Martyn Green in "When a Wooer Goes A Wooing"
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- čas přidán 30. 11. 2011
- He is ostensibly portraying George Grossmith in the 1953 film "The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan" in a rehearsal of "The Yeoman of The Guard." But this is a glimpse of Martyn Green's highly regarded interpretation of Jack Point.
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Wonderful to see this after hearing about it for so many years, It is especially interesting to hear and see Martyn Green, who was a household name - well in our Gilbertian household!
Since GG was no longer in the company at the time of this revival, we have here an example of the filmmakers giving Martyn Green a chance to shine once more in the roles he so excelled in. He gave Point a fatal heart attack in his portrayal, but I'd contend the curtain closed before any possibly successful attempt at revival is established or attempted... and perhaps then the merryman might get his maid after all.
Wonderful! Such marvelous acting from Martyn Green. I agree with drumscool, the finest ever Jack Point.
It rings true.
And I thik I forgot to include in the cast Jean Allister -- a wonderful mezzo who graces the few D'Oyly Carte things she did.
"When a Wooer Goes A Wooing" has one of the finest harmonic performances of "Yeoman". John Cartier (who I believe to be Martyn's understudy) also played Jack Point very well, and performed with Valerie Masterson as Elsie.
I was in the audience at a performance at New York's 92nd Street Y (YMHA) where Thomas Round, Jean Hindmarsh, Anthony Raffel, and William Cox-Ife performed in concert.
Round, from the stage, called out to Green in the audience with a rhetorical question, "Isn't that right, Martyn?"
Green was there with a young woman and I have no information explaining. But I can't help thinking: "Ah, sly dog..."
I have given the matter a lot of thought, and I agree that Jack Point should die at the end. This opera is trying to make a point about how the pain of a lost love is not trivial, but can linger forever. If Jack Point does not die in the end but is in fact just faking, I don't think the point is made as strongly. And this was a major love for Jack. It's not like he just had a crush on her. They actually had a life together, and Elsie probably had more in common with Jack Point than she ever will with Fairfax.
All Savoy fans should buy Audrey Williamson's book in which she said for the pure craftmanship of Martyn Green that he paled his makeup for the second act of Yeoman so he would appear sick, and not make it unreasonable he would die at the end.
And die he did, as Gilbert said in times later than the production when he was asked. Hey -- he's the author.
And, BTW, George Grossmith's wiggling of his toe after Jack's "falling insensible," makes me feel he has an artistic blind spot.