Doing Our Best to Make Things Jolly

As I write this, in January 2007, I’m approaching the tenth anniversary of my first experience with Gilbert & Sullivan. In 1995, my moved from California, where I’d spent the first fourteen years of my life, to Midland, Michigan, where I was to spend the next four. In 1997, I auditioned for the local summer youth theater programs at the Midland Center for the Arts. There were three youth groups every summer, at the time: Interim Theater, which did plays, Teenage Musicals, Inc., which did Broadway-type musicals, and the Gilbert & Sullivan Workshop. I auditioned for all three shows: The Wall, a Holocaust-era serious play, Crazy for You, the Gershwin musical, and The Sorcerer. I was offered some role in The Wall — I can’t remember the details — and Dr. Daly in The Sorcerer. I remember having a bit of a hard time deciding which to do (the rehearsals overlapped considerably), but I ended up doing Sorcerer. Thus began my love affair with G&S. Sometimes I wonder how different my life would be if I’d taken the other role instead.

I was fifteen and didn’t really know how to sing; I’m sure I wasn’t very good. I used to have video of all my Midland productions, but sadly, I leant them to a friend a few years ago and they ended up getting lost. I’d actually be extremely curious to see some of those old productions, to compare them against my memories. I remember that there was a review in our local paper, but unfortunately, I don’t have a copy any more.

The way I remember it, I was out-classed by my fellow principals. I think I was one of the worse performers there. I remember rehearsing the quinet, “I rejoice that it’s decided” over and over again; it took a surprisingly long time to discover that I was the one who was messing it up. I was particularly impressed by Dave Nadolski, who played Mr. Wells; watching him, I think, was a large part of what got me interested in the patter roles. I was always the most excited about the patter baritones, although it would be several years before I actually did my first Grossmith role (Ko-Ko at Rice in 2001). Dave was everything I thought a patter baritone should be. Here he is:

That’s Dave’s sister Kate to his left, listed in the program as “Old, Old Hag”.  I’m sitting below him, with dark lines on my face. That means I’m old. I’m with Melissa Whitaker, whom I remember as a very fine Constance. I haven’t been in touch with any of these people in years. Maybe I’ll try to look them up and invite memories for this page.

Here are a couple more pictures:

Here’s Anna Bensch as Mrs. Partlett, with Dave, me, and Melissa again, obviously in the Act I Finale. And then me with Jennifer Letcher, at “Oh joyous boon.” Jennifer had a beautifully clear soprano for Aline. I was embarrassed to be singing with her.
The director for the production was Carol Rumba, a wonderful woman I had several chances to work with. Much of my early enthusiasm for G&S I owe to her.

Pages from the program:

That cartoon sorcerer was courtesy of Mike “Gilligan” Bennett, who was a friend of mine and also in that chorus. Come to think of it, I think we probably met in that show.

My bio in the program ran thus:

Jonathan Ichikawa (Dr. Daly) - attends Dow H.S. and is a member of the International Thespian Society.  He is an active member fo te drama club and has appeared in Into the Woods, The Playroom, and Fools.

Boring!

As may be clear from my recap of the show, I had a mixed experience with The Sorcerer. I loved the material and the people I was working with, but I felt constantly a couple of steps behind.  Looking back on it, I’m sure that I recognized how much more fun it would be to be really on top of all of the material; I’m a very different performer now.

Ooh, I really wish I could get a look at that video!

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