I’m inspired by Rachelmarie’s posting “Combining My Two [name]Favorite[/name] Interests” ” but instead of basketball and names, this interest of mine has to do with [name]Gilbert[/name] and [name]Sullivan[/name] opera (and names!).
I have tickets for the NYGASP (New [name]York[/name] [name]Gilbert[/name] And [name]Sullivan[/name] Players) upcoming production (this [name]January[/name] at New [name]York[/name] City Center) of the infrequently performed opera Ruddigore, and I thought I’d share here the names of the unfortunate male line of the cursed House of Murgatroyd:
[name]Conrad[/name]
[name]Desmond[/name]
Despard
[name]Gilbert[/name]
[name]Jasper[/name]
[name]Lionel[/name]
[name]Mervyn[/name]
[name]Roderic[/name]
[name]Rupert[/name]
[name]Ruthven[/name] (pronounced “rivven”)
I especially like the Scottish name [name]Ruthven[/name], because of the additional gothic reference of [name]Lord[/name] [name]Ruthven[/name], a Byronesque vampire from an 1819 short story by Dr. [name]John[/name] [name]William[/name] Polidori. But I can see the difficulty in using such a name as people unfamiliar with it will tend to pronounce it “ruth-ven” instead of “riv-ven.”
For an added treat (if we have any other G&S lovers here), last [name]Sunday[/name] I had the pleasure of chatting in an off-Broadway bar with [name]Albert[/name] Bergeret (the founder and artistic director of NYGASP) and he later e-mailed me some preliminary stage and costume designs for this upcoming production of Ruddigore ” which will be unique in having been inspired by the illustrations of the late [name]Edward[/name] Gorey (master of the humorously macabre). With [name]Albert[/name] Bergeret’s permission, I’ll share a couple of pics with you here:
– [name]Nephele[/name]
