H.M.S. PINAFORE

Review by Geoff Chapman, Music Critic, The Toronto Star (Friday, April 23, 1999)

"Fresh young voices propel Pinafore"

"H.M.S. Pinafore, which set sail courtesy of Toronto Operetta Theatre last night at the Jane Mallett Theatre, has an absurd plot that qualifies it as farce, with babes switched at birth, amorous plots and the like, but the naughty bits were excised to suit supposed public taste in Victorian England 120 years ago."

"It's dialogue, cloaking slight satire and traditional sallies against contemporary horrors like Mike Harris and cell phones added by G and S (in this case actually director Guillermo Silva-Marin), is daft, but it's fun. Its choreography, choral accompaniment and acting all needs some attention before it reaches full sail, and yet the production has mercurial moments of magic with fresh young voices providing most."

"Eric Shaw is an able singer as well as seaman. His fine lyric tenor is effective as Ralph Rackstraw, who loves Josephine (soprano Michelyn Wright, who…demonstrated attractively rich tones). Daughter of Captain Corcoran (elegant baritone Alexander Dobson), she's also the love-object of Admiral Porter (tenor Barry Stilwell, who understands the credo of G & S humour -- you have to go overboard, all the time. He was hilariously funny without undue exertion)."

"Good use is made of a spartan set with sails neatly seguing into a Union Jack. The orchestra under Robin Wheeler is perky and the generous helpings of old-fashioned stylized comic operetta, where the baddest words are"dammit" and "fie" are welcome."

Review by David Miller, The Globe and Mail (Wednesday, April 28, 1999)

"Cast shines in shipshape Pinafore"

"The Pinafore production that docked Friday night, directed by Guillermo Silva-Marin, is vocally and theatrically the strongest yet by Canada's only professional operetta company. Staging and choreography were simple but scintillatingly effective, avoiding the antiquated and staid traditions for a more contemporary look that still managed to be faithful to G & S theatre. Costumes were clean and bright, although the sailors' hats seemed to suggest a French beach scene rather than the British tars on the Atlantic. The minimal sets, consisting of sails stretched across the back, a few props and rear projections, admitted the theatrical limitations of the Jane Mallett Theatre while dressing it colourfully."

"Barry Stilwell delivered his role as The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B. with force and charisma."

"Eric Shaw as the emotionally high-strung lover sang his role with brilliant vocal command. … His female counterpart, Michelyn Wright as Josephine, the captain's daughter, sang with ardent effectiveness. Barbara Sadegur, Little Buttercup, displayed a remarkably powerful mezzo voice with burnished contralto quality in the bottom register."

"The chorus excelled in vocal quality and diction."