strong tones and good-humored bickering help ground the first and third acts and prevent the audience from getting too lost in the sometimes seemingly nonsensical plot.
The choruses also assist in keeping the story together by bringing to life what would otherwise be simply static explanations, though the effect is occasionally lost due to a slight lack of cohesion among the members' actions.
The production also embraces the spirit of the story through its technical features. With brightly colored lights, eye-catching costumes and a versatile set, the show finds itself successfully placed in a charming, though sometimes over-the-top series of scenes. The movable set contributes a great deal to the show and is one of the most intricate BUGS has ever constructed, Jones said.
"Princess Ida" may address some seemingly inappropriate themes for the Pembroke campus on which it is performed, but in BUGS's hands it becomes a pleasant distraction from the sometimes seriousness of early spring. Like a Victorian take on ABC's "The Bachelor," Ida provides a thoughtless relaxation that might just end in a marriage. "There's a lot of talent in this cast," Kelleher said. "And if you're going to see a BUGS show, this is the one to see."
Four out of five stars
Questionable content is masked by comedy in this whacky romance. "Princess Ida" will run April 8-10 in Alumnae Hall at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.
