History Chapter 4

By Alexis Needham, Opera-Lytes Intern

What’s waiting for you behind each whimsical character and catchy tune in the operas of Gilbert & Sullivan? History, tradition, and parallels between the past and present! Though the characters may be pirates, rapturous maidens, ghosts, gondoliers, fairies, or noblemen, the operas are remarkably modern in their satirical and witty depiction of the follies of human society.

In the late 19th century, England was undergoing rapid social and cultural changes, marked by industrialization, urbanization, and shifts in class dynamics. Against this backdrop, G&S crafted a series of operettas that both entertained and challenged audiences, offering catchy music along with satirical commentary on contemporary society.

Unlike the romantic European operettas like The Merry Widow or Countess Maritza, the plots and characters of Gilbert and Sullivan are ridiculous, poking fun at social foibles in a manner often called “topsy-turvy.” “There’s style to Gilbert and Sullivan,” says Paul Waara, one of Opera-Lytes’ music directors. “As Lisa [Berglund] has explained it in the past, it’s the most absurd situation, but these characters act like it’s perfectly normal.”

Their works offer insights into timeless human nature as well as specifically Victorian cultural traditions, making them ideal for educational outreach programs in schools. In the early 2000’s, Opera-Lytes members Deborah Jasinski, Paul Waara, Sara Kovacsi, and Wendy Swihart connected the youth with opera through Gilbert & Sullivan. Part of the mission of Opera-Lytes has been to increase youth audiences, by partnering with local schools. As many as 900 schoolkids were able to see abridged productions of The Sorcerer and HMS Pinafore. Being sung in English, Gilbert and Sullivan’s works are timely, accessible to all ages and are relevant to much more than their late 19th century era. The objects of Gilbert’s satire are familiar to us today:

·       In The Mikado, Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner, compiles a” Little List” of the people he finds annoying and who “wouldn’t be missed” if they were executed, a comical anticipation of modern “cancel culture.”

·       In HMS Pinafore’s famous patter song “When I was a lad,” Sir Joseph Porter humorously recommends that the audience imitate his rise to power through sycophancy and political connections, as he now occupies the post of “ruler of the Queen’s Navee” without ever having any naval experience.

·       Ruddigore is a hilariously melodramatic parody of hypocrisy, with characters who justify all kinds of selfishness by finding excuses for their behavior in moral platitudes and sentimental conventions—what today we call “virtue signaling.”

·        Major-General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance is “the Very Model of a Modern Major-General,” despite having neither military expertise nor leadership ability. “But still, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral, he is the very model of a modern Major General!” How qualified and competent do you think political leaders and officials are today?

Lisa Warner joined Opera-Lytes in 2023. When she was a child, she thought it would be “so cool” to be in a Gilbert & Sullivan opera and now she is able to do something she has always wanted but never thought she’d be able to do. Opera-Lytes offers Lisa and others a stage to fulfill their dreams. Lisa says, “I like Gilbert & Sullivan because it’s not all singing and it’s usually more lighthearted.”

“When it’s done well, it’s really, really, fun to hear and perform,” professional actor/singer and Opera-Lytes member Michael Warner said when asked about his recent experience with Gilbert & Sullivan. He joined Opera-Lytes with his daughter-in-law, Lisa Warner, in 2023. His first part was the lead role in Ruddigore and he has subsequently played Dr. Daly in The Sorcerer, Captain Corcoran in HMS Pinafore, and Kromov in The Merry Widow.

Opera-Lytes has performed all the Gilbert & Sullivan operas except Thespis, or the Gods Grown Old, the duo’s first collaboration, for which the music has been mostly lost. Several company members can boast of having performed the complete thirteen works in the G&S canon.

“It’s always fun for us all to be like ‘What was your first show and how many G&S?’” said Wendy Swihart, Opera-Lytes member-at-large. I asked her what she thought about performing Gilbert & Sullivan in particular. Wendy said, “I feel like people should be exposed to it and just see what it is because it’s funny.”   

Gilbert & Sullivan operettas are accessible to the old, young, and everyone in between. Whether you have experience with opera or none at all, G&S is a fantastic approach to the wonderful world of vocal and musical story-telling. Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert wrote material that everyone could relate to then in the 19th century, and wonderfully enough, still can today.

“No one else in this area does Gilbert and Sullivan,” says Ray Herman, Opera-Lytes Treasurer. Raymond has been a part of the group since 1997, singing in the chorus and playing minor tenor roles.

Ray says, “If I was trying to introduce someone to the world of opera I would say, come to a Gilbert & Sullivan show!”