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Of the Stratford Festival
videos now available, this was one of the first made, although issued later
than most of the others. Katherine Belyea provided this review:
Stratford Video Cover |
This is a rather traditional production (but still taking comic liberties),
set in the correct time period with fairly appropriate costumes. The only
liberties [with the libretto], I think, were taken in lyric ad-libs and a
few spoken lines. The acting is, in my opinion, as good as that in
The Mikado, with a few of the same chorus
and soloists. The soprano that plays Mabel is quite good. Frederic has a few
vocal difficulties (his voice is trained for musicals), but is a good actor
and dancer. The photography, sound and picture are unfortunately not nearly
as good as The Mikado, but still passable.
L. Donald Bartholomew offered the following enthusiastic review:
While this video has some of the theatrical excesses one comes to expect
from a Brian MacDonald production, I would recommend it
if only for the sheer ebullient theatricality of the performance.
A few examples: A Pirate King who considers himself a "Shakespearan
actor" but has trouble pronouncing multi-syllablic words; a Frederic who
combines a brilliant tenor voice with outstanding ballet training to be
the best Frederic I have ever witnessed; an absolutely totally charming
Major General Stanley (who certainly shows up George Rose in that
Papp thing!).
Mr. MacDonald's excesses seem to be of a lesser sort in this
production than in the others most of us know. He adds a verse to the
opening chorus, adds a chorus to "Climbing Over Rocky Mountains"
(largely not understandable anyways), adds a dialogue scene for the
Ladies in order to remove additional bits of costuming, adds an encore
verse for the Major General and adds a "ballet" chase and fight between
the Pirates and the Policemen in the Second Act.
He does do the scene changes in the First Act, as I think that
Gilbert wrote it and as any production, with money, should do. Pirate
ship for the first second ending with the Pirate King Song. In One scene
for Ruth and Frederic. Beach scene beginning with the Ladies Chorus. It
works, it works.
But the most telling moment of the entire performance comes in
the Second Act with Mabel and Frederic and "Leave Me Not Alone." For all
the fun throughout the production, the deep emotion welling up between the
two is quite astonishing and moving.
Therefore, I recommend this cassette to all but the stuffiest
amongst us.
The DVD version includes, as extras, the texts of both the original
and revised lyrics, a glossary, photographs, and program notes. There
is also a video tour of Stratford. Mel Moratti obtained a three-DVD
package of the Stratford Pirates,
Iolanthe, and
Mikado,
I have seen them sold separately on some websites, such as
Amazon.com.
Mel says that the advertising states that the DVDs have "CD quality
sound," but he says that the sound quality is awful. Oddly, enough,
for Iolanthe, Act I is in mono, and
Act II is in stereo. The others are in mono throughout. Mel's summary:
"In their current form I would feel uncomfortable recommending them
to anyone."
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