MOUNT VERNON — A pompous Royal Navy admiral smothered in gold braid and a one-eyed sailor named Dick Deadeye. Love between the classes in Victorian England and babies switched at birth.
It could only be the topsy-turvy world of Gilbert and Sullivan, those masters of the English comic opera whose collaborative works have stood the test of time since Queen Victoria was on the throne.
It’s “H.M.S. Pinafore,” 130 years young, which opened last weekend in a sparkling production by Skagit Opera. Gilbert (words) and Sullivan (music) had their first big hit with “Pinafore,” a rollicking shipboard operetta presented here with all the trimmings.
Hardcore G&S fans will get their fix and first-timers will be seduced by the musical and dramatic charms of this lively production, which continues with three more performances this weekend at McIntyre Hall.
Skagit Opera continues to impress with its high level of musicianship and staging.
The two-level set depicting the bow of a sailing ship is effective without being fussy. The costumes are period with the sailors in straw hats and blue or red-and-white striped shirts and red kerchiefs, and the women in voluminous dresses of frills and finery.
About the only thing missing is something the big opera houses have: projected subtitles that allow audiences to read the dialogue that’s being spoken and sung. Not a bad idea with Gilbert and Sullivan, whose wit and wisdom can get lost in the English accents and fast-paced music and patter songs.
That said, you’ll have no problem following the story. Captain Corcoran, commander of the H.M.S. Pinafore, is angling to marry his daughter, Josephine, to Admiral Sir Joseph Porter.
Among his crew is Ralph Rickstraw, a lowly seaman who is in love with Josephine. She can marry up or she can marry down. Gilbert and Sullivan, taking aim at the Victorian preoccupation with social class, resolved the question with a surprise twist and a happy ending.
This “Pinafore” is armed with many Gilbert and Sullivan veterans. Conductor Bernard Kwiram, who is the music director and conductor of the Seattle Gilbert &Sullivan Society, sets a crisp tempo in a clean, well-played reading of the score.
The hard-working cast is well matched, but mention must be made of one standout. William J. Darkrow is one of the region’s busiest G&S performers, and it shows in his polished performance as Sir Joseph Porter.
“Stick to your desk and never go to sea, if you want to be the ruler of the Queen’s Navy,” he sings with glee. He’s accompanied by a group of giggling women (“sisters, cousins, aunts”) dressed in candy-box colors, their sausage curls dancing in the air.
“H.M.S. Pinafore”: A Skagit Opera production of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera at 7:30 tonight and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday at McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. Tickets, information, 866-624-6897, www.skagitopera.org.
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