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The
Gondoliers
The Gondoliers was the eleventh of the thirteen operettas written by Gilbert and Sullivan and, given their tempestuous relationship, the last production in which they collaborated harmoniously. It opened at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December, 1889 and ran for 559 performances until 20 June 1891. Reacting to complaints among his cast over seniority, etc, Gilbert wrote a libretto where “…everybody’s somebody, then no-one’s anybody!” Thus, this operetta has nine principal leads and eight minor roles. The story opens in Venice. Two Venetian gondoliers, the Palmieri brothers Marco and Giuseppe, choose brides, Gianetta and Tessa, from the local young ladies (called contadine in Italian). As the four run off to get married, accompanied by their friends, the Duke of Plaza-Toro, an impoverished Spanish nobleman arrives in Venice accompanied by his wife, the Duchess, their daughter, Casilda, and his attendant, Luis. It seems that, while still a baby, Casilda was married by proxy to the infant son of the wealthy King of Barataria. Due to the king’s heretical religious beliefs, the infant son was kidnapped and taken to Venice by the Spanish Grand Inquisitor, Don Alhambra del Bolero, where he was given to a gondolier to raise with his own son. The King of Barataria having died during an insurrection, the Duke has brought Casilda to Venice to find her husband, who is now the king. Unfortunately, due to a drinking problem, the gondolier, before he died, had forgotten which child was the prince and which was his own son. However, Don Alhambra tells the Ducal party that the prince’s former nurse lives in Spain and has been sent for so that she can identify the rightful king. This news is not received fondly by Casilda, who is secretly in love with Luis, her father’s attendant. It turns out that the two boys are none other than Marco and Giuseppe, who now return with their new wives, Gianetta and Tessa. Don Alhambra informs them that one of them is actually the King of Barataria, and since Barataria is currently without a king, they must immediately go there and rule jointly until the nurse arrives. The brothers manage to reconcile their newfound position with their strong Republican sentiment. Their wives’ anticipation at possibly being a queen is dampened when Don Alhambra tells the brothers that the girls initially cannot go with them. The two brothers leave for Barataria with their fellow-gondoliers. In the second Act, in the throne-room in Barataria, we find that the two brothers have demonstrated their Republican ideals by promoting everyone to high office, leaving them to do most of the work. Their lamentation at the absence of their wives is relieved when the ladies arrive, as they couldn’t bear the separation any longer. Their joyful reunion is shortened by the entrance of Don Alhambra, who further distresses them by revealing that one of them was already married to Casilda. The Duke and Duchess arrive with Casilda. After unsuccessfully trying to resolve the hopeless dilemma over who is married to whom, the nurse is produced. She reveals that she foiled the plot to kidnap the prince by replacing him with her own offspring and that she raised the prince as her son. The real king is…. Luis! Luis and Casilda are united and the relieved gondoliers and their happy wives are free to return to Venice.
Whether you would like to try out for a major or minor principal, if you are a dancer or you just love a good sing-along, this is a show that everyone will enjoy being a part of. I look forward to seeing you all next year.
Preston Oh Director Familiarisation: Wednesday, 27 January
When: 7.00 p.m. Auditions: Weekend of 30 and 31
January First Rehearsal: Wednesday, 3 February Performances: 9-14 June Auditions by appointment only.
email: queenslandmusicaltheatre@hotmail.com
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