Toronto Operetta Theatre: The Gondoliers by Gilbert & Sullivan. Alyssa Bartholomew, Casilda; Lissy Meyerowitz, Tessa; Sebastien Belcourt, Giuseppe Palmieri; Austin Larusson, Don Alambra; Marcus Tranquilli, Luiz; Taylor Gibbs, Antonio; Brooke Mitchell, Gianetta; Yanik Gosselin, Marco; Gregory Finney, The Duke of Plaza-Toro; Meghan Symon, The Duchess of Plaza-Toro; Matheus Coelho do Nascimento, Conductor. Friday, February 28, 2025 at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Toronto.
The Gondoliers is the twelfth and last successful collaboration between composer Arthur Sullivan and librettist W.S. Gilbert, the dynamic Victorian-era duo known for establishing the distinctive English form of the operetta. As with many of their works, the story has elements of love and mistaken identities, and makes satirical references to class and social equality.
Gondolier Brothers Giuseppe and Marco have just married their dream brides, Tessa and Gianetta, respectively. It is then revealed that one of the brothers is the heir to the throne of the Barataria kingdom, which they must now rule jointly until it can be ascertained who the true heir is.
Things get complicated when the Duke and Duchess of Plaza Toro arrive from Spain with their beautiful daughter Casilda, who was betrothed to the future king of Barataria as an infant, and intend to claim her throne as Queen. Casilda, however, is in love with Luis, her father’s attendant. The nurse who raised the heir is called in to identify the true king, but she reveals she secretly made a substitution.
In true G&S fashion, the story ends happily, and everyone gets to marry their chosen one.
The Cast
The operetta has nine major roles and each gets its own moment to shine in their own solo, as well as in a number of duet, trios and quartets.
Yanik Gosselin (Marco) and Sebastien Belcourt (Giuseppe) play the pair of gondoliers with engaging personalities and a good dose of comedic acting, especially when they try to steal each other’s thunder while ruling jointly. Gosselin’s lyrical tenor is well-complemented by Belcourt’s velvety baritone.
The brothers are perfectly paired with Brooke Mitchell (Gianetta) and Lissy Meyerowitz (Tessa) as their new wives. Mitchell is a powerful coloratura soprano who has good acting chops and an endearing chemistry with Gosselin. Meyerowitz is a warm mezzo with more subtle yet effective acting.
This Gondoliers is an example of how the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Alyssa Bartholomew is a bright-voiced and expressive soprano who brings charm to her role as Casilda. Her counterparts Marcus Tranquilli (Luis) and Meghan Symon (Duchess) are not as vocally convincing in their solos, but as part of a duet or quartet, they come off nicely-balanced.
Austin Larusson deserves special mention, bringing a soronous baritone and appropriately dry humour to the role of the Grand Inquisitor.
Final Thoughts
G&S operettas are tricky to do in that good singing alone does not make a fine production. The ability to bring out the nuances of G&S humour and satire is what many of the fine young singers in this production are not fully grasping yet. It is no wonder that G&S veteran Gregory Finney steals the show as the Duke, not only with his commanding baritone and stage presence, but he fully captures the essence of G&S comedy with the greatest effects.
Even though the rest of the ensemble is a hit and miss in vocal quality and acting, the choruses are in perfect sound balance and make the best musical moments of the show.
Newcomer Matheus Coelho leads the small but mighty 9-piece orchestra through an energetic reading of the score.
Despite the show being evidently produced on a shoestring budget — a very sparse set, lacklustre costumes and minimal choreography — it is really Gilbert’s sharp-witted libretto and Sullivan’s infectious tunes that make the production. It may seem that in recent years, G&S has lost its appeal to the masses, as fewer and fewer companies are producing them. But judging by the full house and audience reactions, the witty humour, farcical plots and brilliant music of G&S endure.
And we are delighted to learn that the tradition continues next year when the Toronto Operetta Theatre will present The Mikado in its 2025-26 season. Definitely something worth looking forward to.
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