'Pinafore' offers humor

When one thinks of the great operatic traditions of the world, England usually doesn't come to mind as much as Italy, Germany and France. When IU shows operas, they usually are from those countries, and if the performance is in English, it is usually a translation from Italian, German or French (and sometimes Russian). Such is not the case with IU's running opera, the "H.M.S. Pinafore," premiered in 1878 with the text by William Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan.\nThe most unique thing about seeing the performances of the "H.M.S. Pinafore" is that the libretto is originally in English, so the listener knows there is no mangling of the language. All the humor (and there is much of it) comes through clear and unfiltered.\nThe main type of humor used in the "H.M.S. Pinafore" is parody. The language is very overblown and may be difficult for those with small vocabularies, but the bombast parodies the highly overwrought literature of the Victorian Age. The opera includes also a great deal of social commentary. Class distinctions and contemporary attitudes toward them are lampooned, and the character of Sir Joseph Porter gives a delightful parody of Parliament and how he became First Lord of the Admiralty.\nThough a basic knowledge of Victorian England helps in understanding the humor, the parodies are so general that a listener can laugh at the characters on a human level, without any knowledge of British history or society.\nThe cast did an excellent job articulating through the wordy lyrics and speedy melodies, and succeeded as well in feigning British accents. The difficulty of some cast members with managing the accent was apparent, however, in the brief dialogue sections. Another issue that the cast had on occasion was projecting over the orchestra, making understanding \ndifficult. Clear and loud singing was especially necessary for this performance, since the usual supertitles were absent even though English operas usually have them.\nOverall, however, the cast succeeded admirably in singing beautifully and portraying convincing characters. A noteworthy performance was given by Courtney Crouse as Josephine Corcoran, the heroine, whose voice easily reached the highest notes in the opera and whose changes in mood were extremely convincing. Also, Christopher Nelson as her paramour, Ralph Rackstraw, sang with a wonderfully clear voice, which drew more attention to his rather one-dimensional role. Jason Plourde as Sir Joseph Porter looked every inch the part of a pompous bureaucrat, and gave the most convincing portrayal of the opera with his mixture of bumbling and condescension.\nThe orchestra, led by guest conductor Robert Wood gave the light, happy music almost the air of a Rossini opera, bringing out the melody and craft that lies in Sullivan's music. There were moments, particularly during the overture, when more projection would have been desired from this pit, but if it would have meant sacrificing the skillful execution, muffling is not a major problem.\nFinally, the stage design by C. David Higgins was very impressive. The set did not change through the two acts, so more attention could be given to making the design as impressive as possible. Not only the deck of the Pinafore, but several other ships were designed in the set with considerable nautical detail. The set was also framed by a mock-curtain scenery, complete with coat-of-arms on top and orchestral players on bottom.\nThe "H.M.S. Pinafore" does not offer tragic drama and royal or divine characters as many other operas. It is a light, humorous opera that will leave everyone delighted. It is perfect for the carefree summer season and is perfect for listeners of all walks of life.\nThe "H.M.S. Pinafore" will be showing Aug. 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. at the MAC. Tickets range from $12 to $29 for general audience and $8 to $18 for students. For more information contact 855-2255.