THE GONDOLIERS: A Strange Case Of Royal Confusion

So the Madison Savoyards did The Gondoliers, or The King of Barataria this evening.  This being a Gilbert and Sullivan farce means that I can't do a plot-line play-by-play, but can only give a bare summary.  

The story is as follows.  Two young men work as gondoliers in Venice, and one of them just so happens to be the long-lost heir to the throne of the island kingdom of Barataria.  The question, however, is which one is it?  Add to the mix the two young ladies who marry the gondoliers, the Duke of Plaza Toro whose daughter had been married by proxy to the prince when they were babies, and a secret hidden by the prince's old nursemaid, and you have quite a chaotic situation on your hands!  Suffice it to say that the whole is settles in the typical Gilbert and Sullivan fashion--a plot twist that is just absurd and hilarious as the rest of the story.  

Overall the performance was good.  The only issues came with the occasional stumble over the rhythm (which is to be expected every now and then), and one young woman lost her voice, but they tried having the substitute singing in the pit rather than just offstage which made the lyrics hard to hear.  

The acting was good even the voices stumbled a bit.  the chemistry between the couples was especially good.  Case in point comes at the very beginning when all the country girls are vying for the attentions of Giuseppe and Marco.  When the two guys choose Tessa and Gianetta for their brides, the other girls react with jealousy before reluctantly letting the rest of the gondoliers comfort them.  "Dance a Cachucha" and "There lived a King" count as the main highlights of the opera for me.  
      
Heck, forget about the acting.  Once again, it's the costumes stole the show for me.  The country girls in their romantic little dresses and the gondoliers in their breeches and waistcoats were so much fun to watch.  And the Duchess of Plaza Toro's dress was a piece of caricaturish piece of hilariousness.  I think it accidentally hit poor Giuseppe in the midriff during the Act 2 gavotte.  

Whole some parts could have been done better, overall it was a good performance.

Medieval Times Pros And Cons

Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a place for those who want to experience a meal with live entertainment.  I went for the first time today and had a good time.  I've decided to make a list of pros and cons just so that I would know what to expect in the future. 

Pros: 
1. The food is good, if a little inauthentic.  Just be mindful of the portion size.

2. The Tournament.  Shaw's Death, what a wonderful tournament!  Granted it's scripted from the start, but then again you don't want to hurt the horsemen.  

3. The little fair before the show.  I just wish I had visited the Torture Museum is all.

4. If you get the V.I.P. Royalty package, you get a front-row seat.

Cons:
1. Wearing those tacky paper crowns.  They clash horribly with my outfit (Red crown with an olive green shirt?  Fashion crime city!).  The Royalty package includes getting your picture taken with the king.  While not a problem in of itself, I can't stand to see myself wearing a paper crown!

2. Being addressed as "My Lady" (or "My Lord" if you're a guy).  That just gets irritating.  

3. Do we really have to keep the lanyard?  

4. The announcer is overly dramatic.  

That's my impression of it.