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What Is The Plot To 'The Potion' And Where Can One Get A Recording ?

posted 18 years ago by FloatingOpera7
9 replies | jump to latest

This question is for the experts on all things Gilbert and Sullivan. What is the plot/story of "The Potion" which is featured in this film ? They performed a scene from the opera in the film and it seems to deal with a sleeping potion, it has Gothic elements, an evil magician, etc. This is the opera that Gilbert conceived directly after the failure of "Princess Ida" and prior to the making of The Mikado. Also, just where can one get a recording of this rare Gilbert and Sullivan opera ? If anyone out there knows, please reply to this message and I'll be ever so grateful. Thanks. Enjoy the film everyone!

[–] gas-7 18 years ago

The excerpt was from "The Sorcerer" - the first 2 act G&S after they became famous with "Trial By Jury" - in the mid-1870's - it was a revival of the piece that Doyly Carte produced before the advent of the "Mikado". There are a few vinyl and CD recordings, but I don't kow if any ar still current. The basic plot is that after driking the potion, everyone falls in love with the first person they see!

[–] FloatingOpera7 18 years ago

Thanks so much! I was able to locate "The Sorcerer" on CD on Amazon.com which has a vast collection of music. There is a really old late 40's recording which starred actor Danny Kaye! A good modern recording with the D'Oyle Carte Opera is available as is one with the Ohio Light Opera. I will take a listen to all three and see which one satisfies me the best. I read the synopsis to The Sorcerer. It sounds like a great Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. They did some wonderfully entertaining and fun operas, didn't they ? Again, thank you so much.

[–] mike-547 18 years ago

If you would like to see "The Sorcerer", Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan has a rather enjoyable, recent, video available on our website ( www.pattersong.org ) This is not your typical small theatre company archive video, these are professionally done films of an internationally recognized company's award winning productions. Except for the fact that the location was changed from the exterior of an English country manor in the latter years of the 19th century to the interior of a Boston mansion in about 1910 the show is pure G & S and is as much fun to watch as it was to make. (I'm Marmaduke's valet in the film)

[–] mike-547 10 years ago

Of all the G&S I have done over the years (all but "Yeoman" and "Grand Duke"), Sorcerer is my least favorite but if you want to see a decent production get a hold of the 2001 Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society production on DVD, available through their website www.pattersong.org

[–] wmousie 9 years ago

The quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to listen to a recording of G&S "The Sorcerer" is at the Internet Archive, either for playback online, or by downloading in one of several popular formats.

Here is the link:
https://archive.org/details/GILBERTSULLIVANTheSorcerer1953-NEWTRANSFER

Other G&S Operetta are also available at this link:
https://archive.org/search.php?query=gilbert%20sullivan%20AND%20mediatype%3Aaudio

[–] MisterCellophane 18 years ago

I think you're a bit confused. The Sorcerer predates both Ida and Mikado. It was revived to replace Ida after that show closed early. The play that Gilbert conceived of after Ida, that he pitches to Sullivan in the film, was not Sorcerer but yet another variation on the magic potion plot that he had repeatedly used throughout his career.

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Aliens? Us!? Is this one of your Earth "jokes"?

[–] trinitymplayers 17 years ago

Over a year ago, I got to play John Wellington Wells, the main title character in THE SORCERER, and I can assure you it was fun to play! And the patter song he sings "Oh, my name is John Wellington Wells" is to die for! And at almost the same time I did the Sorcercer, I got to play another eccentric magician, Uncle Andrew in a play of THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW!

[–] mike-547 14 years ago

"The Sorcerer" predates almost everything G & S did but it is still obviously the story that is being told in this threads scene in question. A lot of historical fact regarding Gilbert and Sullivan is topsy turvy in the film "Topsy-Turvy"

[–] aegisthus 14 years ago

Yes, indeed. In fact, there is some dialogue in the movie concerning the revival of The Sorcerer. It goes something like this (I think):

Carte: I'm not in the business of staging revivals.
Helen: You are now. (Perhaps this is Gilbert's line)

I apologize for providing only the approximate dialogue. Normally, I would slip in the DVD and watch the segment before posting this response. However, I am on vacation with some friends on the Great Lakes (it's cold here).