Ruddigore’ – Written by W.S. Gilbert. Music by Arthur Sullivan. Directed by Briana Bensenouci. Music Directed by Aldo Fabrizi. Set Design by Laurel Martin, Brendon Chetwynd & Blair Eig. Costume Design by Sue Flint & Donna Roessler. Sound Design by Bill Lopoulos. Presented by the Sudbury Savoyards with all performances at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, 390 Lincoln Road, Sudbury, MA 01776, through March 1, 2025.
By Judy Katzman
The lively and robust overture to Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore, performed by a nearly 30-piece orchestra, sets the spirited (pun intended) tone for Sudbury Savoyards’ grand production of this comedic operetta. Armed with all the elements of a fairy tale – heroes, villains, fair maidens, ghosts, and even a mad woman – Ruddigore tells the story of Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd (David Smyth), a baronet who flees to a seaside village in order to escape a curse placed on his family, one that requires him to commit one crime each day, or die an agonizing death.
Rebranding himself as Robin Oakapple, the baronet is admired by the town’s lovely group of bridesmaids but falls in love with Rose Maybud (Lindsey Buccella, who bears a resemblance to Belle from Beauty and the Beast). Buccella plays the sweet and naive Rose, who relies on a book of etiquette to guide her through life’s tricky situations. Robin’s foster brother, Richard (Ben Oehlkers), a carefree sailor who has just returned from an extended trip at sea, offers to connect the two when Robin is too shy to do so himself, but fails miserably at his task of uniting the lovebirds and instead falls in love with Rose himself.
With multiple story lines that are all connected in some way to the long line of baronets and the curse that has followed them for generations, Ruddigore is filled with humorous twists and turns. One plotline has Sir Ruthven’s proclivity to commit not-so-evil crimes (forging his own will for example), force a visit from the ghosts of his long-dead ancestors, dressed in full regal attire, to remind Sir Ruthven of his somber obligation.
Ruddigore features a strong cast, and Buccella’s duet with the melodic baritone Smyth (“I Know a Youth”), in which they ask one another for advice on love “for a friend,” was flirty and charming. The animated Oehlkers is fantastic as Richard, employing great comic timing. Elaine Crane delivered a wonderful performance as Mad Margaret, who is hopelessly in love with Sir Ruthven’s Brother, Sir Despard (Jeremy White), and her solo performance of “Cheerily Carols The Lark” was outstanding. She, along with Smyth and White, were terrific on the fast-paced, lyric-heavy song, “My Eyes Are Fully Open.”
One of the most touching moments in the production came at the close of the second act, when the ghost of Sir Roderic is briefly reunited with Dame Hannah (Carolyn Kelly Schwartz), the fiancé that he would never marry due to the family curse. Their duet, “There Grew A Little Flower,” was a calm and poignant respite amidst a generally energetic show, and well worth waiting for. Another standout number was “Painted Emblems Of A Race,” as the formidable band of ancestors, led by Sir Roderic (Lonnie Powell), suddenly appear from behind their portraits. Throughout the production, whenever the voices of the leads and the chorus joined forces, the harmonies were stunning.
The bridesmaid union, a cheery group of women always dressed for a wedding, bouquets and all, were whimsical and delivered beautiful harmonies and also executed the clever choreography beautifully. The simple village setting designed by Laurel Martin, complete with small shops and an apple cart shadowed by Ruddigore Castle in the distance, enhances the fairy tale vibe. So, do Sue Flint and Donna Roessler’s costumes, especially those worn by Rose, the villagers and the ghosts of baronets past.
A fairy tale can easily be retold over and over, but the Sudbury Savoyards only perform one large-scale Gilbert and Sullivan show each year. Now is the time to catch this ambitious production of ‘Ruddigore’ For tickets and information, go to https://www.simpletix.com/e/ruddigore-or-the-witchs-curse-tickets-196415#smtx-click
