A Paradox?

[Bligh]

Certainly a better rendering than the one I posted Bill. More in keeping with the presentations I remember from my youth when the D'Oyly Carte opera company were extant.

Here is the only G&S I actually acted in. Can you guess which part? Not in this august Company I hasten to add.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRhdtpWmzi4

Rob.

[Wentworth]

Certainly a better rendering than the one I posted Bill. More in keeping with the presentations I remember from my youth when the D'Oyly Carte opera company were extant.

Here is the only G&S I actually acted in. Can you guess which part? Not in this august Company I hasten to add.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRhdtpWmzi4

Rob.

I am guessing Sir Joseph Porter KCB........yes?

BTW -- when I was about 7 years old D'Oyly Carte was on tour in New York City and my Mom introduced my to G&S -- "HMS Pinafore" it was. I saw D'Oyly Carte one more time back in 1976 when they played Lincoln Center in New York City (again I saw "HMS Pinafore"). Incidentally, if you liked the Paradox clip I posted, here is a link to a YouTube playlist encompassing almost all of that show -- there are some jump cuts that lose dialog, but most of the show is there. ENJOY !

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...046FFF746792EB

[Bligh]

Thanks Bill,
I will have a look. The first G and S we went to see was with the chap who was to become my Best Man although that was far in the future then. What was even more funny was that the folks playing Robin Oakapple and Rose Maybud were destined to become his Father and Mother in Law. Over the years we and another great friend saw all the Operettas excepting Iolanthe. The first time I had a ticket to go, I had a last minute phone call to say my College entrance interview had been brought forward. When I should have been enjoying the Operetta I was at the other end of the country. Role on the years and no chance came up until I was married and Mrs Bligh was expecting our first. In the late afternoon she went into labour. I got to none of the performance. I actually never saw it until about 10 years ago at the G & S Festival at Buxton, almost a lifetime later. Strange to say Ruddigore is still my favourite, with Yeomen a close second, and yes Sir Joseph it was in a school production long before Sails of Glory.
Funny old world ain't it.
Rob.

[Wentworth]

Thanks Bill,
I will have a look. The first G and S we went to see was with the chap who was to become my Best Man although that was far in the future then. What was even more funny was that the folks playing Robin Oakapple and Rose Maybud were destined to become his Father and Mother in Law. Over the years we and another great friend saw all the Operettas excepting Iolanthe. The first time I had a ticket to go, I had a last minute phone call to say my College entrance interview had been brought forward. When I should have been enjoying the Operetta I was at the other end of the country. Role on the years and no chance came up until I was married and Mrs Bligh was expecting our first. In the late afternoon she went into labour. I got to none of the performance. I actually never saw it until about 10 years ago at the G & S Festival at Buxton, almost a lifetime later. Strange to say Ruddigore is still my favourite, with Yeomen a close second, and yes Sir Joseph it was in a school production long before Sails of Glory.
Funny old world ain't it.
Rob.

Well Sir Joseph...er Rob.... can you still do a patter song or two ? If we should ever meet, I would look forward to that! BTW -- if nothing else, watch the curtain call from the linked "Pirates of Penzance" production -- it is the best curtain call I think I have ever seen. Many decades ago there was a production company called Light Opera of Manhattan (LooM) that did all the G&S operettas on a three year rotation (on a much smaller scale than D'Oyly Carte) along with the standards like "The Merry Widow," "The Student Prince," "The New Moon," etc. I think I only missed "Princess Ida" (although I had a wonderful recording of a UK production of it). After a number of years LooM had to fold its tent for financial reasons. Regrettably G&S is becoming a lost art form in the U.S. -- and productions of "The Mikado" have all but ceased due to complaints of racism. In the current environment it is almost impossible to explain that "The Mikado" is actually a metaphorical satire of Victorian British class rigidity. Ah well.....

[Bligh]

Gracious me Bill where will it all end? They will be complaining about persecuting witches before we know where we are!
Rob.