The Yeomen of the Guard

Though originally in Live and in Color, a B&W kine-scope of this production survives. The video I've seen is grainy and lacking contrast, but the sound is surprisingly good. Broadcast on April 28, 1957.

This presentation had one heck of a Broadway pedigree. Franz Allers, the conductor, was the musical director for Paint Your Wagon, My Fair Lady and Camelot on Broadway. Barbara Cook (Elsie) was in the original casts of Candide, She Loves Me, The Music Man, etc, etc., and she played Anna in the 1960 revival of The King and I. Henry Calvin (Wilfred) was also in Kismet and in the TV adventure series Zorro (Sgt. Garcia) from 1957-59. Muriel O'Malley (Carruthers) starred in the original production of Allegro (Grandmother) in 1947.

George Schaefer was one of the most prolific TV directors.

Hallmark's adaptation is very impressive, especially given the limitations of the TV technology of the time. It was shot live on a large sound stage, with a two or three camera shoot. The TV direction is excellent, with very good camera handling and no awkward cuts. The interesting multi-level set allows for both external Tower Green scenes and scenes shot inside (cross-section of) the Meryll house and Cholmondeley's office. There is good choreography, and the show seems very well rehearsed.

The production, running 80 minutes, is abridged . The tale is narrated by Jack Point in a series of very well-written monologues. Generally, characters deliver abridged dialog, some over introductions to numbers, probably to save time.

'The Yeomen of the Guard' may not be my favourite of Gilbert and Sullivan's operettas, it's not 'The Pirates of Penzance' or 'The Mikado', but that is in no way discrediting it, it's still a work of many pleasures.

Gilbert's lyric and dialogue writing is deliciously witty and resonates emotionally, then again Gilbert's writing at its best was always a sheer delight. Sullivan's music is sublime, then again it and Gilbert's writing always shone even with lesser stories. The story has an effective blend of comedy and tragedy, more so than any other Gilbert and Sullivan operetta which mostly are comedy-oriented. And 'The Yeomen of the Guard' is also interesting for having the most tragic and complex character in all Gilbert and Sullivan in Jack Point.

Of the few productions of 'The Yeomen of the Guard' seen, the best are the ones from 1975, with Valerie Masterson as Elsie, and 1978 with Tommy Steele as Jack Point, both of which are gems. It does fare better than the 1982 production with Joel Grey, an uneven and disappointing production, a lesser entry of an interesting but variable "Complete" collection from the 80s with D'Oyly Carte of G&S productions available and Grey's performance left me cold.

While this production is abridged, especially in the dialogue and the chorus, it manages to not harm the storytelling and the crucial scenes are intact so everything is cohesive still and the music flows remarkably well (not always the case with cuts). In fact, the only fault really of this production is the tinny and compressed sound quality, that does occasionally make parts of the production slightly anaemic and not as resonant as ought, the dialogue at times could have been clearer.

However, this is another gem of a performance of 'The Yeomen of the Guard', an interesting document of how early performances of opera/operetta was done and for a live television performance this is remarkably professional and smooth running. It's very well done, intriguing and beautifully performed, maintaining interest throughout. The set is simple but attractive, the traditional costumes have an elegance about them and the black and white photography has remarkably smooth transitions and is crisp and lovely to look at.

The stage direction never feels static, in fact the leads, support and chorus alike actually look like they're having fun, while also never resorting to overkill or distaste back when opera and operetta was treated with respect. The comedy is genuinely funny and the tragic elements wrench the heart.

Musically the production is impeccable with the only misgivings being the sound occasionally and that one wishes that there was more music and that it was complete. The accompaniment is stylish and lush. The chorus are clearly having fun, are never static and sing with both beauty and tone and engagement. Both couldn't have been better supported by the alert and sympathetic conducting from Franz Allers, a conductor with vast experience on Broadway.

All the performances are extremely good, some of the singing more Broadway than operetta but this doesn't matter in an age when Broadway/music theatre had a different sound, with some stars having an operatic sound to their voices, to now. Alfred Drake is outstanding as Jack Point, singing with gusto and nuance as well as beautiful tone and a faultless blend of the amusing without mugging and the poignant without being melodramatic. Barbara Cook's Elsie is charming and compassionate, again sung wonderfully.

In support, Celeste Holm portrays Phoebe with immense enthusiasm, a perfect document of her being able to sing (very well) as well as act, and Henry Calvin's Wilfred is appropriately unpleasant without the grotesqueness being overplayed. Muriel O'Malley plays Dame Carruthers as a real gorgon while allowing room for subtlety and never resorting to pantomime. Bill Hayes is a commanding Colonel Fairfax.

So in conclusion, very good, often great even, and intriguing but look elsewhere if in want of a complete performance. 9/10 Bethany Cox