by Jeff Grygny
Operas are not generally famous for being tethered to realism, including, of course, Gilbert and Sullivan’s works, which float weightlessly on the inflated self-image of Victorian fantasies—while still not being too timid to fling the occasional satirical dart. One of their most celebrated creations, H.M.S. Pinafore, is best known these days to long-time fans of The Simpsons as the show Sideshow Bob forces Bart to listen to—cementing it as an icon of effete cultural out-of-touchness.
Last week Milwaukee Opera Theatre’s Jill Anna Ponasik, in collaboration with Jeffrey Mosser and the UWM Theater Department, presented an “adaptation” that’s rooted in Victorian England roughly in the way a teddy bear is related to a real bear: the same general shape and proportions, just rounder, fluffier, and somewhat less dangerous. This is fine since, as far as it’s cast of undergraduate theater majors is concerned, the original mileau is so remote, from their perspective, it might as well be set in Katmandu. Not to worry, though: Ponasik brings her usual whimsy to concoct a show that’s light, diverting, and full of the joy of music. Everyone embraces the silliness with an open-hearted sense of fun, clowning it up without trying too hard. And, crucially, they don’t make fun of their character’s feelings, however ridiculous they might seem.
Through it all, Music Director Donna Kummer and her accordion lead a mighty four-piece ensemble; together they create a rich, full sound with an old-time nautical feel. Similarly, the simple lines and bright colors of the set by Christopher J. Guse and costumes by Jason Orlenko at times recall the old Max Fleischer Popeye cartoons (I haven’t seen bustles onstage in forever; Orlenko has crafted an ingenious design that the actors can sit on without looking awkward). There’s a bit of a surf comedy vibe in the air as well, plus, more topically, maybe a whiff of anime’s romantic turbulence and outsized emotions. For a while there’s a modest attempt to bring the setting into turn-of-the-century Milwaukee, with a few lyric changes and costume choices, but nobody takes it too seriously, and it doesn’t last long. The chorus has excellent diction, which is great, because some of the leads could have given their consonants a bit more attention.
The story concerns the perfectly clean and nice titular ship, where there’s absolutely nothing wrong going on—except for three things: a shady looking sailor with the intimidating name of “Dick Dead Eye”— played with scurvy brio by the most excellently-named Ryder Ruck —is hanging around, seemingly up to no good. Then, the finest sailor in the fleet, a lad named Ralph Rackstraw for some reason, loves the captain’s daughter Josephine, but as a captain’s daughter, she is beyond his social station. Finally, the Captain— a fearless leader who is “hardly ever sick at sea”— has betrothed Josephine to the egocentric Lord High Admiral. Much weeping and musical baring of hearts ensues.
Josh Thone plays Ralph with a fine sense of musical comedy: rather like a young Donald O’Connor, his gangly charisma makes him a hero you can cheer for. In the role of Josephine, Serena Vasquez, looking a bit like Olive Oyl (it’s the shoes), sobs and sings equally sweetly, with a touch more fire than your standard issue English heroine. The Lord High Admiral, who delivers one of the most famous patter songs in musical history (you know, the one that did not amuse Queen Victoria), is most amusingly rendered by the strong-voiced Nathaniel Contreras as an entitled nepo baby in mirrored glasses and pink Bermuda shorts.
It’s crammed with enough shtick to keep all but the most attention-challenged viewer entertained: the players quote popular dance moves, indulge in goofy stage business, and scatter little jokes into their songs—such as when Austin Franz as the Captain carefully unpacks a euphonium to accent his woe with an occasional mournful blat; or a trio who athletically trade off a gratuitous concert triangle in a fast-paced ditty. Before the curtain metaphorically falls, many shocking secrets are revealed, which conveniently solve everyone’s problems (patrons familiar with the show had a few extra surprises coming.)
With H.M.S. Pinafore, as with their many other productions, Milwaukee Opera Theatre fulfills their mission of dismantling the barriers between opera and audience. At it’s best, the production is a tuneful trifle, a cool breeze that refreshes and cheers us. And everyone involved seems to have had a jolly good time—nothing wrong with that!
Milwaukee Opera Theatre and
UWM Theater department present
H.M.S. Pinafore
Book by W.S. Gilbert Music by Arthur Sullivan
October 8 through 12, 2025
Creative Team
Co-Directors – and Jeffrey Mosser
Music Direction – Donna Kummer
Choreographer – James Zager
Scenic Designer – Christopher J. Guse
Costume Designer –
Cast
Ralph Rackstraw – Josh Thone
Josephine – Serena Vasquez
Sir Joseph Porter – Nathaniel Contreras
Captain Corcoran – Austin Franz
Dick Dead Eye – Ryder Ruck
Musicians
Guitar – Max Williamson
Accordion/Piccolo/Flute – Donna Kummer
Bass – Hannah Sternberg
Recorder/Oboe – Charlie Marsh
Want to get updates every time a new review is posted? Just send an email to:
playonmke@gmail.com
with the heading SUBSCRIBE ME
And you will be added to our contact list. Your contact information will be used for no other purpose than to give you reportage and analysis of the most cutting-edge, challenging, and inventive theater in Milwaukee!