Playing Gilbert and Sullivan

On Saturday, I'm playing for a Holladay Arts Council production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Yeomen of the Guard. I was called in less than two weeks ago because their previous accompanist decided that the score was too difficult. Its difficulties come in that many of the patter songs are fast - very fast. Otherwise, it's not too bad. Yeomen is considered by some to have the best music of any of the G&S operettas. It is clearly the most thoughtful, since it does not have a particularly happy ending. It is seldom staged, mostly because making the Beefeater costumes is so expensive! Here's a link to the Wikipedia article, if you're interested.

The setting of Yeomen is the Tower of London in Shakespearean times. The plot concerns Colonel Fairfax, a gentleman, soldier and scientist, who has been sentenced to be beheaded in an hour on a false charge of sorcery. To avoid leaving his estate to his accuser (a cousin), and with the help of the Lieutenant of the Tower, Fairfax secretly marries Elsie Maynard, a strolling singer. The bride agrees to be blindfolded during the ceremony and expects to be a well-paid widow in an hour. With the help of the Meryll family, Fairfax escapes, throwing the Tower into confusion and the astonished Elsie (and her mentor, the jester Jack Point, who loves her) into despair. But Fairfax, disguised as Leonard Meryll, woos Elsie, and after a number of plot complications are worked out, she falls in love with Fairfax and leaves Jack Point broken-hearted.

If you're in Salt Lake on Saturday the 15th, come see it at 7:00 pm at the Holladay City complex, on 23rd East just south of 45th South. The price is right (it's free) and should be fun.