Reginald de Koven's operetta Robin Hood was a hit with audiences when it premiered in 1891, although critics found the music to be derivative. After Hollywood started churning out versions of the story, the operetta fell to the wayside. The Ohio Light Opera has resurrected it, finally giving modern listeners a chance to judge for themselves. The music does sound most of the time like Gilbert and Sullivan, especially in the choruses, but there are also arias that reflect de Koven's Paris training and elements, such as the waltzy end of the Act Two Sextet. The libretto does not always mesh well with the music. Often, within one musical phrase, a sentence ends and another begins. The second act Finale is almost absurd as the joyful-sounding company puts the Sheriff of Nottingham in stocks. However, it is hard to judge the quality of the music when the performance and recording are less than ideal. Most of the singing is fine, with the exception of Maid Marian, Dominique McCormick, who is painfully not up to the demands of the high, florid arias. The famous "O Promise Me," sung by Sandra Ross in the trouser-role of Allan-a-Dale, would be better if this were a studio recording rather than a live, stage recording. Everyone, including the orchestra, seems to have been recorded with stationary microphones placed at a slight distance. This makes the musical performance sound flatter, but there still is a shortage of enthusiasm in it. The occasional flubs in timing and intonation in the orchestra could be forgiven if the music were more deeply felt. Overlapping with this, and what really reduces the impact of this production, is the acting. The cast, especially Frederick Reeder, the Sheriff, is Acting with a capital "A." Speeches are broadly drawn out, carefully enunciated, and so unnatural-sounding that all the humor falls completely flat. The general sound and story of Robin Hood must have appealed to audiences who were fans of Gilbert and Sullivan, but the affectedness of this production makes it hard to appreciate its merits.
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