To start with what is dissatisfying, to any Savoyard who knows the lines to every Gilbert and Sullivan song, not being able to sing along when someone decides to change lyrics can be particularly annoying. This is the case in this production, where it feels like about 30-40% of the lyrics have been altered or simplified. One of the other issues with this is that the jokes are now quite dated, and I'd suspect that non-Canadians might be a bit puzzled by some of them.
The song "I am a courtier" was cut, which really ruins what could be an almost near-perfect version of the Gondoliers. Cuts in G&S are really unnecessary, and I rarely understand why they're so common, since no G&S comic opera is much longer than 160 minutes. Mostly, this is disservice to G&S fans.
Inconsistency with accents: some are Canadian, some are British, some are Spanish. Don Alhambra features a very funny Spanish accent, and as a comic performance, this is really one of a kind and very funny, so I cannot object to it. However, the actors are all talented and more than capable of the British accents that suit the songs - this is a minor issue however, and it is not as bad as some American recordings of G&S.
As regards good stuff:
While lyric changes are not necessary to make Gilbert and Sullivan funny, one has to be miserable and stuffy not to laugh at some of the choices made in this regard.
The acting is superb, lively, vivid, characterised, and funny. The actors are all truly talented and believe in their performances. While this version is sometimes disliked because the Duchess is played by a man, Douglas Chamberlain's performance is quite good, so I cannot see any reason to dislike the production on this point.
The set is well put together and well used.
The dancing is very well done, and something that many productions of G&S forget. The original D'Oyly Carte productions featured dancing, and this should not be neglected as often as it is. "Dance a Cachucha" with dummies that is absolutely hilarious, and really memorable - apparently this was taken from an earlier Stratford production of something, and it has since been used by Opera Australia. By the end you'll be laughing in tears.
I've never been so impressed and moved to laughter so easily by a G&S production as by this one, and I think it really comes down to the emphasis placed on the fact it is a parody. One isn't supposed to have emotional or dramatic depth, since that would take away from the fact that it's all supposed to be in good (English) humour. While Gilbert wouldn't approve of such lyric or dialogue changes, since one of the advantages of the originals is that they're timeless, as I said before, one can't but appreciate and enjoy the ones done here, even if one would prefer the originals.
