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In spring 2009, MUGSS will perform
The Sorcerer, as voted for by the Society.
Show dates and times will be confirmed towards the end of 2008.
About "The Sorcerer":
The plot for this all hinges on the drinking of a potion that puts
people to sleep, and on awakening 'falling in love with the first
person they see' with the expected complications. The cure for this is
for the protagonist (John Wellington Wells) to kill himself, and all
returns to normal. Gilbert's 'magic lozenge' plot for the first time.
The opera opens with the villagers (the chorus) celebrating the fact
that 'squire' Sir Marmaduke's son, Alexis, an officer in the Grenadier
Guards is to be officially betrothed to Aline, Lady Sangazure's
daughter. Lady Sangazure is the first in a long line of middle-aged to
elderly contraltos that Gilbert was so fond of. Meanwhile, Mrs Partlet
(she is would you believe, the pew opener...) and her daughter
Constance appear. Constance confesses that she is in love with Dr
Daly, the vicar who promptly enters although not seeing her. Dr Daly
(for it is he) then contemplates the passing of the years after which
Mrs Partlet puts out a few feelers on Constance's part. However the
vicar tells her that his amorous days are over, and that he is
resigned to bachelorhood. Next come on Sir Marmaduke and Alexis. Sir
M. confesses that 50 (!) years ago he was in love with Lady Sangazure,
and she with him. The girls chorus enter with Aline to be immediately
welcomed by Lady S., and rapturously by Alexis who retires upstage
with her. Alexis and Aline are so happy with each other that Alexis
insists that everybody should share his happiness, and to that end he
has obtained a 'love-philtre' from J.W.Wells & Co., family Sorcerers.
Guess who is nearby to come on and sing a patter song. At Alexis'
bidding, Aline fetches a large teapot into which Mr Wells puts the
philtre. All the villagers drink this and fall asleep. End of Act One.
Act Two opens with villagers waking up and falling in love with the
first person (of the opposite sex of course) that they see. Constance
with the elderly notary who officiated at the betrothal ceremony of
Alexis and Aline, Sir M. with Mrs Partlet, and Lady S with J.W.Wells.
Now JWW is getting worried about the wholesale effects his drug has
had. Meanwhile Alexis has suggested to Aline that they drink the drug,
and she initially refuses, but on changing her mind, the first person
she sees is Dr Daly. Dr Daly realises that she is spoken for, so he
offers to leave the country at once, since he does not wish to be a
rival. This is not required of him, since JWW appears and says that
the spell can only be broken if either he or Alexis yield up their
life. No competition and JWW descends through a trapdoor in a burst of
red fire. Everything is back to normal now, and the opera ends on a
happy note.
Set in a sort of village fete in Mummerset - striped tents, the local
squire and the vicar with the teapot. During the original production
run, the ending of Act one and the start of Act two were rewritten.
The current version is better. Only one set can be an advantage. No
costume changes for the chorus. The 1977 show was the one when the BBC
came and filmed for a local series on 'Make mine music', for 'Look
North'. We staged this with a conventional set and costume.A tape of
it still exists somewhere.
Also available for download from the G&S archive
are large numbers of MIDI files contained within more
info about the show.
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