Music and Opera Reviews : ‘H.M.S. Pinafore’ in Occidental Festival

The Gilbert & Sullivan canon has been a mainstay of the Occidental Summer Drama Festival repertory since it began in 1960. Thursday, “H.M.S. Pinafore” again anchored in Remsen Bird Hillside Theater, opening the current four-play festival in typically respectable, respectful, thoroughly enjoyable fashion.

Director David Parrish takes a largely traditional view of the work, updating neither text nor setting. He has stripped off some of the vaudeville barnacles that have encrusted “Pinafore”--no encores for Sir Joseph in “Never mind the why and wherefore”--and honors Gilbert’s formal symmetries.

The Hillside Repertory Company has given Parrish a fine young ensemble cast with appreciable vocal skills. There is a campy edge to their efforts--every character acts as though he knows he is in a comic opera--but without condescension.

Jean Gothold sang Josephine cleanly and sweetly, partnered by David Whiteside’s suitably moony, vocally light Ralph Rackstraw. Neither had the musical heft to make much of “Refrain, audacious tar,” but delivered the gentler music with sympathetic point.

As Sir Joseph Porter, Tom Shelton easily stole the comic show. The very model of loony pomposity, he also sang with distinction.

Laurel Meade projected brassy vigor as Buttercup, with sufficient charm to make Captain Corcoran’s infatuation understandable. Phil Crowley’s amiable Captain made little of his serenade, but contributed solidly to the ensembles.

Kirk Graves made the capering villain Dick Deadeye a powerful vocal and histrionic force, nicely balanced by Peter Ballenger’s resolute Boatswain. Sara Whitney’s exuberant Cousin Hebe and Kevin Pariseau’s supportive Bob Becket completed the list of able soloists.

The chorus, trained by Stephen Gothold, sang with energy and balanced cohesion, and frolicked about Susan Gratch’s Gilbertian modeled set at the intelligent, imaginative behest of Parrish and choreographer Mandy Boetsche.

Pianist Marjorie Poe coped handily with windblown pages in leading the occasionally wayward efforts of Russell Litchfield (synthesizer), Pamela de Almeida (cello) and Chris Mettala (percussion). Silvia Jahnsons designed the colorful costumes and Jonathan Wyman lit the production atmospherically.