The University's Opera Viva - one of the only student-run opera companies in the nation - performed its 10th production, H.M.S. Pinafore, in Maury Hall last week. With well-cast leads, libretto W.S. Gilbert's witty lines and the sweeping music of composer Arthur Sullivan, the show proved to be a smashing success which deserved the standing ovation it received at the end of the performance.
H.M.S. Pinafore is one of legendary Victorian-era opera duo Gilbert and Sullivan's more popular works. The renowned Parisian opera company Opera Comique first performed the operetta in 1878 and continued to perform it more than 500 times. The operetta's plot follows Ralph, a poor sailor lad, who has fallen in love with his captain's daughter Josephine. Josephine is equally devoted to Ralph, but the two are seemingly barred from each other by the rigid class system of Victorian England. Add a host of sailors, a sea captain, a besotted gypsy woman, Josephine's pretentious suitor Sir Joseph of the Admiralty and Sir Joseph's admiring relatives, and audiences begin to get an idea of Gilbert and Sullivan's absurd genius.
While a comedy, this operetta does touch on a tender subject.
"Pinafore deals with the age-old dilemma of choosing to follow your head or your heart," Director Sara Cain wrote in the program. "The show is about the choices that you are given in life and the consequences that come from the choices you make."
Also in the program, Music Director Evans Wralstad noted the variety and universality of Pinafore's music.
"I like to say that H.M.S. Pinafore is halfway between Mozart and Sondheim, and it's true," he wrote. "You will find the orchestra full of musical jokes and the lyrics full of British humor. Who doesn't enjoy that?"
Opera Viva strives to include as many students as possible in its performances and bring "engaging, accessible, and relevant live opera to the UVa and Charlottesville communities," according to its website. True to its claim, the company put together a cast entirely of students for the operetta. Despite the ensemble's youth, the talent on the stage was truly impressive. Both the singing and the acting were top-notch, and the cast seemingly had no trouble doing the famous operetta justice.
The powerful voices of third-year leads Emma Lord (Josephine) and Billy Binion (Ralph) complemented each other perfectly, soaring masterfully through the auditorium when they hit their highest notes. The equally amazing voices of fourth year Laura Schapiro (Buttercup) and second year Drew O'Shanick (Captain Corcoran) were also showcased. Additionally, fourth year Nathan Corbitt's masterful interpretation of the pompous Sir Joseph kept the audience laughing throughout both acts of the production.
If you missed H.M.S. Pinafore, don't worry: Opera Viva strives to puts on a show once per semester. In fact, this was the second Gilbert and Sullivan production it has put together - the first was Pirates of Penzance back in fall 2007. Other notable past performances include Into the Woods last semester and Don Giovanni in spring 2009.
If this latest production was any indication, Opera Viva sets the bar high when it comes to performance. Make sure to keep an eye out for next semester's show - audiences will not be disappointed.
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