Sorcery Can't Save Show

You might think you could never tire of W.S. Gilbert's witty libretto or Arthur Sullivan's spirited score, but The Harvard Gilbert and Sullivan Players (HGSP) prove that boredom is indeed possible in Constantine Arvanitakis' mediocre production of Trial By Jury and The Sorcerer. After close to three hours of staccato notes, operatic singing and overacting the audience is more inclined to climb the walls than to applaud.

The evening begins with an uninspired rendition of "God Save the Queen." Following is Trial By Jury, a short musical which takes an amusing look at divorce court. Angelina (Jenny Giering) takes her lover Edwin to trial for falling in love with another woman. The jurors, beguiled by Angelina's beauty, immediately become biased and prepare to convict Edwin. But before they seal his fate, the judge comes to the rescue with a solution that makes all parties happy.

The full-length feature presentation, The Sorcerer, begins with the marriage of Alexis (David Smith) to Aline (Giering). Alexis, impassioned by his love for Aline, decides the whole village should be as happily in love as he. He employs the sorcery of Mr. W.C. Wells (Michael Rosenbaum), a professional wizard, to administer a lover potion to all of the villagers.

Alexis and Aline also partake of the potion to ensure their everlasting love. Unfortunately, the effects of the drug get out of hand, and someone may have to make a deal with the Devil (Jonathan Weinberg) to put an end to the madness.

Director Arvanitakis should be given credit for undertaking the staging of two productions, making good use of unusual props and making an effort to involve the audience in the production. The scene in which the sorcerer mixes his brew involves a particularly clever use of props, smoke and Alan Symonds' imaginative lighting.

With a few prominent exceptions, most of the performances are solid. Giering, as both the angelic Angelina and the adorable Aline, is by far the most talented singer, and her melodic voice helps compensate for the weaker ones. As the usher in Trial By Jury, Baritone Skip Sneeringer commands the audience's attention but is often difficult to understand. Rosenbaum is especially memorable as the pompous judge in Trial By Jury, less for his singing performance than for his dramatics.

Pete Rosenbaum's set design for Trial By Jury consists of little more than a few wooden structures. The set for The Sorcerer is more elaborate and features some nice surprises. However, the audience expects some sort of set change during the second intermission. When the same set reappears for the second half of The Sorcerer, we are disappointed.

Under the direction of Evan Christ, the orchestra is surprisingly able to maintain the liveliness of the score even after hours of playing. However, it is often difficult to hear the voices of the actors over the brass and strings, especially during Trial By Jury.

The majority of the problems with this double-feature production stem from the unnecessary length of the show and not from shortcomings on the part of the performers or the director. Perhaps if HGSP had chosen to stage The Sorcerer alone, this production would have been more enjoyable.