Ruddigore: then and now
Jan. 24th, 2005 04:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
damont(A review of sorts...)
As mentioned in earlier posts, Sallie and I went down to Williamsburg this past weekend to see the Sinfonicron Light Opera Company put on Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore: or, The Witch's Curse. This marks the 40th year of Sinfonicron, which was started as a fundraising venture for the W&M chapters of Delta Omicron and Phi Mu Alpha, the latter having just been chartered back in 1965. But the choice of Ruddigore as the 40th anniversary production made it more special to me, because that was the first show I ever worked on in college.
So, having now seen two Sinfonicron productions of this show -- one from backstage, and one from the balcony -- I am moved to make some observations.
1. This year's performance relied greatly on the set, which probably cost more to make than Sinfonicron ever dreamed of making in GROSS revenue (much less net) back then. A very well done set. (Aside: I want more details about the Giant Spinny Things Of Doom.)
2. The actors did not move around as much this year as they did back then. Definitely less dancing, and less movement in general during the musical numbers. The show I was in didn't have an elaborate set, and relied upon movement to hold interest a great deal more. The men in particular didn't do a lot of movement this year.
3. The orchestra had fewer strings in it this year than back then. Reliance on brass and woodwinds to carry the music tended to drown out all but the strongest singers.
4. I'm not sure if they were using the exact same score and/or script, or if they had just edited it differently. For one thing, Rose Maybud was less given to trying to help folks this time around. She stopped carrying her basket after a while, and the lines referring to the apple were missing.
Story: Back then, we had used the apple; Rose offers it to three different people to relieve distress. The director had wanted there to be a bite taken out of the apple for the sake of silliness, which everyone on the cast and crew knew. I was on the props crew that year, and what we DIDN'T tell anyone on opening night was that we were taking MORE bites out as the play went on. So the first time Rose offers the apple, there's one bite out of it, as expected. Audience chuckles. We munch on the apple a bit more, not telling anyone. Second time Rose offers the apple, it has half a dozen or so bites out. Rose is a bit surprised. Audience laughs louder. We finish off the apple, leaving the core. Rose offers it the third time and is so taken aback that she momentarily forgets her line. Audience howls. Rose glares offstage (if looks could kill they'd have needed to bury the entire props crew). Audience is ROFL. After the opening show it is decided to keep the increasingly-eaten apple gag in; now that Rose knows what's coming she won't be surprised into forgetting lines, and the audiences are eating it up (so to speak).
5. Almost fifty years after PBK Hall was built, its acoustics remain among the best in the country. It's one of the few places I've ever been to where they stuck firmly to the plan of making the side walls into a perfect parabolic reflector. As a result, actors on stage can face almost sideways, and as long as they speak clearly at a wall, the entire seating area can hear.
6. The overall effect was still excellent. I've only been to a few Sinfonicron shows in the past dozen years, but I'm heartened that the overall commitment to quality performances is as strong as ever.
As mentioned in earlier posts, Sallie and I went down to Williamsburg this past weekend to see the Sinfonicron Light Opera Company put on Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore: or, The Witch's Curse. This marks the 40th year of Sinfonicron, which was started as a fundraising venture for the W&M chapters of Delta Omicron and Phi Mu Alpha, the latter having just been chartered back in 1965. But the choice of Ruddigore as the 40th anniversary production made it more special to me, because that was the first show I ever worked on in college.
So, having now seen two Sinfonicron productions of this show -- one from backstage, and one from the balcony -- I am moved to make some observations.
1. This year's performance relied greatly on the set, which probably cost more to make than Sinfonicron ever dreamed of making in GROSS revenue (much less net) back then. A very well done set. (Aside: I want more details about the Giant Spinny Things Of Doom.)
2. The actors did not move around as much this year as they did back then. Definitely less dancing, and less movement in general during the musical numbers. The show I was in didn't have an elaborate set, and relied upon movement to hold interest a great deal more. The men in particular didn't do a lot of movement this year.
3. The orchestra had fewer strings in it this year than back then. Reliance on brass and woodwinds to carry the music tended to drown out all but the strongest singers.
4. I'm not sure if they were using the exact same score and/or script, or if they had just edited it differently. For one thing, Rose Maybud was less given to trying to help folks this time around. She stopped carrying her basket after a while, and the lines referring to the apple were missing.
Story: Back then, we had used the apple; Rose offers it to three different people to relieve distress. The director had wanted there to be a bite taken out of the apple for the sake of silliness, which everyone on the cast and crew knew. I was on the props crew that year, and what we DIDN'T tell anyone on opening night was that we were taking MORE bites out as the play went on. So the first time Rose offers the apple, there's one bite out of it, as expected. Audience chuckles. We munch on the apple a bit more, not telling anyone. Second time Rose offers the apple, it has half a dozen or so bites out. Rose is a bit surprised. Audience laughs louder. We finish off the apple, leaving the core. Rose offers it the third time and is so taken aback that she momentarily forgets her line. Audience howls. Rose glares offstage (if looks could kill they'd have needed to bury the entire props crew). Audience is ROFL. After the opening show it is decided to keep the increasingly-eaten apple gag in; now that Rose knows what's coming she won't be surprised into forgetting lines, and the audiences are eating it up (so to speak).
5. Almost fifty years after PBK Hall was built, its acoustics remain among the best in the country. It's one of the few places I've ever been to where they stuck firmly to the plan of making the side walls into a perfect parabolic reflector. As a result, actors on stage can face almost sideways, and as long as they speak clearly at a wall, the entire seating area can hear.
6. The overall effect was still excellent. I've only been to a few Sinfonicron shows in the past dozen years, but I'm heartened that the overall commitment to quality performances is as strong as ever.
