IOLANTHE

Director’s Note:

Welcome to the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston’s production of Iolanthe!

If you’re new to the works of G&S, welcome. You’re in for a treat. If you’re a longtime fan, welcome back. You’ll easily recognize the signature British G&S charm, paired with my stylized staging and design. Instead of the standard pretty and matching fairy chorus, you’ll see a collection of magical individuals inspired by various butterflies, moths, and other bugs. Instead of a traditional House of Peers bedecked in bright Victorian garments, you’ll see the members of Parliament buttoned up in dark, sharp silhouettes that more closely align with the elite and structured affect they’re trying to project—or at least, how we as a modern audience might envision it. In a fairytale piece that was never trying to preserve historical accuracy, I’ve chosen to lean into the whimsy, spotlight spectacle, and prioritize the story.

And this show makes that so very fun to do. One of my favorite things about operetta is that it combines the best of opera and musical theatre. You’ll hear lush, intricate music alongside pithy dialogue and buoyant dance numbers. There’s a reason societies around the globe continue to produce Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas, and Iolanthe, though performed less often than Pinafore or Pirates (currently on Broadway), deserves its due. Its vocal demands are rich, its political satire is sharp, and its emotional core runs surprisingly deep.

It’s easy to see comedic characters as two-dimensional—a series of cartoonish vignettes stitched together into something funny and light. But in Iolanthe, G&S give us more than that. Yes, the show delights in poking fun at bureaucracy, class systems, and the absurdity of Parliament—but tucked within the silliness is real emotional resonance. Here, love wears many faces: young and starry-eyed, forbidden and hard-won, unrequited, rekindled. We witness not just romantic love, but the longing for connection, for reconciliation, for a world where rules can bend in favor of the heart.

Beneath the evergreen trappings of satire and spectacle, the heart of this story is what I love the most. It’s about loving someone in spite of—or perhaps because of—their flaws and quirks. It’s about reaching across artificial barriers—social class, political rank, even species—to choose love, understanding, and belonging.

I hope you enjoy this fresh take on a beloved story. Thank you for joining us!

—Alyssa Weathersby