The   Durham   Savoyards,   Ltd.'s
Princess Ida Was Seriously Witty

It was time to storm a castle! Unless, of course, your beloved was using said castle to avoid you. The Durham Savoyards, Ltd. presented the satirical Princess Ida, or Castle Adamant on March 20-22 at the lovely Carolina Theatre of Durham. A self-aware blend of stiff opera and silly tropes, Princess Ida is a hilarious subversion of norms, playing off opera convention and gender roles to poke fun at pretty much everyone. Princess Ida was originally written by Sir William S. Gilbert, with music by Sir Arthur S. Sullivan, and was produced locally by James Vollers and Adam Traylor.

The show begins in anticipation with the King Hildebrand (Scott Sino) and the ensemble anticipating the arrival of the wily King Gama (Stuart Albert). Hildebrand's son Hilarion (get it?) and Gama's daughter Ida have been engaged since they were children, and the time for the wedding has come. Yet Hilarion and Ida have never met, and Ida now runs an all-women's university where men are prohibited under pain of death. Hilarion -- with his friends Florian and Cyril -- goes on a quest to infiltrate the university and retrieve his beloved.

Scott Sino (left) as King Hildebrand converses with Erin Conn as Prince Hilarion about waiting for Princess Ida (photo by Mark Welker)

The first act is full of contrary witticisms, from King Hildebrand debating the politeness of hanging a man and holding his sons hostage, to Hilarion worrying about being twice Ida's age when they were betrothed (at age one and two). Stuart Albert steals the show as King Gama in Act I, performing the number "If You Give Me Your Attention" with a perfect delivery as the curmudgeonly, gleefully miserable old man.

Guron (John Paul Middlesworth), Arac (Kent Parks), and Scynthius (Vaughn Greene) demonstrate their fighting abilities (photo by Mark Welker)

Erin Conn gives an earnest performance as Hilarion, walking the line between thoughtful and brash that allows the audience to keep rooting for Hilarion even as he scales the walls of a women's university. Don't be fooled by the jokes; Conn gets to let loose at the end of "Today We Meet" and shows off a powerful tenor voice.

Stuart Albert (right) as King Gama tells a joke to the annoyance of Scott Sino as King Hildebrand (photo by Mark Welker)

Conflict abounds in Act II, as Hilarion, Florian, and Cyril don women's clothes to infiltrate the university and are quickly swayed by Ida's teachings. Florian and Cyril, played respectively by Richard Colin Brown and Emerson Zhou, have excellent chemistry with Conn and are every bit the adventurous buddies with their own moments to shine. Brown and Zhou have so much fun with their roles, especially Zhou in the number "Gently, Gently," in which Cyril gets drunk and unwittingly reveals the men's presence.

Erin Conn (left) as Prince Hilarion and Emerson Zhou (right) as Cyril
hold King Gama (Stuart Albert) hostage (photo by Mark Welker)

Things come to a head as Hildebrand and Gama break into the university by force, in an attempt to make Ida marry Hilarion. Constance Paolantonio digs deep into her character, Princess Ida, pushing back against their advances and trying to preserve her bastion, revealing her aspirations and hopes across several numbers. Paolantonio has a powerful voice that she fully gets to let loose in her solo number "I Built Upon a Rock." Several of the ensemble stood out with captivating expressions and delivery in Ida's scenes, especially Suzanne Crifo as Sacharissa and Mary Elisabeth Hirsh as Melissa.

In Princess Ida, or Castle Adamant stars (from left) Richard Colin Brown as Florian, Erin Conn as Prince Hilarion, and Emerson
Zhou as Cyril, who are disguised as students to talk to Constance Paolantonio as Princess Ida (photo by Mark Welker)

The Durham Savoyards, Ltd. combined a cast of novice and experienced actors, providing wonderful opportunities for the new guard while honoring people who have worked with them for decades. Any mistakes in the show fell well within the campy nature of Princess Ida and add to the satire. Much of the dry humor relied on straight faces and ironic remarks, and the cast did an excellent job of being in on the joke while maintaining the satire.

Constance Paolantonio as Princess Ida discovers the true identity of (from left) Erin Conn as Prince
Hilarion, Richard Colin Brown as Florian, and Emerson Zhou as Cyril (photo by Mark Welker)

The Carolina Theatre of Durham suited the show well, with its grand hall and boxes, though the space was limited in some ways. The actors were unmic'd, but not all of their voices carried; and although the orchestra and ensemble blended very well, the combination could overwhelm soloists at times. The lighting and set (by Ava Bitsas and James Vollers, respectively) was simple and effective, though at times the lack of variance made the scenes feel static. Blocking and movement were similarly sparse, and more interaction with the detailed set would have made some scenes more lively. It is important to remember, though, that both the cast and orchestra must see the maestro, which understandably limits some stage direction.

The Durham Savoyards, Ltd.'s Princess Ida was a fun, witty experience, made all the better by one's own willingness to be silly. While especially gendered, and possibly outdated at times, Princess Ida pokes fun at everyone involved and laughing at ourselves sometimes is as important as laughing with others. The Durham Savoyards' Princess Ida was good for a laugh and a wonderful experience for all involved.

Teddy McKrell (left front) as Lady Psyche and Ada Brown (right front) as Lady Blanche lead the defense of Castle
Adamant, with Constance Paolantonio (top center) as Princess Ida looking on with pride (photo by Mark Welker)

Gilbert & Sullivan's PRINCESS IDA, OR CASTLE ADAMANT (In Person March 20-22), directed and choreographed by Melissa S. Craib Dombrowski, with musical direction by Dr. Joanna Sisk-Purvis, and starring Erin Conn as Prince Hilarion, Constance Paolantonio as Princess Ida, Scott Sino as King Hildebrand, Mary Elisabeth Hirsh as Melissa, Stuart Albert as King Gama, Ada Brown as Lady Blanche, Emerson Zhou as Cyril, Richard Colin Brown as Florian, Teddy McKrell as Lady Psyche, Kent Parks as Arac, Vaughn Greene as Synthius, John Paul Middlesworth as Guron, Suzanne Crifo as Sacharissa, Andrea Zimmerman as Chloe, and Mary Guy as Ada (Durham Savoyards, Ltd. at The Carolina Theatre of Durham). VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/@durhamsavoyardsltd. PRESENTER: https://www.durhamsavoyards.org/, https://linktr.ee/durhamsavoyardsltd, https://www.facebook.com/durhamsavoyards, https://www.instagram.com/durhamsavoyardsltd/, and https://www.youtube.com/@durhamsavoyardsltd. VENUE: https://carolinatheatre.org/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/carolina-theatre-of-durham, https://www.facebook.com/CarolinaTheatreDurham, https://www.instagram.com/carolinatheatredurham/, https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinatheatredurham, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Theatre_(Durham), https://x.com/CarolinaDurham, and https://www.youtube.com/@carolinatheatreofdurham. PARKING & DIRECTIONS: https://carolinatheatre.org/visit/directions/. ACCESSIBILITY: https://carolinatheatre.org/visit/accessibility/. PRINCESS IDA, OR CASTLE ADAMANT (1884 London and New York three-act comic opera): https://gsarchive.net/princess_ida/html/index.html, https://stageagent.com/shows/operetta/1682/princess-ida, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Ida. THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://books.google.com/books. STUDY GUIDE (Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company): https://gsvloc.org/about-us/gilbert-sullivan-revised/princess-ida/. GILBERT & SULLIVAN (collaborators on 14 comic operas, 1871-96): https://www.gilbertandsullivansociety.org.uk/, https://www.gilbertandsullivan.nyc/, https://www.gandsmanc.org/, https://gsarchive.net/, https://gsopera.com/, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Gilbert_and_Sullivan, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_and_Sullivan. SIR W.S. GILBERT (London-born dramatist and librettist, nee William Schwenck Gilbert, 1836-1911): https://www.wsgilbert.co.uk/, https://gsarchive.net/gilbert/life/long_bio.html, https://www.britannica.com/biography/W-S-Gilbert, and https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/W._S._Gilbert, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._S._Gilbert. SIR ARTHUR S. SULLIVAN (London-born composer, nee Arthur Seymour Sullivan, 1842-1900): https://sullivansociety.org.uk/, https://sullivansociety.org.uk/arthur-sullivan/, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Arthur-Sullivan, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Sullivan. INFORMATION: 919-560-3030 or info@durhamsavoyards.org. PLEASE DONATE TO: Durham Savoyards, Ltd. and The Carolina Theatre of Durham. [RUN HAS CONCLUDED.]

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