Word: strephon
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...fairy queen controls the fate of all the characters, reprieving Iolanthe, helping Strephon rewin his beloved Phyllis, and letting love conquer laws and regulations. And Nan Hughes' Queen stands out with her rich voice and majestic stage presence, ultimately enabling all to live happily ever after...
...Kelly's Strephon is a better actor than singer, most likely because his voice seemed strained from too many performances. His excellent portrayal of the confusion of being half-mortal and half-fairy is most poignant as he croons for his bellowed, shepherdess. Phyllis, Julis Friedi's Iolanthe is delightful, although she spends little time on stage. When she does appear, her rough also blasts out, revealing an unusual voice that contrasts well with the others...
Gareth Jones brings a pleasant tenor to the straight role of the half-mortal Strephon, and Kenneth Sandford, who has been with the troupe for more than two decades, is a sturdy Private Willis (he will be giving something close to his 2100th performance as Pooh-Bah in The Mikado here...
...FIRST SIGHT, though, Iolanthe doesn't appear to be the high point of Gilbert and Sullivan's career. The first of the two plots concerns Fairyland, a stern Fairy Queen and a half-Fairy named Strephon, who is a Fairy from his head to his waist but whose legs are mortal. As in most G&S operas, there is a foolishly severe law that needs to be broken before happiness can be achieved--in The Mikado it is the prohibition of flirting, in H.M.S. Pinafore it is the prohibition of swearing, in Ruddigore it is the commission of one evil...
...words. Iolanthe (Nancy Wilson) also has a lovely voice, though her acting is wooden and uncertain. The chiefs of the Fairy chorus (Patty Low, Patty Woo and Rozlyn Anderson) are all fine. One of the few flaws in the characterizations is Doug Morgan's portrayal of half-mortal Strephon. One always sympathizes with actors condemned to boring straight roles while others are allowed to bring down the house. But Morgan can't be forgiven so easily--he approaches his role with a set of two or three facial contortions and speaks his lines in a grating whine...