H.M.S. Pinafore

The New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players at the Touhill Center

The New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players dropped anchor at the Touhill Center this past Saturday with a fast-paced, cheerful and very funny production of H.M.S. Pinafore. Did the near-capacity crowd of 1300 love it? Absolutely. Was the cast up to the material? Always. Did the show ever lack polish? Never.

"What, never?"

"Well - hardly ever."

All right, so this wasn't a perfect production. The singers occasionally got out of synch with the orchestra, but then they probably didn't have much time to rehearse with what was, I assume, a "pick up" ensemble of local musicians, who also sounded a bit scrappy at times. And directors Albert Bergeret and Bill Fabris sometimes gave the cast so much physical "business" that it actually detracted from the music. These are, however, minor flaws in what was otherwise a very satisfying performance of this classic Gilbert and Sullivan send-up of social class snobbery and bureaucratic ineptitude. Besides, in St. Louis any production of a Gilbert and Sullivan show is cause for celebration, much less a solidly professional one like this.

As Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty who admits that the junior partnership in a law firm was "the only ship [he] ever had seen", Stephen Brien is the image of droll pomposity and has that classic John Reed-style baritone that many of us of a certain age have come to associate with the "principal comedian" roles. Edward Prostak brings a strong voice and great comic skills to the role of Captain Corcoran, who's "hardly ever" sick at sea, as does tenor Andrew MacPhail as Ralph Rackstraw, the sturdy sailor in love with Corcoran's daughter Josephine.

Soprano Elizabeth Hillebrand is a fine Josephine, although her enunciation is not quite up to the fine standard set by the rest of the cast. Angela Smith shines as Little Buttercup and bass Louis Dall'Ava is everything one could wish for as the comic villain Dick Deadeye, even if he does sometimes get overwhelmed in large ensemble scenes (as a bass-baritone myself, I'm sympathetic; it's not easy to pump out those low notes with any real volume).

Co-director and choreographer Bill Fabris livens up the proceedings with more dancing than one normally sees in a Savoy operetta. That gives the show a look and feel that's often closer to Broadway than London, but it works, so I'm not about to complain. Albere's unit set is both colorful and functional and Gail Wofford's period costumes compliment it nicely.

In the final analysis, everything ended happily both on stage and off. The audience was clearly willing to forgive this Pinafore's minor flaws and sent it off to its next port of call with a rousing ovation, which even a critical curmudgeon like yours truly had to admit was mostly deserved.

Next at the Touhill: Second City's forty-fifth anniversary tour on April 1st and 2nd. Call 314-516-4949 for more information or visit the web site at touhill.org.

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