Top Ten Out-Of-Context G&S Lines

When mitgsp put on a Spontaneous Iolanthe singthrough in January 2002, scwang & co. decreed that the casting was to be Attainable by Competitive Examination, and supplied a list of essay questions.

I was so eager* to sing the role of Iolanthe that I actually put a fair bit of energy into my response. And not only did I succeed, but scwang reported later that mine "was definitely the one application that had the whole EC in stitches :) ".

Anyway, so the part I was proudest of is this first bit, and it still springs to mind from time to time, and that's why I'm putting this up for posterity.

What is your favorite out-of-context G&S Line?

10. "When the balls whistle free o'er the bright blue sea..."
9. "... the tang of a tyrant tongue."
8. "Yes, Frederic, from today you rank as a full-blown member of our band."
7. "They're men with whom you give each other mate, And that's enough!"
6. "the lucid lake of liquid love" [mmmmm... liquid love... -- Ed.]
5. "Oh, my protoplasmal ancestor!"
4. "... penal servitude for life!"
3. "Blow the trumpets, bang the brasses!"
2. "A fairy Member! That would be delightful!"

However, the question has become practically academic thanks to:

1. "Be firm, be firm, my pecker!"


Why do you want to do this show?

The role of Iolanthe resonates with me particularly because (a) I have a weakness for men in wigs, and (b) though I do not generally make this known among mortals, I am myself a former fairy who was banished due to an amorous indiscretion at a tender age. Sadly, while the offspring of this star-crossed union was indeed 50% a fairy by volume -- it was the outer half, arranged concentrically. He could make himself invisible down to the myofascia, but that was of no use considering what remained exposed to view... and what happened to his outer half when his inner half died of old age, you REALLY don't want to hear about.

Given 15 square feet of foam what would you sculpt?

A scale model of the House of Parliament, so that I might pay proper fairy-style homage to it at all hours of the day and night. Because, for all our faults, we love our House of Peers. -- Oh, drat, wrong show again.

Why are sopranos always in pink? What color should tenors be in then?

Sopranos are costumed in pink because the color pink occupies a range on the visual spectrum whose wavelength acts as a harmonic complement to the upper frequencies of the female vocal range, setting up an entrainment phenomenon which decreases the perceived oscillation of the stimulus at the point of auditory processing by the listener.

In other words, it makes them hurt your ears less.

Tenors, using the same principle, ought routinely to be costumed in lavender, but this practice is rarely followed because tenors have enough issues with their masculinity as it is.

Sources: 10, 9 = Pinafore; 8 = Pirates; 7 = Princess Ida; 6 = Sorcerer; 5 = Mikado; 4, 3, 2 = Iolanthe; 1 = Trial by Jury.

*Partly in hopes that navrins would sing the Lord Chancellor, which in fact was exactly how it played out... leading to (among other cherished memories) evelio's quip as Strephon, "Wait, you're my mom, and Brian's my dad... I'm Jewish?"