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SYNOPSIS
The curtain rises on the Court of the Exchequer, where a jury and the public assemble to hear a case of breach of promise of marriage ("Hark, the Hour of Ten is Sounding"). After a biased introduction to the proceedings
by the Usher ("Now, Jurymen, Hear My Advice"), it soon becomes clear that the jurymen's sympathies are with the plaintiff,
Angelina. They greet the defendant, Edwin, with hostility. He tries to persuade them that his position is reasonable ("When
First my Old, Old Love I Knew"), but as they are respectable gentlemen, they refuse to make any allowances for the fickleness
of youth ("Oh, I was Like That When a Lad").
The Judge enters with great pomp ("All Hail, Great Judge"), and starts the proceedings by describing
how he rose to his position ("When I, Good Friends, Was Called to the Bar"). Preliminaries dispensed with, the jury is sworn
in and the plaintiff summoned into court: she arrives in full wedding dress, accompanied by all her bridesmaids ("Comes the
Broken Flower"), and instantly captures the heart of both the jury and the Judge. Counsel for the plaintiff makes a moving
speech detailing Edwin's betrayal ("With a Sense of Deep Emotion"). Angelina sobs, first in the arms of the foreman of the
jury, and then of the Judge.
Edwin suggests that he will marry both women ("Oh Gentlemen, Listen, I Pray"), but the counsel
points out that this would be "burglaree". Perplexed, everyone in court ponders the difficulty of the situation ("A Nice Dilemma
We Have Here"). Angelina says that she still loves Edwin, and deplores the loss of his love ("I love him, I love him"), and
so substantial damages should be awarded to her. But Edwin says that he is a smoker, a drunkard, and a bully, and that she
would surely have been unhappy with him, and so the damages should be small. The Judge suggests making Edwin tipsy to see
if he would really "thrash and kick" the plaintiff, but everyone except Edwin objects. Impatient at the lack of progress,
the Judge resolves the case by proposing to marry Angelina himself. This is quite satisfactory, and the opera is concluded
"With Joy Unbounded".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_by_Jury#Synopsis
FURTHER INFORMATION
Adapted from the book "Tit-Willow or Notes and Jottings on Gilbert and Sullivan Operas"
by Guy H. and Claude A. Walmisley (Privately Printed, Undated)
On 25 March, 1875 "Trial by Jury" which is a dramatic cantata in one Act, was produced at the
Royalty Theatre and was played after Offenbach's three-act comic opera, "La Perichole". The Royalty Theatre was under the
management of Madame Selina Dolaro, whose manager was Mr. Richard D'Oyly Carte, and it is to the latter's initiative in following
up his conviction that Gilbert and Sullivan would make a success in collaboration that we owe the long string of comic operas
which have given such pleasure over a number of years to countless thousands and, it is to be hoped, will continue to do so
for many years to come.
The opera opens with the Usher reminding the jury that the breach of promise action which
is about to be heard must be tried without prejudice of any kind, but nevertheless a few moments later he tells them that
when the ruffianly Defendant speaks—"What he may say you need not mind, from bias free of every kind this trial must
be tried!" and when Edwin, the unfortunate Defendant, is pleading his case against the beautiful Plaintiff, Angelina, the
Jurymen turn their backs and refuse to listen.
Soon the learned judge appears and tells the Court, in his famous song, "When I, good friends,
was called to the bar", how he came to be a judge.
Angelina is then summoned, but before she appears a bevy of beautiful bridesmaids come tripping
into Court to the accompaniment of one of Sullivan's most lilting airs.
The judge, having taken a great fancy to the first bridesmaid, sends her a note by the Usher
which she kisses rapturously, and places in her corsage, but when the judge sees Angelina, who enters shortly afterwards in
her full bridal dress and looking very lovely, he hastily transfers his admiration to her and directs the Usher to take the
note from the first bridesmaid and hand it to the Plaintiff who, in her turn, reads it, kisses it rapturously and places it
in her corsage.
As Edwin still refuses to marry Angelina despite her entreaties—"I love him—I love
him—with fervour unceasing, I worship and madly adore"—the gallant judge comes to the rescue and offers to marry
her himself.
The opera closes as the judge steps down from the Bench to the floor of the Court and joins
in the gay dance of the Finale—"Oh, joy unbounded".
Mr. D'Oyly Carte was instrumental in forming the Comedy Opera Company of which he was the Manager.
This Company provided the necessary funds and produced "The Sorcerer" and "H.M.S. Pinafore", after which the Company came
to an end owing to difficulties arising between the partners. Then began the great triumvirate of Gilbert, Sullivan and D'Oyly
Carte.
"Trial by Jury" is of interest in many ways. It is the only Gilbert and Sullivan opera which
is sung throughout, and when first produced Frederick Sullivan, the composer's brother, took the part of the judge. Frederick died on 18 January, 1877, when
Sullivan wrote "The Lost Chord" in memory of his brother to whom he was greatly attached.
A few weeks after the opening night W. S. Penley joined the cast and played the small part of the Foreman of the jury; later he became very well
known for his acting in "The Private Secretary" and in "Charley's Aunt".
The scene is laid in the Court of the Exchequer and the plot consists of a breach of promise
case. A member of the audience may well wonder what he is doing in a Court of "Exchequer" when he has come to hear a breach
of promise case but, needless to say, Gilbert as usual is quite accurate and at the time he wrote the opera this Court, absurd
though it may sound, did try breach of promise cases.
As its name denotes the Court of Exchequer was a revenue court; in fact, it originally started
about the time of Henry II as a ministerial bureau whose duty it was to collect the King's revenue then, as this naturally
involved the decision of legal questions in which the King claimed payment of his debts, the Exchequer eventually became a
Court of Law.
Gradually this court increased its jurisdiction by trying civil cases which were really in no
sense revenue cases until, in Gilbert's day, a breach of promise case could be tried there by the aid of the legal fiction
that the wrong done, as in the opera, to the young girl Plaintiff by the heartless conduct of the Defendant rendered her unable
to pay her taxes to the King.
http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/trial/html/trial_intro.html
Rehearsal Schedule
* for addresses and directions to locations CLICK HERE
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JUDGE
DEFENDANT
USHER
FOREMAN
** NO CHORUS **
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JUDGE
PLAINTIFF
COUNSEL
USHER
FOREMAN
FIRST BRIDESMAID
** NO CHORUS **
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JUDGE
PLAINTIFF
DEFENDANT
COUNSEL
USHER
FOREMAN
FIRST BRIDESMAID
** NO CHORUS **
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ALL PRINCIPALS
ALL CHORUS
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FULL DRESS -
RUN ENTIRE SHOW
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FULL DRESS -
RUN ENTIRE SHOW
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Kansas City Metro Opera
Building a Future for Opera
Kansas City Metro Opera is a non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Corporation
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