By Timothy Ruppert
Since the time of the Norman Conquests and the reign of William I, the Tower of London has played a crucial part in the history of England’s capital, serving at various points as home to the royal menagerie, the national mint, and the Crown Jewels, as well as to the ravens who, legend says, protect the throne and country by virtue of their residence on the ancient grounds. The Tower also once served as a prison and place of execution, most famously for unlucky Tudors such as Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, and Lady Jane Grey. Oh, and don’t forget Colonel Fairfax (Mike Goffus), the protagonist of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan’s 1888 The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid, who languishes in Beauchamp Tower while awaiting death for allegedly practicing alchemy. The Pittsburgh Savoyards take on the challenge of staging this rather solemn entry in the Gilbert and Sullivan canon with the vision and heart one expects from this company, and the result, unsurprisingly, is an impressive evening of music, spectacle, and drama.
Music director and conductor Guy Russo leads the terrific orchestra with help from a splendid team including Jordan Speranzo (assistant conductor), Larissa Marple (concertmaster), and Lynette Garlan (orchestra manager). The instrumentalists understand the aural paradox Yeomen presents: the contemporary musician must carry us back to the early sixteenth century via the late nineteenth. Their success cannot be overstated.
Like Russo and friends, stage director Robert Hockenberry and the ever-wonderful Savoyards miss no opportunity to transport the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall through time to the age of Henry VIII. Jane Huff, Gretchen Beck, Lynn Spatafore, and Lisa Grogan merit high praise for their costuming, and Hockenberry deserves praise for his clever scenic design. All respect also to production stage manager Andrea Lisiak and assistant stage manager Inara Manzetti for ensuring the temporal legerdemain works throughout the evening. Garth Shafer (lights), Leslie Clark (properties), and Lara Rogers (house manager) contribute notably, and Matt Lisiak deserves special acknowledgment for his stalwart efforts as assistant technical director and supertitles operator (watch for a hilarious joke high above the stage early in act two).
Because the Savoyards typically double-cast, and I saw the show on its first Saturday-evening performance, my comments and appreciation refer to the members of the Sullivan cast (so please forgive me, Gilbert cast, for being unavailable on opening night). To the surprise of absolutely no one, Goffus brilliantly embodies Fairfax; fortunately, theatergoers can see him at any of the forthcoming performances. Consider, though, the immense talent of the other principals in the Sullivan cast. As I have known for some time now, Leah Grimm (Elsie Maynard) has one of the best soprano voices in town and is also a charming, gifted actress. Good theatre, though, involves discovery, and this production introduced me to three remarkable actors I hadn’t had the pleasure of seeing before. As Wilfred Shadbolt, Alexander Policiccio exhibits effortless gravitas wedded to spot-on comedic sensibilities. Logan Newman stuns as Jack Point, the ultimately tragic fool (or ‘merryman’) whose fate sadly interweaves with Fairfax’s destiny. And, as Phoebe Meryll, Kate Manuel delivers a stellar performance. Manuel has profound storytelling gifts that could land her a spot at a venue like the Public Theater on Lafayette Street in New York City. Luckily, she’s in Pittsburgh rather than in Manhattan. See her, please!
The Pittsburgh Savoyards ensemble never disappoints. My word count militates against naming everyone whose work moved me, but I especially enjoyed Deborah Geary, Brienne Sharo, Kathryn Morosky, and Katherine Ohliger. Geary’s reactions to Jack Point in his last scene were inspired. Beautiful work all around.
If you are interested in time travel, or in theatre made with devotion, thoughtfulness, and love, then visit the Pittsburgh Savoyards’ production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Yeomen of the Guard. London’s calling—as are the early 1500s. Hurry, before this window onto the past closes!
—TR
The Pittsburgh Savoyard’s production of “The Yeomen of the Guard” runs through October 18, 2026, at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, 300 Beechwood Ave, Carnegie, PA 15106. For more information, please visit https://pittsburghsavoyards.org/the-yeomen-of-the-guard-fall-2026/.
