"Cox and Box" Opera by Arthur Sullivan

"Cox and Box"
Comic opera in one act by Arthur Sullivan
Libretto by F. C. Burnand after J Maddison Morton
Little Opera Production
Aviv Ron, Conductor
Neta Amit Moreau, Director
Israel Chamber Orchestra Ramat-Gan
Cast :
Shahaf Regev, Baritone, (Cox)
Yonathan Suissa , Tenor (Box)
Oshri Segev, Baritone (Sergeant Bouncer)
Production Team:
Ronit Segev, Surtitles
Marina Findel, Musical preparation
Anat Berman Yaron, Hair styling and makeup
Zachi Carmel, Light design
Israel, "Olev" Theatre Ramat Gan, November 2022
Video- Ariel Weiss

[@howardgilman5698]

Wonderful version, with real singers giving their all to bring these characters to life. Excellent playing from the orchestra. Combined this version elevates the piece in every way. Sullivan would be proud.

[@richardduployen6429]

Well Sullivan would have been proud if this is really the original version with original keys. Sometimes the claims about "original version" were spurious because there were swapped vocal lines etc.. One aural recording with the Bouncer narrating omitted the Gambling Duet "Sixes". This is possibly nearest to Offenbach in style. In fact "les Deux Aveugles", done in a double bill with the original "Cox and Box", has a gambling duet. Is the dialogue drawn from the farce "Box and Cox" (based on two French farces - Andrew Lamb)? Possibly a few lines can be cut from "Cox and Box" but the Savoy version is really too truncated. I played Box in that. Perhaps they feared the double bill with "Pirates" would be too long. This production is really good with the three characters also with pleasing voices. Fred Sullivan the composer's brother who died early may have been better than Grossmith supposed cause of Gilbert's "So it would if you sat on a pork-pie!". Fred was able to impersonate a real Judge in that role. Like Grossmith, Fred could put it over amusingly with little singing voice (reviews from research done by a Welshman). Fred played both Bouncer and Cox at different times.

[@jamkey8915]

An excellent performance, but I'm confounded by the decision to massively modify the ending act - Cox is meant to receive three letters, the first indicating Penelope Ann's passing and bestowing her fortune on her betrothed (reversing the prior argument with each seeking to claim the will), the second recanting the first and saying Penelope Ann is in fact alive (once again reversing the argument), and the third and final letter declaring her intention to marry another (Knox at the Docks), resolving the argument.
The omission of this back-to-back reversal of the argument severely undercuts the tension and resulting humor at the end of the play. A massive let down to an otherwise fantastic performance.