Opera Review: "That infernal nonsense 'Pinafore'" gets a handsome setting by Winter Opera

I don’t know about you, but I could sure use some good laughs right about now. Fortunately, Winter Opera is serving up a heaping helping of them this weekend (Friday and Sunday, November 8 and 10) with a jolly good production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “H.M.S. Pinafore or The Lass That Loved a Sailor.” It’s impeccably sung, credibly acted, and smartly turned out in an ensemble of colorful costumes (Jen Blum-Tatara) and cheerfully cartoonish set (the ubiquitous Scott Loebl).

Gary Moss and ensemble Photo: ProPhotoSTL

Yes, Stage Director John Stephens has the Sight Gag Meter turned up to 11, which I occasionally found annoying when I saw the final dress rehearsal Wednesday night. But perhaps that was partly due to the psychic hangover from Tuesday night. It is, in any case, no reason for you not to go and enjoy this tasty little pre-Thanksgiving treat—especially if, like me, you find yourself perpetually starving for more Savoyard silliness here in Mound City.

Winter Opera has been at the forefront of bringing back operetta classics for several years now, and while a couple of the works in question have definitely passed their “sell by” dates, most of them have been delights. And the combination of Sullivan’s irresistible music and Gilbert’s pointed (and sometime still startlingly relevant) satire never fails to amuse.

As is often the case, Winter Opera has assembled a stellar cast of (mostly) WOSTL regulars.

As Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty who firmly believes that his privileged birth makes him a stable genius who women find irresistible (the “startlingly relevant” part), baritone Gary Moss demonstrates once again the vocal and comedic strengths that have made him a familiar face at WOSTL. Baritone Jacob Lassetter, whose stentorian tones distinguished Union Avenue Opera’s “Pinafore” in 2018, is a proper mix of authority and befuddlement as Captain Corcoran.

Brian Skoog and Brittany Hebel Photo: ProPhotoSTL

Brian Skoog makes an impressive WOSTL debut as Ralph Rackstraw, the sturdy sailor in love with Corcoran's daughter Josephine. His clear tenor and relentlessly cheerful approach to the role could not be better. Soprano Brittany Hebel, who was utterly winning in WOSTL’s “Naughty Marietta” back in March, scores another hit as Josephine. The lead soprano in fin de siècle operetta, as I wrote back then, was typically a role that called for solid top notes and vocal flexibility. Hebel has all that along with a fine comic sense. Much as I hate to suggest yet another production of G&S’s “Pirates of Penzance,” I sure would like to see what she’d do with the role of Mabel.

In another fine WOSTL debut, mezzo Emily Harmon has given the role of Little Buttercup (whose Deep Secret is one of the most shamelessly ludicrous examples of Gilbert’s “topsy-turvy” plot devices) a lively sense of playfulness, particularly in her “Things are seldom what they seem” duet with Lassetter in Act II.

Jacob Lassetter (C), Joel Rogier (R) and chorus Photo: ProPhotoSTL

Bass-baritone Tyler Putnam punches out the ineptly villainous Dick Deadeye’s low notes with ease. Joel Rogier, a familiar face and voice on local stages, gets a welcome chance to show off his powerful lower register as the stalwart Bill Bobstay. And the multi-talented Janelle Pierce (composer, conductor, educator, and more) proves that she’s also a solid singing actress as Cousin Hebe.

Scott Schoonover—best known as the Artistic Director and Conductor of Union Avenue Opera—leads the 20-piece orchestra in a crisp if (at least to my ears) strangely re-orchestrated version of the score. As is often the case, he’s also the chorus master, and the quality of his work shows in the musical power of the small but mighty chorus. Sullivan loved to write interlocking counter melodies for the chorus (my favorite is still “When the foeman bears his steel” in “Pirates”) and these singers delivered them with wonderful clarity.

Emily Harmon and chorus Photo: ProPhotoSTL

In fact, “wonderful clarity” describes all of the singing in this “Pinafore.” The English supertitles are there if you need them, but based on what I heard Wednesday night it’s not likely that you will. How nice to hear all of Gilbert’s wonderfully elaborate jokes so well.

Performances of “H.M.S. Pinafore” are Friday, November 8, at 7:30 pm and Sunday, November 10, at 2 pm at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. It’s a shame that Winter Opera’s runs are so brief, but that’s all the more reason to catch them when you can. Check out their website for more information.