March of the Peers - Iolanthe; Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society

From the 1997 production of Iolanthe by the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society. The Entrance of the Peers.

[@MrCuddlyable3]

I'm here again after seeing too many amateurish peers marching in unconvincing costume and decided this video deserves a Like. These performers dare to be different, and do it consistently and with conviction. I think G&S would be surprised, entertained and not too offended by the frogs, peeking fairies and silly banner. The polo aspect is of course alien to the Iolanthe opera.

[@RossiniSoprano]

Great idea for the peers' entrance! And those frogs.... :-)

[@nisipriusboglehead2842]

Weird. Reviews of the original 1882 production made it clear that much of the entertainment and pleasure in this number came from the accurate, faithful, and luxurious reproduction of the actual robes and costumes really warn by the peerage at ceremonial events. This is probably very expensive to do, which may explain why I personally have never seen it done.

[@RossiniSoprano]

Companies are no longer required to copy the DOC style, since the copyright expired in the 1960s. If you attend the International G&S Festival held every year in Buxton, UK, you will see many companies doing non-DOC staging. It's not necessary to be DOC to be good G&S.

[@begs54]

Somehow the peers in polo dress kind of undercuts the pomp of the fanfare that heralds in the peers. You have to agree after seeing a DOC production with those wonderful robes and coronets it does add dignity . However, anyone with any common sense would say why would the peers of the realm be romping in a glade in garter and robes? Gilbert had his reasons as we all know . Taking liberties in G&S has become part of the norm today. Sometimes it really does work and other times it just reaches a slow death on stage. I have to feel sorry for the person who see's G&S for the first time and has to witness that slow death of a production on stage. They do walk out of the theater never wanting to see G&S again. There is a fine line with tradition . It can work both ways and with good taste.

[@MrCuddlyable3]

There are far too many putative polo participants performing un-peerishly, and bereft of robes their show becomes static rather than "dignified and stately". But the song is sung and played (if not marched) as well as one could wish. Those might as well be croquet mallets as polo sticks.

[@phormynx]

Bang the brasses? One does not bang one's brasses.

[@kyanhowe8777]

Tell that to Gilbert

[@whhrms]

I attended this performance and was thoroughly disgusted. I gave up on Seattle G&S decades ago. One does not need to copy DC performances slavishly in order to remain respectful to the show itself.

[@MrCuddlyable3]

+whhrm, to everyone his taste. "Remain respectful" would sound strange in the ears of Gilbert who wrote "Nobody's safe for we care for none". The principles of the SG&S are here www.seattlefoundation.org/npos/Pages/SeattleGilbertSullivanSociety.aspx and of course you can look elsewhere or make your own performance, which we'd love to see.

[@anthonytyler2694]

It does not work. If it did then WS Gilbert would have written it that way. Just because Iolanthe is more than a hundred years old it does not have to be messed about with. It is called satire and that is always topical.

[@gordongerrard5323]

Good for sound. Terrible if you have sight. I am not a slave to tradition, but this is so far away from the original to warrant a second helping. Trial by Dreary me!

[@paulhall170]

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