The Glee Club will bring a modern approach to their performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Iolanthe" this weekend, updating references and lyrics to be relevant to the Dartmouth community. Allusions to such hot topics as The Dartmouth Review and the alumni constitution will bring this comic operetta into Dartmouth students' reality.
"Iolanthe" is a tale of fairies and gentlemen set in Victorian London. At the time of its original production in 1882, "Iolanthe" served as a political satire, poking fun at contemporary issues, even referencing important citizens in the audience on opening night. Today, there is a long history of subsequent performers updating the operetta to make it applicable to their own audiences.
Mike Amico '07, president of the Glee Club, and women and gender studies professor Michael Bronski collaborated to rework certain lyrics and references. The whimsical plot, characters and setting of the show have not been changed, but some aspects have been updated.
"[The updated production] is an opportunity to see Dartmouth from a different perspective, from a different world really," Amico said.
The show is fully staged, costumed, choreographed and orchestrated. This is no easy task, even for professionals who might take months to rehearse such a production.
The D-Plan allows even less time. The Glee Club, under conductor Louis Burkot, has been rehearsing since January and will be accompanied by a professional orchestra.
The title role of "Iolanthe" is played by Lynn Symonds '10. Alex Cook '09 will play the part of Strephon, the son of Iolanthe who is half fairy and half mortal. Strephon is in love with the beautiful Phyllis, played by Elise Hogan '09, who is the ward of the Lord Chancellor, played by Amico. The Fairy Queen will be played by Aulden Kaye '09.
After the success of their performance of another of Gilbert and Sullivan's most famous productions, "HMS Pinafore," last year, the Glee Club decided to put on "Iolanthe" during the Winter term. The latter is a more complex production, with a more emotional core for the performers to tackle.
"I think Dartmouth is a very serious place at times, and I think that this year especially people have been dealing with tough community-wide issues," Amico said.
This operetta's comic plot and Gilbert and Sullivan's lyrical style, which Amico described as sometimes "wink-wink" and "goofy," should make for a lighthearted and enjoyable performance.
"It just makes you reconsider things and take a break, take a breather, especially at this time of the term," Amico said.
