By Arthur Sullivan & W.S. Gilbert
Director J. Michael Bruno
Music Director Christopher Ramaekers
Madison Savoyards presents Gilbert & Sullivan’s fairy opera, Iolanthe, centered on a feud between a band of sassy fairies and the British House of Lords. Musicians, singers, and dancers take the stage of the Bartell Theatre in downtown Madison from August 1 to 10, 2025 to perform one of the most beloved of the G&S repertoire.
Iolanthe, a fairy, commits the ultimate crime by marrying a mortal. Twenty five years later, her half-human, half-fairy son now wishes to marry a mortal – but it’s a crime punishable by death. Left with no choice, Iolanthe sets out to challenge this law.
Featuring a melodious score and brilliant wit, Iolanthe not only targets peers of the realm and the British system of government but also offers thinly disguised portraits of Queen Victoria and William Gladstone (Liberal PM of the day).
Performed on the Drury Stage