Inspired by an ask from @shimyereh.

Nothing-Man guards castle Adamant, and is as unsettling as a bed of stinging nettles (short or tall).

I figure the boys escaped by climbing over the wall. Nothing-Man knows he isn’t allowed IN the castle, since he IS a man.

William Russell Flint (British, 1880-1969) • Princess Ida illustrations in the book (7th in a series) • The Savoy Operas: The Complete Text of the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas as Originally Produced in the Years 1875-1896

"Though I am but a girl, Defiance thus I hurl."

William Russell Flint - Princess Ida illustrations in the book Savoy Operas, 1909,  Sir William Russel Flint (1880 – 1969) was a master watercolour artist of the ninteenth century. He also worked in oils, tempera, and printmaking. Flint was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father was a lithographer who taught William art skills at an early age. Flint studied at the Royal Institute of Art in Edinburgh and, then later, at Heatherley’s Art School. He worked as a medical and fiction illustrator. Flint made trips to Spain and would often paint Spanish dancers. Flint regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy.

there are some Shakespeare male characters that you just KNOW they would be tenors

I am reminded of a discussion with @shimyereh about possible similarities between Romeo/Mercutio/Benvolio and Hilarion/Cyril/Florian.

Heh, I remember that. Both trios have a scene about sneaking in somewhere they shouldn’t be, the boys from Ida just do it in song.

Romeo is such a tenor. I’m imagining Benvolio as sort of a lyric high baritone? Mercutio could be a patter baritone — imagine the Queen Mab speech as a patter song! ...And now given that voice combination, I’m imagining the three of them singing a variant of “If you go in” about convincing Romeo to go to the Capulets’ party.

I wrote this crossover last year, but here’s a shameless reblog. Merry Christmas Savoynerds!

This is beautiful!

Princess Ida, as told by Galavant. Or maybe it’s Galavant as told by Princess Ida.

These are all perfect.

A couple of years ago, we did a production of Utopia Ltd where the Utopians not only copied the English, but outstripped them, technologically; the Victorians were shocked to find Utopia had advanced to 21st century technology. I started thinking [at 2:30 in morning] about Ida, and how different the ending would be if Castle Adamant’s learning extended all the way to Genetic Engineering…

(and with a brief nod to another G&S work…)

Hildebrand:

           But pray reflect – If you enlist all women in your cause,

           And make them all abjure tyrannic Man,

           The obvious question then arises, ‘How

           Is this Posterity to be provided?’

Princess:

            Though diverse studies we have determined

            A method by which a child may be born

            From the union of two women.

Hildebrand:

           Is’t Possible?

Blanche: 

           Having consulted *beyond* the Subjunctive Possibilities,

           We determined not only that we May, Might, Would, Could, and Should

           But Did!

Hildebrand:

          What, then, will become of Man?

Princess:

          That is for Men to determine, if he has equal prowess

          To divine what has been easily achieved for Woman.

          Herein lies the virtue of our teaching.

          Go thou, and apply it elsewhere!

Yes! I have wanted this ending! Also I believe @shimyereh once thought of an alt ending in which the lady scientists at Adamant SUCCEEDED in sending a wire to the moon, and a bunch of aliens show up to help Ida fight.

And continuing with interpolating bits of Yeomen into this ending…

Hilarion [to Arac]: Thou art a very brute — but even brutes must marry, I suppose.

Wait, are you shipping Hilarion with Arac? Because that’s a really interesting solution – Ida gets to keep running her school, but Gama and Hildebrand still get their alliance.

And @tenoretofruddigore, the “successful wire to the moon --> aliens help defend Castle Adamant from Hildebrand’s army” idea does sound familiar… Or at least, it’s totally the sort of thing I would come up with. I know we’ve had multiple discussions here about ideas for wacky changes to the Ida libretto.

I like this whole thread. Clearly, we all need to co-direct a heavily modified Ida someday.

Want to perform Princess Ida but only have 20 minutes? Just have her ACTUALLY show up in full armor with a moustachio, then cut to the finale.

YES. That would be so perfect for a “Complete Works of G&S (Abridged)” show.

Relatedly, here’s an idea for cutting Ida down to two acts: Nothing-Man scares off Hilarion and friends immediately after their trio, and easily defeats Hildebrand’s army at the end of Act II. The ladies of Castle Adamant never even know they were under attack.

Advantages of this version: more featured stagetime for the men’s chorus, excuses for recycling music from the Ruddigore ghost scene, Ida doesn’t have to leave her school and marry Hilarion Downsides of this version: probably requires lots of EPIC FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY and several fog machines

@shimyereh i don’t understand, you said downsides but its blank? where are these downsides you speak of????

Certainly not downsides from an audience perspective! I was thinking more logistics.

I... don’t really know much about the logistics of renting and using fog machines. The Romeo and Juliet I was in last spring had EPIC FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY, though, and that required two fight choreographers and a lot of extra rehearsals. (My character ended up getting shoved aside a lot in the opening brawl, but there was a glorious moment where I got to swing my sword at a Montague while yelling at the top of my lungs. Surprisingly satisfying.)

Want to perform Princess Ida but only have 20 minutes? Just have her ACTUALLY show up in full armor with a moustachio, then cut to the finale.

YES. That would be so perfect for a “Complete Works of G&S (Abridged)” show.

Relatedly, here’s an idea for cutting Ida down to two acts: Nothing-Man scares off Hilarion and friends immediately after their trio, and easily defeats Hildebrand’s army at the end of Act II. The ladies of Castle Adamant never even know they were under attack.

Advantages of this version: more featured stagetime for the men’s chorus, excuses for recycling music from the Ruddigore ghost scene, Ida doesn’t have to leave her school and marry Hilarion Downsides of this version: probably requires lots of EPIC FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY and several fog machines

Speaking of G&S universe overlap, this was a thing I made for our society’s production of Yeomen last winter: Leonard’s despatch for the Lieutenant. Clearly, the fire in the Beauchamp was because Leonard was too busy having swashbuckling adventures and arrived at the Tower after the dragon had already attacked. I’m not sure how they managed to repel the dragon. Maybe Fairfax really does practice a bit of sorcery?

Also, it looks like I never posted a transcript for my other Yeomen of the Guard document, so here’s one below the cut, because I’m not sure how legible my attempt at pseudo-Tudor handwriting is in these pictures.

How Dick Deadeye Stole Christmas

All the sailors in Penzance like weddings a lot, But Dick Deadeye, who lived on the Pinafore, did not. Deadeye hated weddings, especially Christmas season, Now please don’t ask why, no one quite knows the reason.

It could be because his name wasn’t quite nice, It could be his ugliness led to this vice, But I think the most likely reason of all, Is his three-cornered, triangular heart was too small

But whatever the reason that his cheer was marred, He stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the tars. “And they’re planning more weddings,” he snarled with a sneer. “Tomorrow is Christmas!  It’s practically here!”

Then he growled, in time with the orchestra’s drumming, “I MUST find a way to stop Christmas from coming.” For tomorrow he knew, all the maidens and tars, Would steal to the shore, by the light of the stars, Find clergymen there, and all would rejoice, “And that’s one thing I hate, all the noise, Noise, Noise NOISE!”

Then the sailors, one and all, would sit down to a feast, And they’d feast, and they’d feast and they’d FEAST FEAST FEAST FEAST There’d be rollicking buns and of course plenty of teas, Which was something Dick Deadeye couldn’t stand in the least

And then, they’d do something he liked least of all. Every sailor and pirate, at the orchestra’s call Would stand close together, the bells would start ringing, They’d stand hand-in-hand, and they all would start singing! And they’d sing, and they’d Sing, and they’d SING SING SING SING!

And the more Deadeye thought of this big Christmas wedding, The more that he thought, “I must stop this whole thing!” For 53 years I’ve put up with it now, I must find a way to stop Christmas from coming!  But how?”

Then he got an idea.  An AWFUL idea. Dick Deadeye had a wonderful, awful idea! “I know just what to do” Deadeye laughed in his throat. “I need a quick Corcoran hat and a coat!” “If I look like the captain, I’ll earn their trust quick, Maidens and sailors won’t know they’ve been tricked!”

“I still need some help, to pull of this crime, But where can I find one?  I haven’t much time!” Then he thought of a man who he couldn’t avoid, A young Baronet, Sir Despard Murgatroyd! Whose ancestral ghosts, who stepped down from a frame, Would never have seen a day’s crime quite the same.

Then they loaded some bags, and some old sacks for mail, on a small creaky boat, and they began to sail. Sir Despard said “Ahoy!”, and their boat started down, Toward the ships where the tars lay asleep near their town.

All the anchors were dropped.  Sounds of waves filled the air. All the sailors were dreaming sweet dreams without care When they came to the first little home on the square “This is stop number one” the old Deadeye Dick hissed And he climbed down the mast, empty bags in his fist.

Then he slithered and slunk with a smile most unpleasant Around the whole room he took each wedding present! Snuff and Tobaccy and succulent chops! Ribbons and laces and peppermint drops!

Then he slunk to the icebox, and took eggs and the ham! He took all the muffins, and strawberry jam! Yes, he cleared out that icebox and every last bun, Why, Deadeye even took their last gay Sally Lunn.

Then he put all the food in a bag he could take, “And now,” grinned Despard, “for the big wedding cake!” And Despard grabbed the cake and they started to shove, When they heard a small sound, like the coo of a dove,

He turned around and saw someone! Who? Why Little Prince Hilarion, who was no more than two. The two had been caught by this tiny young Prince, Who had snuck out of bed for more Christmas peppermints. And he stared at Dick Deadeye and said, “Captain, why? Why are you taking our wedding cake? WHY?”

But you know, old Despard was so smart and so slick, He thought up a lie and he thought it up quick. “Why my sweet little Prince,” the young Baronet lied, “This cake isn’t good for your twelvemonth old bride, So I’ll go and exchange it for things she’d prefer, Healthier food is much better for her.”

And this fib fooled the child, Deadeye patted his head, and got him a mint, and sent him to bed. And when Little Hilarion finally slept, To the next little house those two villains crept….

It was quarter to dawn, all the tars still asleep, When back onto their boat this old duo did leap. Packed it up with mock turtle and two-shilling gloves! Manzanilla, Montero, and amorous doves!

Three thousand leagues west! To Utopia’s Isle, Baronet and the ugly tar drove with a smile. “Pooh!  Bah! to them all” Dick was merrily humming “They’re finding out now that no weddings are coming! They’re just waking up and I know what they’ll do! Their mouths will hang open a minute or two And all those down in Penzance will all cry BOO-HOO!”

“That’s a noise,” grinned Despard, “That we simply must hear” So they paused, and each man put a hand to his ear. And they did hear a sound rising over the sea, But the sound was not quite what they thought it would be

For this sound wasn’t sad!   This sound sounded glad! Everyone down in Penzance, the maidens and all, Were singing!  Without any weddings or balls!

And what happened then? Well, in Penzance they say That Dick Deadeye’s strange heart grew three sizes that day! And Sir Despard, to whom the bad curse had been given, Bestowed it upon his old brother, Sir Ruthven!

Then they brought back the things and the true Captain’s hat, But old Deadeye took solace- he still had his “cat”.

This is beautiful. Bravo!

G&S Misheard Animal Lines Redux

Yeomen, of course, has the most famous examples (”An octopus sired by a dwarf, unless it was a snake.” “Who fired that shark?” “My Lord, twas I, too rashly judge four bears.”) but I’d forgotten that Ida has one during the introduction of the Three Brothers:

“We Are Warriors Three/Sons of Gama Rex

Like all sons are we/Masculine Insects”

Another one from Yeomen: “All frenzied, frenzied with this bear I rave!” *a bear wanders onstage; Cholmondeley and the bear rock out in the background while everyone else starts frantically looking for Fairfax*

(I think in our brush-up rehearsal Wilfred and I told everybody that he had rashly judged four bears. Well, that would certainly make a commotion…)

Iolanthe + railroad propaganda = ???

…the heck did I just read?

Here’s a 19th-century fanfic that’s basically an abridged version of Iolanthe set in an AU where everyone is obsessed with the Chicago & Alton railway line. If it’s an ad, it’s an impressively elaborate one. The illustrations are very nice.

CELIA But Iolanthe is not dead.

FAIRY QUEEN No, because your queen, who loved her as much as a member of the State legislature loves a railway pass, commuted her sentence to travel for life on other lines, and sooner than do it she confined herself in a pond.

LEILA And she is now working out her sentence in Iowa.

OMG if you scroll to the bottom there are Princess Ida and Patience ones too.

I will have to actually read it later, as I am on an actual train arm and Internet on the train is Not The Best.

OMG YOU’RE RIGHT.

And they’re all beautifully illustrated, and all full of G&S characters being obsessed with the railroad. These people created a whole series of Chicago & Alton railway AU G&S fanfics.

Inspired by an ask from @shimyereh.

Nothing-Man guards castle Adamant, and is as unsettling as a bed of stinging nettles (short or tall).

I figure the boys escaped by climbing over the wall. Nothing-Man knows he isn’t allowed IN the castle, since he IS a man.

This is beautiful! Good point about Nothing-Man not being allowed in the castle. How do you think he became its guardian?

I feel like swords would be useless against him, so the boys are lucky to have escaped as neatly as they did! I’m imagining Florian making an initial attempt to fight Nothing-Man, and realizing that this is way out of their league. Hilarion figures out that Nothing-Man’s probably not allowed to enter the castle, and he and Florian start to climb the wall. And then Cyril charges recklessly at Nothing-Man (probably while shouting colorful insults). Hilarion and Florian are too busy shouting CYRIL YOU IDIOT DON’T PROVOKE HIM FURTHER!* to really benefit much from this distraction.

*Hey, that’s even iambic pentameter! So you could totally insert it into their dialogue.

[Link to the original ask, in case anyone’s curious.]

I don’t think the daggers are useful weapons here. But Nothing-Man is generally better at fighting one opponent at a time, not three guys running about like idiots. I figure they just do a little dance with their daggers, then run while Nothing-Man is distracted.

Ahaha -- the mental image of a shadowy specter of DOOM vs. the three guys running around like idiots and doing a silly dance. Somebody really needs to work this into an actual production of Princess Ida.

Also, if Nothing-Man is better at fighting one opponent at a time, that explains why he isn’t more use against Hildebrand’s army.

Inspired by an ask from @shimyereh.

Nothing-Man guards castle Adamant, and is as unsettling as a bed of stinging nettles (short or tall).

I figure the boys escaped by climbing over the wall. Nothing-Man knows he isn’t allowed IN the castle, since he IS a man.

This is beautiful! Good point about Nothing-Man not being allowed in the castle. How do you think he became its guardian?

I feel like swords would be useless against him, so the boys are lucky to have escaped as neatly as they did! I’m imagining Florian making an initial attempt to fight Nothing-Man, and realizing that this is way out of their league. Hilarion figures out that Nothing-Man’s probably not allowed to enter the castle, and he and Florian start to climb the wall. And then Cyril charges recklessly at Nothing-Man (probably while shouting colorful insults). Hilarion and Florian are too busy shouting CYRIL YOU IDIOT DON’T PROVOKE HIM FURTHER!* to really benefit much from this distraction.

*Hey, that’s even iambic pentameter! So you could totally insert it into their dialogue.

[Link to the original ask, in case anyone’s curious.]