Good evening and welcome to tonight's simulcast on ABC FM and ABC Television.
It's the first of this year's season of three performances from the Australian Opera series
of ESO Nights at the Opera.
And what better start could there be to this season of stereo specials to be shown over
the next 11 Sundays through the summer.
The Gondoliers comes from near the end of a stormy yet fruitful relationship between
the obeyed and witty wordsmith W.S. Gilbert and the musician with serious academic yearnings
Sir Arthur Sullivan.
As well as the usual fun of G&S, an outstanding feature of the Gondoliers is the sheer abundance
of melodious music and the large cast required to sing it.
Apparently it was a result of Gilbert's attempt to put an end to the constant bickering with
artists of the Savoy Opera about their star status and consequent monetary demands.
In fact by giving everyone lots to do but mostly in ensemble, Gilbert also provided
a practical example of the republican principles of equality which forms one of the strains
of satire running through the piece.
Well following tradition, the Australian Opera production has been cleverly brought up to
date with additional words to some of the satirical songs.
They're the work of Melbourne Morrow.
The direction and choreography is by Canadian Brian MacDonald who has received Tony nominations
for his work on this and other G&S pieces.
MacDonald has given an extra dimension to the Gondoliers by weaving a group of Commedia
del Arte characters into the production.
They set up the stage for the performance and continue to appear throughout commenting
on the action in mime and dance.
The cast includes David Hobson and Roger Lemke as the Gondoliers, Marco and Giuseppe by name,
and Suzanne Johnston and Christine Douglas as their girls Tessa and Gianetta.
In the party of the Duke of Plaza Toro there's Robert Gard as the Duke, Graham Ewer as the
Duchess, Fiona McConnachie as their daughter Casilda, and Martin Croft as Louise their
attendant.
Dennis Olsen plays the Grand Inquisitor and Jennifer Birmingham is in S, the nurse required
by plots of this sort to unravel all its complications in the last scene.
And so to the Sydney Opera House for the performance, the Australian Opera Chorus and the Elizabethan
Philharmonic Orchestra are conducted by Dobbs Franks.
The overture and Act One which begins with 20 minutes or so of unbroken melody conjuring
up the sunny life of Republican Venice.
That's the end of the first act of the Gondoliers in this Australian Opera production.
The cast includes Suzanne Johnston, Christine Douglas, David Hobson and Roger Lemke as the
Gondoliers and their girls.
Robert Gard, Graham Ewer and Fiona McConnachie as the Duke of Plaza Toro and family and Martin
Croft as Louise and Dennis Olsen as the Grand Inquisitor.
The performance is conducted by Dobbs Franks.
Well before we return to the Sydney Opera House for Act Two of the Australian Opera's
Esso Night at the Opera, it's interesting to note that during the run of this opera
that Gilbert and Sullivan had their great falling out apparently over the selection
of carpet for the Savoy Theatre.
It's an ironic thought about the nature of partnerships to keep in mind while we watch
Marco and Giuseppe struggling to maintain their egalitarian principles as they rule jointly
over the kingdom of Barataria.
There are certainly dark clouds ahead but also one of the best ensemble dance routines
I've ever seen in the theatre.
The entire company dance the Caciuca.
After then is the second and final act of the Gondoliers.