Iolanthe
Strephon, a shepherd (the son of a Fairy, Iolanthe, and a mortal), is in love with Phyllis, a shepherdess. He wants to marry her, but, although Phyllis also loves Strephon, she has a dilemma - she is so beautiful that all of the House of Lords, as well as her guardian, the Lord Chancellor, are also desirous of marrying her. There are many complications - including the peers being threatened by the Fairies - before a happy conclusion is reached by all.
Casts & Crew
Derek Hammond-Stroud
Richard Van Allen
Alexander Oliver
Thomas Hemsley
Kate Flowers
Beverley Mills
Anne Collins
Sandra Dugdale
Pamela Field
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Also Directed by Dave Heather
The villagers of Ploverleigh are celebrating the marriage of Alexis, son of Sir Marmaduke Poindextre, to Aline, daughter of Lady Sangazure, who just happens to be Sir Marmaduke's old flame. Alexis is determined that all shall share the purity of his true love. He has arranged for Mr. Wells, "a dealer in magic and spells," to administer his best-selling love potion to everyone in the village, including the vicar Dr. Daly. The result is hilarious confusion.
Cox works by day, and Box by night. Their rascally landlord lets the same room to both of them and doubles his profit. But eventually they discover they are not only involved with the same girl... but are indeed long-lost brothers! Featuring the London Symphony Orchestra and the Ambrosian Opera Chorus
In a world gone mad with languid ladies and affected gentlemen, the lovesick maidens of Castle Bunthorne forsake their handsome soldier suitors to pursue poet aesthete - and fake - Reginald Bunthorne. But he loves the village milkmaid, Patience, who doesn't like poetry or understand love. When Patience finally learns what love is, it's Reginald's rival she falls for.
Live from Glyndebourne 1981
Marco and Giuseppe marry their sweethearts Gianetta and Tessa, but neither couple is allowed to leave for their honeymoon, because there is a problem. They are informed that one of the bridegrooms is really the King of Barataria, but nobody knows which. Gianetta and Tessa are delighted with the idea of one of them being Queen, but upset when they are told that women are not allowed to accompany their husbands to Barataria and that they will have to stay behind in Venice
Colonel Fairfax has been falsely accused of sorcery by a jealous relative who covets his estates and money. The Colonel is condemned to death for his 'crime' and waits in the Tower of London for his execution. Fate, however, steps in - in the form of Sergeant Meryll (who owes his life to Colonel Fairfax) and Elsie Maynard, a beautiful strolling singer who has just arrived at the Tower to entertain the people in the company of a strolling jester, Jack Point.
Princess Ida and Prince Hilarion were betrothed when the Prince was two years old and the Princess just one year old. Twenty years have now passed, and the time has come for Hilarion to claim his bride. The Princess, however, has other ideas. She has set up a women's-only University - and men are not allowed. Hilarion and his friends, Cyril and Florian, disguise themselves as women to gain entrance to the University. All goes well until Cyril's unmaidenly conduct compromises their disguise - and reveals the three friends as intruding men.
The Glyndebourne Opera's 1981 production of the Benjamin Britten opera, based on Shakespeare's play.
Also Directed by David Pountney
This hard-edged postmodern production of Giuseppe Verdi's haunting masterpiece brings the story of Shakespeare's bloody tragedy to vivid life, characterized by spine-tingling atmospherics and a triumphant debut by American baritone Thomas Hampson in the title role. This Zurich Opera House production also features a mesmerizing turn by Paoletta Marrocu as the beautiful, power-hungry Lady Macbeth, while striking sets and costumes further enhance the duality of the main character whose rise and fall mirror the darkest impulses of man. Replete with supernatural mystery, sexual tension, and violent power plays, this timeless story remains gripping and chilling for today's audiences and boasts some of the most astonishing music of Verdi's legendary body of work.
Operetta in three acts / Sung in German Five years after Wagner's "Parsifal," Johann Strauss II presented "Simplicius" in the Theater an der Wien. Neither an opera nor an operetta, it was a work that did not fit into any of the pre-defined categories. On the 100th anniversary of the composer's death in 1999, the Zurich opera house presented a new production, the work's Swiss premiere. This production picked up on various impulses from the history of the works origin, using them to create a unique version of the piece. Here, for example, is the "Donauweibchen" incorporated shortly before the end. The Austrian-born chief conductor of the Zurich opera house, Franz Welser-Möst, has left his mark as a native speaker on this "Simplicius" production both here and elsewhere.