Gilbert & Sullivan: Iolanthe

Iolanthe has one of the funniest lines in all of Gilbert and Sullivan. As the Peers (as in the House of Lords) enter, they sing: "Bow! Bow! Ye lower middle classes; Bow! Bow! Ye tradesmen bow ye masses; Blow the Trumpets! Bang the brasses! Tan Taran Tarah Chin Boom!" OK, so you had to have been there; but trust me, it's a riot. Anyway, this "fairy"-story parody on the undine theme, about a fairy who loves a mortal, is a typically frothy confection of biting social satire and innocent sentiment. The performance by the D'Oyly Carte company is about as close to the original production as we're likely to get. --David Hurwitz