Gilbert & Sullivan's
Princess Ida
or, Castle Adamant

Feb. 19, 20, 25, 26 & 27 and March 5 & 6, 1999 at 8pm
Feb. 21 & March 7, 1999 at 2pm

Directed by Catherine Huntress-Reeve
Music Directed by Sharon Haugen

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Cast

King Hildebrand - David Williams
Hilarion, his son - Philip Bender
Cyril, Hilarion 's friend - Joe Sorge
Florian, Hilarion's friend - Joshua Paul Redford
King Gama - John Perine
Arac, Gama 's son - Blair M. Eig
Guron, Gama's son - Les Elkins
Scynthius, Gama's son - Ira Haber
Princess Ida, Gama 's daughter - Adina Kazyak Ordonez
Lady Blanche, Professor of Humanities - Linda Nadeau
Lady Psyche, Professor of Abstract Science - Denise J. Young
Melissa, Lady Blanche's daughter - Katja Turner
Sacharissa, senior student - Jill Vohr
Chloe, senior student - Leta Hall
Ada, senior student - Lisa Freese
Hildebrand's Jester - Christine Colburn
Professors at Castle Adamant - Fran Fleming, Virginia Garber, 
                                                Rusty Suter
Seniors - Gaye Freese, Debbie Peetz
Juniors - Stephanie Brigham, Lynn Chen, Kristina Reeve
Daughters of the Plough - Christine Colburn, Donna Jaffe
Courtiers and Soldiers - Edward Byrdy, Tom Fuchs, Barry Grinnell,
                                     Barry Hilton, Lyle Jaffe, Charlie Johnston
                                     Andy Krulwich, Julie A. Stevens, Kent Woods

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Orchestra

Violin - Bonnie Barrows (concertmaster), Martin Brown, 
            David Friedlander, Carolyn Larson, Audrey Maxwell, 
            Peter Mignery, Otto Willim
Viola - David Zajic, Amanda Laudwein
Cello - Liz Ryan, Stephanie Swecker
Bass - Alice Mignery, David Ross
Flute - Louise Hill, Jackie Miller
Oboe - Gwen Earle, Birgit Koehler
Clarinet - James Bensinger, Emilio Montoya, Al Vechione
Bassoon - Brett Louis
French Horn - Don Hunter, Lorin Krusberg
Trumpet - Curtis Anstine, Bernard Rappaport, Nicholas Sandifer
Trombone - Jim Stewart, Steven Ward
Percussion - George Huttlin

Production Staff

Producer - Bill Rippey
Artistic Director - Rosalie Santilhano
Stage Manager - Mollie Toms
Dialogue Prompt - Blair M. Eig
Light Board Operator - Kerry Freese
Set Design - Rockville Musical Theater
Master Carpenter - Les Elkins
Lighting Design - Ann Marie Castrigno
Costume Design - Gaye Freese, Denise Young
Costumers - Lisa Freese, Donna Jaffe, Adina Kazyak Ordonez, 
                   Rusty Suter, Mollie Toms
Technical Director (Rockville Civic Center) - Kim Haug
Technical Crew - Ed Byrdy, Tony Dwyer, Les Elkins, Kerry Freese, 
                         Bill Rippey
Orchestra Manager - Amanda Laudwein
Rehearsal Pianist - Jenny Craley Bland
Make-Up - The Cast
Tickets and Box Office - Merle Haber
Program - Leta Hall
Publicity - Ira Haber, Bill Rippey
Set Construction/Painting - Phil Bender, Ed Byrdy, Lyle Jaffe, 
                                          Gina Nowacki, Debbie Peetz, John Perine,                                           Bill Rippey, Julie Stevens
Properties - Mollie Toms, The Cast
Videotaping - Falls Church Cable Television
Photography - Joel Hoffman
House Management - Caroline Hummel
Costume Storage - Donna & Lyle Jaffe
Set Storage - Maureen Roult, City of Gaithersburg, 
                      Rockville Civic Center
Printing - Quick Printing, Inc.

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Synopsis

Act I, King Hildebrand's Palace
Acts II & III, Castle Adamant

King Hildebrand is awaiting King Gama--a neighboring monarch--and his daughter, the Princess Ida, who in infancy had been betrothed to Hildebrand's son, Hilarion. Gama arrives with his three warrior sons who are strong in arm but weak in brain. Gama is an ugly, twisted monarch who enjoys being spiteful and insulting, and yet is unable to understand why everyone despises him. He has not brought the princess because she has shut herself away in a castle where she rules a women's university in which men are renounced as inferior and unnecessary. Hilarion decides to gain access to the university and win Ida's love, and his friends, Cyril and Florian, accompany him. Hildebrand, meanwhile, keeps Gama and his sons locked away as hostages.

The students at Princess Ida's university; Castle Adamant, have been lectured by Lady Psyche, the professor of abstract science, on the theme that man is Nature's sole mistake. They are then addressed by Lady Blanche, who is Princess Ida's deputy and professor of humanities. Princess Ida comes to lecture the students on the superiority of women over men. When all is quiet, Hilarion, Cyril, and Florian climb over the castle wall. Finding undergraduate robes, they clad themselves in them and in this disguise they approach Princess Ida and are admitted into the university as three young ladies. However, their scheme is discovered, first by Lady Psyche, who happens to be Florian's sister, and then by Lady Blanche's daughter, Melissa, who has never seen a man before and is extremely curious. Both women agree to keep the secret. Lady Blanche realizes that something is amiss when she hears the new students speaking with gruff voices. But Melissa plays on her mother's ambitions by persuading her that, if Hilarion succeeds with his plan, the princess will leave the university and transfer power to Lady Blanche, who believes that she should be in charge anyway. During lunch Cyril gets drunk and reveals their secret. Ida, on finding that the new students are men, reels backwards and falls into the river, and Hilarion dives to the rescue and saves her from drowning. Despite this, she has the three men arrested, only to find that the castle has been besieged by King Hildebrand and that her father and brothers are held as hostages.

Princess Ida is resolute. She refuses to yield to the attacking troops and holds the castle in defiance of their threats. But her students are apprehensive of the coming battle and they gradually back down, leaving her to stand alone. King Gama, however, suggests that the outcome of the battle ought to be decided by combat between his three sons against Hilarion, Cyril, and Florian. After Gama's sons are defeated Ida relents, seeing the futility of further struggle and, realizing at last that marriage is necessary to provide future generations, she agrees to marry Hilarion. Hildebrand is pacified and the two factions are reconciled.

Overture

Act I

• Search throughout the panorama (Florian & Chorus)
  
• Now hearken to my strict command (Hildebrand & Chorus)
  
• Today we meet (Hilarion)
  
• From the distant panorama (Chorus)
  
• We are warriors three (Arac, Guron, Scynthius, & Chorus)
  
• If you give me your attention (Gama)
  
• Finale of Act 1: P'raps if you address the lady (Ensemble)
  

Act II

• Towards the empyrean heights (Psyche, Melissa, Sacharissa & Women's Ensemble)
  
• Mighty maiden with a mission (Women's Ensemble)
  
• Minerva! Oh, hear me (Ida)
  
• And thus to empyrean heights (Women's Ensemble)
  
• Come mighty Must! (Blanche)
  
• Gently, gently (Cyril, Hilarion, & Florian)
  
• I am a maiden (Cyril, Hilarion, & Florian)
  

• The world is but a broken toy (Ida, Cyril, Hilarion, & Florian)

• A lady fair of lineage high (Psyche, Cyril, Hilarion, & Florian)
• The woman of the wisest wit (Psyche, Melissa, Cyril, Hilarion, & Florian)
  
• Now wouldn't you like (Melissa & Blanche)
  
• Merrily ring the luncheon bell (Blanche, Cyril, & Women)
  
• Would you know the kind of maid (Cyril)
  
• Finale of Act 2: Oh, joy! Our chief is saved (Princess, Hildebrand,Melissa, Psyche, Blanche, Cyril, Hilarion, Florian, Arac, Guron, Scynthius, & Ensemble)

Act III

• Death to the invader! (Melissa & Women's Ensemble)
  
• I built upon a rock (Ida)
  
• When'er I spoke (Gama, Ada, Chloe, Ida, Melissa, Psyche, & Sacharissa)
  
• When anger spreads his wing (Women & Soldiers)
  
• This helmet, I suppose (Arac, Guron, Scynthtus, & Chorus)
  
• This is our duty (Ensemble)
  
• Finale of the opera: With joy abiding (Ensemble)