The King of Barataria

The Gondoliers

Picture it: Not Sicily, but Venice, Italy, sometime in the past. A young woman suddenly and unexpectedly learns that she’s the heir to the throne. Oh joy, oh rapture! That is, except for the number of unbelievable complications that continually arise, in true Gilbert and Sullivan style.

Before returning to Venice, we learn that the young woman, who’s name is Casilda, is the daughter of the Spanish Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro. Casilda is beautiful, high spirited and secretly in love with Luiz, the Duke’s Attendant. Meanwhile, back in Venice, two handsome young Gondolier brothers named Marco and Giuseppe are about to choose their brides among the dozens of adoring young ladies. Their fellow Gondolier buddies are waiting to see which women will still be available for their own marriage proposals. The boys choose and marry their sweethearts, Tessa and Gianetta, and life looks promising for everyone.

Then the Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro arrive in Venice, with their daughter Casilda and their Attendant Luiz. They’ve come to Italy to meet with Don Alhambra, the Grand Inquisitor. It’s at this moment, however, that the Duke and Duchess choose to tell Casilda that, when she was but a baby, she was married to the infant son of the King of Barataria. Now, after the monarch’s recent death, the young prince will inherit the throne as King, making Casilda his Queen! Oh joy, oh rapture! But no…wait. There are more complications to plague this story.

As the Grand Inquisitor plans to introduce Casilda to her husband, the new King, the young woman shares her newly-learned marital status with Luiz. But Don Alhambra also informs everyone that the young prince was raised by a drunken Gondolier, who had a son of the same age. In his stupor he forgot which boy was which. Naturally, the two boys, Marco and Giuseppe, grew up to become Gondoliers themselves. They were placed under the care a nurse named Inez, who also had a son of her own. His name? Luiz!

Don Alhambra finds Marco and Giuseppe and tells them the exciting news that one of them is the King of Barataria! Of course they’re both ecstatic, as are their new wives. They’ll learn which of them is the rightful King when Inez arrives later in the day. After “the persuasive influence of the torture chamber,” she will announce who is the actual King. In the meantime, both Marco and Giuseppe must rule jointly in Barataria. Then there’s that other fly in the ointment that when the King was a baby he was married to the daughter of the Duke of Plaza-Toro. So the good news is that one of them will soon be named King; but the bad news is that either Marco or Giuseppe will have to annul his recent marriage and accept the lovely Casilda as his wife and Queen. Oh joy, oh rapture, indeed!

All of these plot complications are typical in every Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. This popular work, which premiered at the Savoy Theatre in London in 1889, was the first production by The Savoyaires, when they debuted back in 1965. Returning after the pandemic shut down every theatre in 2019, “The Gondoliers” is fittingly the company’s first full-scale production. Kingsley Day, the Savoyaire’s talented Artist of All Seasons, is back to direct. This master of the G&S operetta has once again produced a fantastic production of this delightful show. With gifted resident maestro Timothy Semanik as music director, who also conducts the show’s lush-sounding 43-member orchestra, this show has never sounded more beautiful. In addition, a huge roster of talented theatre artists contribute their expertise in bringing this show to life. They include choreographer Britta Schlicht, set designer Andy Armstrong, lighting designer Kurt Lemke and costume designer Thomas K. Kieffer, among many, many others.

The large, talented cast is led by two gifted vocalist/actors. Michael Coduto II, as Marco, and Ross Matuda, as Giuseppe absolutely light up the stage with their beautiful voices and joyous characterizations. They’re joined by the lovely and graceful Anna Caldwell, as Gianetta, and Grace Ryan, as Tessa, the two newlywed wives of the handsome leading Gondoliers. These four accomplished singers make the rafters of the Chute Auditorium ring with their glorious voices.

The Spanish contingent is comprised of some equally talented  performers. David Elliott portrays a comical Duke of Plaza-Toro, matched by his equally humorous, fur-wielding Duchess, played by Rosalind Hurwitz (who reminded me of a young Hermione Gingold). Feisty and funny Casilda is played and sung by lovely Sally Olson, while the role of Luiz, the Duke’s Attendant, is nicely portrayed by Adam E. Hoak. Don Alhambra, the Grand Inquisitor, is played with a bit of playful nastiness by Carl Chadek and, making her 11th hour appearance, Inez is humorously portrayed by Kara Chandler.

The large, talented ensemble of Gondoliers, Courtiers and Contadine (or Italian peasant women) includes Katarina Bakas, Jessie Bolger, Eugenia Bouboudakis, Bethany Brautigam, Casey Daniel, Julia McGrath, Isabel Schmitz, SarahAnn Sutter, Alesia Wall, a beautifully involved Kristin Weed and Mary Nora Wolf. The men include Jack W. Ellis, Jonathan Joseph Larson, Samuel Cotten, Tolga Bozkurt, Paul Canchester, Noah Friedlander, Paul Glick, veteran G&S performer Lane Halverson, Aaron Jakubiec, Michael Ryan, and a special nod to an enthusiastic, engaging Jonathan B. Riviera. 

A Gilbert & Sullivan operetta would be nothing without its audio and visual spectacle, as well as its unrealistic and complicated conflicts. In addition to the leading characters, their pattering musicals are known for filling the stage with an ensemble of accomplished supporting singers, whose job is to support the leading characters with their beautifully-sung melodies and well-timed comic and melodramatic reactions. Kingsley Day and Timothy Semanik have definitely achieved Italian Nirvana with this hilarious, tongue-in-cheek tale of the fictional King of Barataria.         

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented September 29-October 8 by The Savoyaires at Chute Auditorium, 1400 Oakton Street, Evanston, IL.

Tickets are available at the door, by calling 847-563-0155 or by going to www.savoyaires.org/tickets.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.