Of the two shows of this summer's Skylark Opera Festival, the co-production with Mu Performing Arts of Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Mikado" has gotten the most attention. But "The Fantasticks" provided an equally satisfying experience.
A fantasy-prone Girl and a callow Boy fall in love across a wall erected by their fathers to keep them apart. But once they overcome that obstacle, much of the attraction wears off. This is an archetypal story of innocence disillusioned, leading to maturity.
As Boy and Girl, Matt Berdahl and Quinn Shadko maintain just the right quality of guilelessness without ever becoming cloying. And their voices blend nicely.
Gabriel Preisser cuts a dashing figure as the Narrator and sings the score's most famous number, "Try to Remember," with a dark, expressive baritone.
As the two Fathers, Jeffrey Madison and Paul Coate are comic treats, while still seeming the loving parents.
Robert Neu's direction captures the utter simplicity of the story. He gives the characters enough weight to make the final reconciliation touching.
A Gilbert & Sullivan purist, I was initially put off by the conceit of Skylark's "Mikado." Changing the setting from Japan to Edwardian England and rewriting the lyrics to include references to cricket, botox, cell phones, and Michele Bachmann felt too self-consciously precious.
But I could not sustain a grim mood. Rick Shiomi's direction won me over completely. He masters the G&S style, making the most of the preposterous plot without condescending to it. He honors the masters while creating something truly hilarious.
