“Ruddigore”: an Opera in Two Acts

By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor

A light and lively overture set the tone for what the opera would deliver at the University of Houston’s Cullen Performance Hall Saturday. The air inside the center was crisp, and cool a welcome change from the region’s balmy heat and the prolonged power outages caused by Hurricane Beryl. 

As the curtains opened, we found ourselves seaside with a chorus of girls dressed as bridesmaids from the late 19^th century. The fact that they wore  mostly pastel-colored empire-waist dresses and  arranged  their hair in tight curls as they held flower bouquets lent softness to an opera that was supposed to be about a witch’s curse.

A lighthouse guided us to the cool ocean waves, and clouds floated across the sky. Using digital technology to keep the backdrop in constant motion brought the scene to life and helped move the story along.

The chorus of bridesmaids, with all their beauty and youth, sought a wedding to attend, but there had not been one in a while, and this was disconcerting for the village. There was one fair maiden  who had yet to wed, and all bets were being cast that she would be swept up in the arms of the shy and charming young man whose innocence was actually a disguise for a cursed baron. 

As the chorus sang in their British accents, the audience was gifted with their words on a screen above the stage. Though the singing was in English, following along with printed words made the story line much easier to keep up with. 

There were many details in the singing and dialogue about past curses and a once blooming young love that had gone unrequited. There was a chat between the young maidan and her would-be suitor that led to not much of anything. 

The question remained: would the lovely unwed maiden marry the baron disguised as an  innocent young man? Enter another character who quickly sweeps the maidan into his arms and it seems  we are now watching a current made-for-television movie in which the wrong guy captures the heart of the charming young woman. 

Singing, dancing, some kissing  and other light touches lead us down the trail of the wrong romance. Then another character appears, dragging herself out of the sea. In all her raggedness, she adds another twist to the developing love story. 

Yet another dark character lands on stage and throws more confusion into what had seemed to be a storybook romance. 

The costuming of each character immerses the audience in the story and the era. Each performer on stage portrays his or her character with precision and with deliberate attention to each gesture and facial expression,  inspiring the awe at the experience of seeing a live theatrical production. 

Act I ends on the day of what appears to be a joyous wedding, but the audience isn’t left without questions: did they marry? Are they going off on a honeymoon? We’re not sure as the curtain closes.

Up with the curtain on Act II, and it’s obvious no one has as been legally wed and we are now in a darker setting with portraits hanging on a wall leading up to a throne-like chair where the young man who had appeared innocent now takes his seat as a baron. 

The second act tries to be scary, but the music and the fluctuations in the performers’ voices let us know it is all in good humor, and we really needn’t be afraid. 

At one point, all the portraits come to life and the young barron finds himself in conversations with his ancestors, who are very menacing. The combination of their vocal performances creates a slight sense of danger.  The ancestors demand the man commit an evil act or give his life. 

Through his attempt at the evil act, the unrequited love story from earlier in the opera is brought to  light. 

In the end, who will marry whom and does it all matter? These are questions best answered by attending the opera and enjoying some dry British humor set down by the sea. 

“Ruddigore” will be playing again on Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28. You can find ticket information at: https://gilbertandsullivan.org/tickets

W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, the creators of “Ruddigore,” created operas during the Victorian era, and The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston proudly produces operas by Gilbert and Sullivan.  If you are a fan of opera and in particular, those written by Gilbert and Sullivan, you can find out more  at: https://gilbertandsullivan.org/about