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There is nothing like a Gilbert and Sullivan getaway to escape reality and H.M.S. Pinafore handily transports an audience. In the world of the G and S operetta, social class conflicts are easily resolved, baby farming is explained without difficulty and the coarse language of everyday is discouraged in favor of refined, elegant dialogue. An audience of just over 1,000 enjoyed the ride on opening night at the Lyric Theater, reveling in the lighter fare of the Lyric's latest production. The dialogue of H.M.S. Pinafore throws (and lands) plenty of verbal punches, yet the grace of Sullivan's music tempers even the most biting satire. Pinafore is so civilized, but there always lurks the intimation of angst and confusion, so there are plenty of surprises throughout.

The Gilbert and Sullivan partnership was fruitful: in 25 years together they completed 14 operas. Sullivan brought to the collaboration his compositional resourcefulness, including the varied orchestrations (he was a conductor, after all) and memorable melodies that had made a name for him by the 1860s. Gilbert adapted for Sullivan's music libretti that boast a keen sense of comedic and dramatic pacing. H.M.S. Pinafore was the team's fourth work, but their first smash hit.

A promisingly brisk overture ushered the audience toward that perfect escape.  The opening number introduces a robust bunch of sailors who appropriately clamor about "Little Buttercup" (Deborah Fields) as she makes her arrival. Although Fields seemed to struggle with the transition between head and chest voice, her determined gestures and delicious laugh made her a most loveable character. Jon-Michael Ball made a stunning Lyric Opera debut as Ralph Rackstraw. His "Nightingale" is the show's first lyrical number, and Ball sang effortlessly with an impressive range and an open sound. Ralph, in true operetta fashion, wastes no time in revealing his true self, and Ball reveled in the leisurely romance of the number.

Operettas do not typically feature intense emotional extremes and in this genre a character will never develop into a multi-dimensional personage. In Pinafore, Josephine is the closest an audience gets to a complex, emotional character, and Ava Pine brought a clean, light lyricism to the role. In her first scene with Ralph, though, Pine was not convincing. She waved her fan, she huffed and twirled, but it all seemed contrived. Arguably Pine incorporated the spins to signify her imagined transport from one social class to another, or to work out somehow the difference between who she is perceived to be and who she wonders if she could be. Still, it seemed artificial, and Pine articulated Josephine's emotions better in the musical numbers.

Daniel Belcher is a worthy Captain. He is flighty, silly, and easily swayed, as his character should be. "I am the Captain of the Pinafore" revealed a vivid baritone. Here the sailors moved about him with endearing (and obviously planned) imperfection, their spontaneous movements balanced with tightly choreographed steps for a natural effect. Credit William Theisen's inspired choreography, as he worked toward his desired "theatricality." When the ladies arrived on board "gaily tripping, lightly skipping" in full, fabulous, colorful dresses, Mary Traylor should have gotten an ovation.

In Act Two, the cast and crew evaded the sluggish transitions that plagued Act One. There was a fresh fluidity here, as scene changes sequenced with more momentum and better connections were made as characters traded off dialogue. The scenery remained the same (the quarter-deck of the Pinafore), but now was softened with moonlit ambience. The Captain opened the act with "Fair Moon, to Thee I Sing," but a laugh was always close at hand, and he countered his earnestness with a "profound" inquiry about why everything is either "at sixes or at sevens."  The ensuing duet for the Captain and Buttercup ("Things are Seldom What They Seem") was lovely. Josephine executed a recitative-like monologue with "The Hours Creep on Apace" and here Pine was perfectly dramatic.

Robert Gibby Brand was dead on as Sir Joseph. His exceptional attention to detail and sharp diction in "When I was a Lad" shaped a performance from which all singers could learn something. Robert McNichols (as Bill Bobstay) was, as always, a strong presence. Matthew Treviño's Dick Deadeye was a substantial character, and Treviño took advantage of his feature moments to provide a touch of snarly darkness throughout.

Gary Eckhart's stage was appealing and comfortable, but it was how choreographer Theisen (in his first Lyric Opera production) moved the actors about the set that made its design remarkable. Every character worked the boards, making good use of the entire landscape. The creative lighting of designer Michael Baumgarten contributed the appropriate moods with nuanced lighting. The men's and women's choruses add a critical layer to the Pinafore experience, alternately offering sensitive responses or just humorous repetition. These ensembles were clearly well rehearsed, serving up convincingly the veritable word salad of a Gilbert text. Only once did the singers push the tempo of Mark Ferrell's steady orchestra: in the finale of Act One, there were a few measures where the singers and the players were out of sync (but maybe we can just blame a tipping, swaying boat for this).

REVIEW:
Lyric Opera of Kansas City
H.M.S. Pinafore                                          
Friday, November 6 at 8 p.m.   (reviewed)                               
Sunday, November 8 at 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 14 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 15 at 2 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
11^th and Central, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call (816) 471-7344 or online at www.kcopera.org.

Cover Photo:
Jon-Michael Ball as Ralph Rackstraw, Daniel Belcher as Captain Corcoran, and Matthew Treviño as Dick Deadeye in the 2009 Lyric Opera of Kansas City production of Gilbert & Sullivan's "HMS Pinafore." 

By Sarah Tyrrell

Opera, Vocal and Classical Contributor

Since 2004, Dr. Sarah Tyrrell has been part of the Musicology faculty at the UMKC Conservatory of Music. In 2003, she completed doctoral work at the University of Kansas and also holds degrees in music history and voice performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and Kansas State University. At UMKC, Sarah teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in music history and world music, as well as graduate seminars on American and Latin American musics. Sarah has presented her research locally and nationally (her research specialty is the art music of Brazil) and actively guest lectures about town on Brazilian popular subjects such as samba and bossa nova. Her articles and reviews have appeared in Musical Quarterly, Latin American Research Review, and Latin American Perspectives.

Sarah is also active in the Kansas City choral music scene: she is the Artistic Director of the Metropolitan Chorale of Kansas City and also sings soprano with the group. This 60-voice ensemble presents four concerts each year and recently completed a performance tour of Brazil.