Toronto Operetta Theatre’s Gondoliers prescription for what ails you

I arrived at the Jane Mallett Theatre in a bad mood.

I don’t think I’m the only one finding the news on television hard to take. Between the arguments between Zelensky and the White House, or the outcome of the Ontario election I was not in the mood for comedy when I arrived at the St Lawrence Centre to see The Gondoliers by Gilbert and Sullivan as presented by Toronto Operetta Theatre.

My first impression was that the show was getting off to a slow start, that is until it dawned on me that no: it’s not them.

It’s me. I was simply not in the mood, not giving the show a chance.

Before long I started to slip into the wonderful wacky world of Barataria and Venice, distracted by the topsy-turvy romances of Gianetta, Tessa, Marco & Giuseppe.

If you’re letting the news get you down, you can escape through the magic of musical theatre, the operetta of G & S.

Conductor Matheus Coelho do Nascimento is new to me, a talented young maestro who kept the orchestra and the ensemble tightly together, sounding delightful. The quartets and choruses were for me the highlights, both for the choreography from director Guillermo Silva-Marin, and the clear enunciation. Soloists didn’t bring the same precision to the English text, words sometimes getting lost in solos, but wonderfully clear in the ensembles.

Gregory Finney was as usual a standout, his presence energizing the comedy just by coming onstage.

Gregory Finney as The Duke of Plaza-Toro (photo: Gary Beechey, BDS Studios)

The four lovers were excellent musically & dramatically, played by Lissy Meyerowitz (Tessa), Brooke Mitchell (Gianetta), Sebastien Belcourt (Giuseppe) and Yanik Gosselin (Marco). They delivered the quartet “in a contemplative fashion” in wonderfully original fashion, softly & subtly performed as they wandered about the stage. Conductor Matheus, director Guillermo and the quartet of four executed this marvel, one of the best things I’ve ever seen from TOT. Bravi!

(from Left) Lissy Meyerowitz as Tessa, Sebastien Belcourt as Giuseppe Palmieri, Austin Larusson as Don Alhambra, Yanik Gosselin as Marco, Brooke Mitchell as Gianetta (photo: Gary Beechey, BDS Studios)

With every number I found myself surrendering to the upbeat mood. I was ready to open my heart to the possibility of hope and happy endings. It was a really nice feeling, much better than how I felt when I arrived.

TOT and the cast will give two more performances Saturday night March 1st and Sunday afternoon March 2nd.