THE BASICS: THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD, operetta by Gilbert & Sullivan, directed by Lisa Berglund (stage) and Jaman Dunn-Danger (music), with a cast of 16 including Mariami Bekauri and Holly Bewlay, plus a chorus of 13. 4/24 & 26, 5/1 & 3, Fridays at 7:30, Sundays at 2:00. Presented by OperaLytes at the Amherst Community Church, 77 Washington Hwy (ample parking behind the church) | 860-857-5792, operalytes.com or operalytes.booktix.com
RUNTIME: 2-1/2 hours, including one intermission
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: It’s a story of love and betrayal set in the England of Henry VIII. Gallant Colonel Fairfax (John Clayton) has been falsely condemned to death, and Sergeant Merryl (Ken Schlimgen) and his children Phoebe (Mariami Bekauri) who is smitten with Fairfax from afar, and Leonard (Ben Dunevitz) conspire to rescue him, even though they risk putting themselves into the power of Phoebe’s unwanted suitor, Head Jailer and Assistant Tormentor Wilfred Shadbolt (Ted Smeltz). Meanwhile, Jester Jack Point (Timothy Lane) and his companion Elsie Maynard (Holly Ho Eui Bewlay), two strolling players who visit the Tower of London to perform their songs and dances, find themselves caught up in the Fairfax plot. Unlike the bright satires PINAFORE, PIRATES, or THE MIKADO, YEOMEN is somewhat darker and more emotionally grounded, less satirical, with fewer topsy‑turvy contrivances. YEOMEN is a little bittersweet, ending with heartbreak for Phoebe, rather than the usual universal marriage. But I believe that it should appeal to fans of Broadway musicals more than other G&S operettas.
THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, THE PRODUCTION: Apparently, in this eleventh collaboration (of fourteen) with W.S. Gilbert (lyrics), Sir Arthur Sullivan (music) singled out YEOMEN as his favorite among all his operatic compositions, and I certainly enjoyed this one the most of all of OperaLytes’ recent performances.
That’s in part due to the “less topsy-turvy” plot but also the music. That’s part thanks to composer Sullivan and, in part, because the music direction this time was by Jaman E. Dunn-Danger, whom I first met when he was Assistant Conductor (assistant to JoAnn Falletta) of the Buffalo Philharmonic (2018-2022) and has since guest-conducted for Buffalo Opera Unlimited. He has some serious cred.
The 7-person “chamber orchestra” was very small, but very effective, with only two strings (viola and cello), two winds (French horn and flute), one each brass (trumpet), tympani/percussion, and keyboard. As the late, great Michael Tilson Thomas reminded us at his last appearance at Kleinhans, when it comes to orchestras, bigger is better. But I’ll be damned if this intrepid group of seven didn’t deliver. I was particularly impressed by hornist Jodie White.
And I was, as always, impressed by operatic mezzo Mariami Bekauri, whose combination of vocal chops, facial expressions, and body language is ideal for both Verdi characters, such as fortune tellers, and everything G&S that I’ve seen her in. Now, in modern musicals, having on-stage characters burst into song is a convention that we accept. And while Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The willing suspension of disbelief… constitutes poetic faith” is what makes all theater work, G&S operettas are so “over the top” that you really have to leave all expectations of realism at the door. And that’s part of the fun. Bekauri consistently and artistically takes us “over the top,” but so professionally that it works. It’s never amateurish nor is it mugging. It’s all in service to the role. Check it out. You’ll see what I mean.
The other fine opera-trained voice is Holly Bewlay’s, and I thought John Clayton’s tenor voice was particularly well-suited to his songs. All in all, I found this production quite satisfying, with all roles well-cast, a clever set, and really fun costumes.
Next season, OperaLytes offers two different shows: The first, Offenbach’s opera ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD, is a comic send-up of the Orpheus myth, packed with wit, irreverence, and ending in the famous “can-can” dance. It will be performed in November 2026. Then Gilbert & Sullivan’s PATIENCE arrives in April 2027. Auditions (all voices needed) for both of those will be held on Saturday, 16 May, 5-7 pm, and Sunday, 17 May, 2-4 pm, at Amherst Community Church. To audition, prepare and bring the music for two contrasting pieces from opera, operetta, or classic Broadway, sung in English. You may also be asked to read from the libretto. A pianist will be provided. To reserve a day and time to audition, write to info@operalytes.com.
Lead image: In Operalytes’ YEOMAN, Phoebe (Mariami Bekauri) and Fairfax (John Clayton) share a brief moment