Gilbert & Sullivan's
The Gondoliers
or, The King of Barataria

June 1982

Directed by Bob Ashby
Music Directed by Paul Green

Cast

Gondoliers
        Marco - Ray Hornblower
        Giuseppe - John Perine
        Antonio - John King
        Francesco - John Hagedorn
 
        Ensemble - Troy Barker, Don Carlson, Ray Dwack, Ed Byrdy,
        Tom Fuchs, Caleb Hathaway, Don Holsten, Robert Kimball,
        Richard Lorr, Sam Luborsky

Contadine
        Gianetta - Felicia Colvin
        Tessa - Elizabeth Ziese
        Fiametta - Linda Fisher
        Vittoria - Mary Sharp
       
        Ensemble - Heidi Barker, Gail Bock, Frances Fleming,
        Ruth Burdette, Laura Cline, Helen DuPont, Elizabeth DuPont,                 Sandra Eggleston, Suzanne Goldklang, Susan Hirtz,
        Syril Lessans, Frankie Lewis, Penny Luborsky, Sue Merritt,
        Anne Moebes, Pamela Owen, Shirley Santilhano, Sandra Stephan

The Ducal Party
        The Duke of Plaza-Toro - David Kramer
        The Duchess - Rosalie Santilhano
        Casilda, their daughter - Sheryl Melvin
        Luiz, their attendant - Robert Kimball

The Inquisition
        Don Alhambra Del Bolero, The Grand Inquisitor - James Felten
        Inez, The King's Foster-Mother - Laura Hubbard

Dancers
        Beth Arciprete, Kirsten Eisel, Carol Federman, Kirsten Eisel,
        Colleen Kearney, Michelle Norman, Debra Powell, Lorraine Reale,
        Stephanie Tse, Judy Wikler

Production Staff

Producer - Marion Scodari
        Assisted by - Tom Fuchs, Susan Hirtz
Choreographer (Cachuca) - Jane Bittner
Technical Director - Don Johnston
Pianists - David Kramer, Nancy Lindley
Stage Manager - Mike Lewis
Orchestra Manager - Arthur Wolter
Set Design - Marion Scodari
Lighting Design - Don Johnston
Costume Design - Judy Campbell, Sue Merritt
Set Construction - Bob Ashby, Troy Barker, Don Carlson,
        Ed Eggleston, John Hagedorn, Lyle Jaffe, David Kramer,
        Frankie Lewis, Karen Lewis, Kevin Lewis, Richard Lorr, Mike Lewis
Set Artwork - Vern Dabolins
Lighting Crew - Linda Berg, Jim Dement, Brian Diggs, Scott Jennings,
                          Karen Lewis, Shenaz Malik, Gil Thompson
Costume Construction Chairperson - Sue Merritt
Costume Construction - Gail Bock, Helen DuPont, Sandy Eggleston
                                    Caroline Hummel, Pamela Owen, Jackie Rupel,
                                    Penny Luborsky, Marge Perine, Marion Scodari
Makeup - Syril Lessans
Publicity - Ruth Burdette, Marion Scodari
Photographers - Tom Fuchs, Joe Hubbard
Public Relations - Greg Grenier
Program - Pensri Kimbitak, Marion Scodari
Tickets - Caroline Hummel, Jim Hummel
House - Carolyn DuPont, Caroline Hummel
Callboy - Kevin Lewis

Acknowledgements - Georgetown Gilbert & Sullivan Society; TAOS; Green Acres School; St. Mark Presbyterian Church; Hortensia Fonseca (Maryland Youth Ballet); Pat And Roberta Smit; Kalmus Music Company; Interlocking Curriculum School; Wooden Shoe Bakery; Judy Campbell; Don Johnston, Dorothy Gallo, and the music and drama departments of Paint Branch High School; The music department of Seneca Valley High School; Jane Bittner's Dance Center, for Cachuca Dancers; Hardware Gity White Oak; Kinetic Artistry, Takoma Park

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Synopsis

The king of the mythical country of Barataria was killed in a revolution; his infant son was put into the care of a Venetian gondolier, though not before the lad was married to the equally youthful Casilda, daughter of the Duke of Plaza-Toro. In the second scene of the play, the Duke, Duchess, Casilda, and their servant, Luiz come to Venice to find casilda's long-missing husband.

Unfortunately for the Duke's ambitions for a wealthy match for his daughter, the first scene describes how, after extensive singing and dancing, two gondoliers named Marco and Guiseppe have married, respectively, Gianetta and Tessa. Unbeknown to them either Marco or Giuseppe is thought to be Casilda's husband although, through one of the pediatric confusions so dear to Gilbert and Sullivan audiences, nobody is quite sure which. Casilda is relieved by the confusion, because she is secretly in love with Luiz and, in addition, has nothing to wear to a coronation.

The Grand Inquisitor promises to untangle the situation by using the persuasive influence of the torture chamber to wring the truth from Inez, the nurse who switched the babies many years before. Meanwhile, Marco, Giuseppe and the other gondoliers depart for Barataria, where the two will reign jointly until the real king is identified. Their reign is excessively democratic in style until a combination of their wives (who arrive partway through Act II), the Grand Inquisitor, and the Duke motivate and train them to assume appropriately aristocratic attitudes and airs.

The main source of puzzlement for Marco, Giuseppe, Gianetta, Tessa and Casilda is who is married to whom, who is left single, and who is an unintentional bigamist. Inez belatedly arrives to solve the puzzle--the king is neither Marco nor Giuseppe, but Luiz, whom Inez had raised as her own. The order of the Victorian universe is restored as everyone winds up with the correct spouse.