For His Curtain Call, Beloved Director Stages Comedic Opera at the Hobby Center

For His Curtain Call, Beloved Director Stages Comedic Opera at the Hobby Center

SUMMER IS A time for lightening up — and the performing-arts community has taken note.


On July 30-31, at Zilkha Hall, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston presents H.M.S. Pinafore, one of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan’s most enduring and entertaining comic operas. The performances will be the last for the Society’s beloved stage director, featured performer and expert on all things Gilbert and Sullivan, Alistair Donkin.

Donkin — a longtime member of the London-based D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, which was created in 1875 to produce and present Gilbert and Sullivan’s repertoire — was contacted by the Society in 1982 to sing in their 30th-anniversary performance of Trial by Jury. “I was nominated, and I came over, and I’ve been coming back ever since,” says Donkin.

Even if you think you’ve never heard a Gilbert and Sullivan song, you probably have, as the music and lyrics of the Victorian era hold the distinction of being ripe for comedic appropriation. (In a bizarre episode of The Simpsons, Bart tries to delay being killed by the maniacal Sideshow Bob by asking him to sing the entire score to H.M.S. Pinafore.)

Donkin attributes Sullivan’s compositional skill as key to the timeless appeal of the operas. “You come out singing the tunes, not humming the scenery,” says Donkin. “You cannot get these tunes out of your head.”

The duo’s unique combination of humorous lyrics, sung in a rapid-fire style known as “pattering,” and Sullivan’s memorable tunes became a bridge between the European opera tradition and the modern-day American musical. Gilbert and Sullivan operas also address social issues that in many cases are still relevant today. “Gilbert was a satirist,” explains Donkin. “So beneath all the froth and enjoyment and fun, there is a biting social comment.”

Historical references abound in a Gilbert and Sullivan opera, so much so that 45 minutes before each performance of H.M.S. Pinafore, there will be a presentation explaining some of the opera’s more obscure subtexts. The opera’s regal and ridiculous Sir Joseph Porter, for instance, was based on the real life W.H. Smith, a member of the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, and known by the inner circle of the government to be gay. “He surrounded himself with female relatives, which is exactly what Gilbert has done with Sir Joseph Porter with his sisters and cousins and aunts,” says Donkin. “Take any phrase in a Gilbert and Sullivan opera, Google it, and you’ll find a fascinating history about that single phrase.”

The Zilkha Hall performances will be bittersweet for Donkin, and when asked what he’ll miss most about Houston, the response is immediate. “My friends,” says Donkin, who mentions the late bass-baritone Ralph L. Katz, who appeared in several productions by the Society. “Ralph and his wife flew to England when my partner and I had our civil partnership,” says Donkin. “He was a cantor in one of the Houston synagogues, and at the ceremony, he sang a blessing a cappella in Hebrew for us.

“That’s the sort of friend I’m going to miss,” says Donkin. “Thank God for Skype and Zoom, otherwise I would never see them!”

Art + Entertainment
Leadership in Action: Clothiers Murry and Karen Penner Celebrate Family Business’ 50-Year Anny

Murry & Karen Penner, Owners, M PENNER

How did you get where you are today? We’ve stayed true to the vision of the store’s founder, Morris Penner, who relentlessly sought out unique product, with exceptional quality being a key element. Morris always used to say, “The fastest way to lose a customer is to bore him” and we agree. A percentage of every season’s budget is allocated to something new and unique. While product is key, it’s not enough. Having an excellent staff and discipline in business practices is also critical.

Keep Reading Show less

EVEN THOUGH WE hope things cool down outside, some folks in Houston are about to get even hotter with the arrival of trendy fitness studio Ritual One next month in Uptown Park. The Dallas-based concept will offer classes like Power Sculpt, Hot Pilates, Power Yoga, Inferno Flow, and Inferno HIIT — all taking place in its infrared-heated studios.

Keep Reading Show less
Style

Evan and Kate Elsenbrook and Elyse and Drew Tolson

SUPPORTERS OF RONALD McDonald House Charities of Greater Houston gathered for a whimsically fun fete at the Hilton Americas hotel. The 2024 Boo Ball was themed "Once Upon a Time," and it raised a true happily-ever-after amount of $1 million — a new record!

Keep Reading Show less
Parties