Gilbert & Sullivan - The Gondoliers / David Hobson, Roger Lemke, Australian Opera
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DVD details
Actor: Gilbert & Sullivan, Hobson, Johnston, LemkeDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Classical, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 152 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-09-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Kultur Video
DVD Reviews of Gilbert & Sullivan - The Gondoliers / David Hobson, Roger Lemke, Australian Opera
DVD Review: Could have been so much more
Summary: 3 Stars
I have seen bad Gilbert & Sullivan before. Unfortunately, particularly in the realm of video performance, that is not unusual. What makes this one so disappointing is that it had the potential to be truly excellent. The cast is fantastic - great singers, good actors, brimming with enthusiasm. The costumes and staging are imaginative. The direction is a little lacking (some cast members stand woodenly while singing), but nothing terrible. I could even have accepted the Duchess being played by a man in drag, since he was at least entertaining.
The travesty lies in the slaughter, by rewrite, of the lyrics. Multiple songs were "updated" in very unfunny ways. Not just a lyric here and there, or a "modern" verse added to the end - but a wholesale rewrite of the entire song, save a few words in the chorus. "Royal Queen" in particular comes to mind. The cast performed it brilliantly, but the new lyrics were very jarring.
The sound and picture are also nothing to speak of, though that is perhaps not surprising for a 1989 production. The actors appear to have been miked from the front, so that when they move toward the back of the stage, their voices fade out a bit. Mercifully, the mikes don't pick up their stomping feet, unlike some G&S videos I have seen.
That said, I would watch it again, or at least listen to the soundtrack, because there's a certain freshness in a live recording that just doesn't come through even in the best studio recording. And the singing really is good. Roger Lemke and David Hobson as Giuseppe and Marco are a delight. Lemke has a great voice. Hobson has an amazing upper range, shown off to good effect in "We're Called Gondolieri" and "Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes." It's also interesting to see him in an early role. Judging by his performances in Pinafore and Pirates (20 years later), he has become a much better actor!
DVD Review: G&S , glorious G&S
Summary: 5 Stars
excellent recording and it is actually possible to hear the words in a clear melodic pattern rather than having a more operatic-style performance. DVD Review: Mike
Summary: 5 Stars
Truly enthralling. The combination of orchestra and singing is superb. Will watch this again and againDVD Review: Gilbert & Sullivan to please all fans
Summary: 5 Stars
Fans of Gilbert & Sullivan are in for a treat by this Opera Australia version of the operetta which is performed with all the verve and comedy that the authors intended.
From the opening sceen to the end, the cast enjoy every nunance of the script. And there are many delightfully 'stage tricks' which make this version the best that I have ever seen.
But one must turn on the sub-titles to enjoy the 'in jokes' which pepper the story.
By the British accents and mannerisms, one would think this was a British cast, but no, the Australians do enormous justice to the language, only slipping in the vernacular for the Australian jokes.
A thoroughly enjoyable piece to watch, again and again. I can not recommend it to highly.
DVD Review: Energetic and entertaining
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a fine production, as one expects from Opera Australia Those that are familiar with Canada's Stratford Festival version of The Gondoliers will instantly recognise this production, as it is virtually identical. It is, in my opinion however, better performed than it's Canadian counterpart. It is highly energetic and entertaining from start to finish.
The cast is brilliant and includes a "young" David Hobson (Australian audiences will be familiar with David's contributions in more recent years) and the great Dennis Olsen. Unfortunately, Dennis does not play the more traditional comic role of the Duke of Plaza-Toro, but is relegated to the smaller part of Don Alhambra. Both these players, along with the rest of the cast, put in great performances.
One of the many highlights is the choreography (again replicated from the Stratford Festival version). In particular, "Dance a cachuca" in act 2 deserves mention, however to say anything further would spoil it for you.
Another "replication" from the the Stratford Festival is the casting of a male in the role of the Duchess of Plaza-Toro, a move that probably has Gilbert turning in his grave. While I generally "shudder at the thought" of such a casting, in this instance it is done quite well by Graeme Ewer. Graeme has demonstrated great talent in performing comic roles for Opera Australia for many years. Whether this works for you or not will be a matter of personal taste.
The biggest disappointment I have with this production is the omission of "I am a courtier" from act 2. This was also omitted from the Stratford Festival version.
Overall, while this may not be the absolute best offering by Opera Australia, it is a very good and enjoyable production and holds up very well against other versions of the show.
Description of Gilbert & Sullivan - The Gondoliers / David Hobson, Roger Lemke, Australian Opera
The impoverished Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro come to Venice in search of the heir to the throne of Barataria, inconveniently mislaid at birth and betrothed to their daughter. The most likely candidates are two handsome gondoliers, far more interested in parties than politics and, what's more, just married! It takes the help of the nursemaid to unravel the knots in this particularly twisty tale.David Hobson: Marco Palmieri, a Gondolier
Roger Lemke: Giuseppe Palmieri, a Gondolier
Suzanne Johnston: Tessa, a Peasant Girl
Christine Douglas: Gianetta, a Peasant Girl
Robert Gard: Duke of Plaza-Toro
Graeme Ewer: Duchess of Plaza-Toro
Fiona Maconaghie: Casilda, their daughter
Martin Croft: Luiz, their attendant
Dennis Olsen: Don Alhambra, The Grand Inquisitor
Jennifer Bermingham: Inez, the King?s Foster Mother
Opera Australia. Conductor: Dobbs Franks Director/Choreographer: Brian MacDonald. With The Australian Opera Chorus, The Elizabethan Philharmonic Orchestra
"The Australian Opera has prepared a stylish and exhilarating Gondoliers; it also offers many opportunities for biting humor and the release of unbridled energy" The Australian
"Costumes are dazzling; the choreography is exuberant; and every member of the cast gives the impression of enjoying their roles." The Sydney Morning Herald
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