Ice cold

Welcome back!

It’s a quiet week, but not silent!

Here’s what we have for you:

1. REVIEW: Heavens to Murgatroyd: The Sudbury Savoyards Present Ruddigore

2. 250 Years Ago: British Spies In Sudbury

3. Last Chance for Candidates’ Forum Questions

4. SudburyWeekly.com News Roundup

Let’s get into it.

Heavens to Murgatroyd: The Sudbury Savoyards Present Ruddigore

Review by Ellen Gitelman

Founded in 1961, the Sudbury Savoyards have been committed to producing the works of librettist W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan (aka Gilbert & Sullivan) “’on a grand scale,’ with a large chorus, a full orchestra, costumes, lighting, sound, and top-notch performers.” Gilbert & Sullivan wrote thirteen comic operas together, which the Savoyards produce in rotation. 

This year’s production, Ruddigore, is their 61^st, and the sixth of that show—it should be noted that some of the actors in this production have performed in all thirteen shows over the years—but as the director, Brianna Bensenouci, writes, “While it has been performed before, and will be performed again, the production of Ruddigore you are about to see is singular and will never exist this very way ever again. That’s pretty magical. Or is it scary? Probably both. Both is good.”

My review is based on viewing the dress rehearsal on Thursday night, so that it could appear in this week’s Sudbury Weekly. The Savoyards are one of Sudbury’s most valuable cultural assets, and it’s important to support their work, so that new generations can enjoy G&S’s witty librettos, beautiful music, and timeless stories. As far as I know, they are the only group to perform Gilbert and Sullivan in Massachusetts on a regular basis.  

Ruddigore, Gilbert and Sullivan’s tenth collaboration, premiered in 1887, shortly after The Mikado, one of their most recognizable and successful works. Ruddigore is not nearly as musically memorable, and like many of their works, the story is a bit convoluted and requires a suspension of disbelief; its message of “love conquers all” remains irresistible.

In short, it’s a satirical take on Gothic melodrama. Robin Oakapple, a shy farmer, is secretly Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd, the rightful Baronet of Ruddigore. To escape the family curse, which dooms each baronet to commit a daily crime or suffer death, he has lived in hiding, leaving his younger brother, Sir Despard, to hold the title and carry out his daily bad deed—which he subsequently reverses by doing something good. However, when Robin's secret is exposed, he is forced to assume his title, right before his marriage to his love interest, Rose Maybud. Thanks to her support and that of his comically loyal and gleefully evil former servant, Old Adam, Robin finds a clever loophole to break the curse, leading to a joyful and absurdly logical resolution.

To this reviewer’s eye and ear, the dress rehearsal went off without a hitch, thanks to Stage Director Briana Bensenouci and the dedicated crew. The sets, although not quite up to Broadway standards, still create the feeling of a small town on the coast of Cornwall in England. The set in Act II is especially effective, featuring the interior of the Murgatroyd castle, complete with working fireplace and a wall of portraits of the Murgatroyd ancestors that magically come to life.  

Lindsey Buccella as Rose Maybud is the star of the show, with her innocent voice and demeanor while frequently referring to a book on etiquette to help her behave properly. With her long blond hair and shining countenance, she is very much the picture of the virtuous heroine. She and David Smyth, who plays Robin Oakapple/Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd, make for a handsome couple. Smyth’s acting is very strong; his transformation from Robin to Ruthven is splendid.

Other performances of note: Ben Morse as Old Adam Goodheart, Robin/Ruthven’s loyal servant, was my favorite; Ben Oehlkers’ humorous performance as Richard Dauntless; Robin’s foster brother; rich baritone Lowell Powell as Sir Roderic Murgatroyd; and the members of the Bridesmaids Union (you’ll have to see the show to find out what that means!), especially Clara Haymon as Zorah and a particularly beautiful solo by Debbie Crane.

It’s worth mentioning that the Savoyards are committed “[…] not only to producing the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, but to a chorus and crew which is open to all who wish to participate,” so the main cast is backed by nearly a town full of singers, who all do a yeoman’s job. Aldo Fabrizi does an impressive job of conducting an accomplished orchestra. 

Since the beginning, the Savoyards have raised money to fight hunger, so that’s another reason to see the show. Performances take place in the auditorium at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School on the following dates and times:

Saturday, February 22, 2025, 1:30 PM & 7:30 PM
Sunday, February 23, 2025, 1:30 PM
Friday, February 28, 2025, 7:30 PM
Saturday, March 1, 2025, 1:30 PM & 7:30 PM

250 Years Ago: British Spies In Sudbury

By Jan Hardenbergh

[This story was first published on SudburyWeekly.com here.]

Sudbury has three significant Revolutionary War stories that happened in the town itself. And I use the term "happened" loosely, the stories either march from Sudbury, or pass through the town. The most notable of these is April 19, 1775, when the Militia and Minute companies left Sudbury and marched to the Battle of Concord. The 250th anniversary of that historic day is fast approaching.

The present story takes place 250 years ago in February and March of 1775. It is the story of two British officers, Captain Brown and Ensign D'Berniere, who are disguised as country folk as they survey the land to create a map for the British to use in planning an attack. The pair undertook two trips: one to Worcester and another to Concord. The resulting map is listed as Roxbury to Concord, Roads and Distances, 1775 in the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.

Brown and D'Berniere were instructed by General Gage on February 22, 1775, to "go through the counties of Suffolk and Worcester, taking a sketch of the country as you pass". They walked from the Golden Ball in Weston to Framingham, almost certainly along Old Connecticut Path through Wayland, which was part of Sudbury at that time. See the map of Sudbury in 1776 below.

Ensign D'Berniere describes walking through Sudbury to Marlborough on Wednesday, March 1st, starting from the Golden Ball in Weston.

"- At two o'clock it ceased snowing a little, and we resolved to set off for Marlborough, which was about sixteen miles off; we found the roads very bad, every step up to our ankles ; we passed through Sudbury, a very large village, near a mile long, the causeway lies across a great swamp, or overflowing of the river Sudbury, and commanded by a high ground on the opposite side; nobody took the least notice of us until we arrived within three miles of Marlborough, (it was snowing hard all the while) when a horseman overtook us and asked us from whence we came, we said from Weston."

Thursday, March 2nd, they walked back through Sudbury after leaving Marlborough abruptly at 10:30 PM due to a warning of impending danger.

"we got without being perceived, as far as the hills that command the causeway at Sudbury, and went into a little wood where we eat a bit of bread that we took from Mr. Barnes's, and eat a little snow to wash it down. -- After that we proceeded about one hundred yards, when a man came out of a house and said those words to Capt. Brown, "What do you think will become of you now," which startled us a good deal, thinking we were betrayed. -- We resolved to push on at all hazards, but expected to be attacked on the causeway ; however we met no body there, so began to think it was resolved to stop us in Sudbury, which town we entered when we passed the causeway ; about a quarter of a mile in the town we met three or four horsemen, from whom we expected a few shot, when we came nigh they opened to the right and left and quite crossed the road, however they let us pass through them without taking any notice, their opening being only chance ; but our apprehensions made us interpret every thing against us. -- At last we arrived at our friend Jones's again, very much fatigued, after walking thirty-two miles between two o'clock and half-after ten at night, through a road that every step we sunk up to the ankles, and it blowing and drifting snow all the way."

The long causeway commanded by a high ground is now River Road and Rte 27.

See Brown & DeBerniere, British Spies in Sudbury for more information. https://jch.com/history/250/BrownDeBerniere.html

Last Chance for Candidates’ Forum Questions

By The League of Women Voters of Sudbury

All candidates in contested races for Select Board and the two school committees have confirmed their participation in the League of Women Voters 69^th annual Candidates’ Forum, and Sudbury residents have until 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, to submit questions for those candidates.

Email questions for the contested races to [email protected], or mail them to Candidates’ Forum, LWV Sudbury, P. O. Box 338, Sudbury, MA 01776. Questions on the same topic may be combined for the forum. The identity of those asking a question will not be disclosed. Questions will be asked of all candidates, so questions specific to individuals will not be considered. 

The Candidates’ Forum for contested races is three separate programs, one for each race. Candidates will answer questions for an hour. There is no live program. The recorded programs will be available on SudburyTV cable channels and video-on-demand starting in early March. The election is Monday, March 31.

Candidates in uncontested races will be featured in a separate program; they will discuss the office they seek and why they are running.

The Select Board candidates for the two open seats are Radha Gargeya, Lisa Kouchakdjian and Kevin Matthews.

Candidates running for the single two-year seat on the Sudbury School Committee (SPS) are Elizabeth Sues and Allison Vanderels.

The three candidates running for two seats on the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School Committee are Charles Morton, IV, Eric Poch and John Ryan, Jr.

To ask questions of the candidates in person, Sudbury residents are invited to attend the League’s Meet the Candidates drop-in event at the Goodnow Library Sunday, March 16, 2 to 4 p.m. Stop by and talk to the candidates.

Residents have one month left to register to vote in the March 31 Annual Town Election. The last day to register is Friday, March 21. You can check your registration status and register online to vote at www.VoteInMA.com. You can also register in person at the Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall, 322 Concord Rd., or by mail. Download a registration application here.

If you want to vote by mail in the election, you need to apply for a mail ballot. Applications from 2024 have expired. You can find the application form here. 

Parting Thoughts

The ice from recent winter storms seems committed to sticking around. It’s cold, and unforgiving out there. The burst of storms at the tail end of winter is admittedly demoralizing. It seemed for a brief moment in January that we might escape with a truly “mild” winter, and that spring would be here soon. But can we really count on spring?

Mark Twain delivered a speech that more than perfectly sums up what New England natives know about spring. He said:

Indeed, it’s summer that we’re all yearning for as we return from a vacation week that might have provided a brief reprieve. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in “The Great Gatsby”:

Winter may betray us. Spring may deceive us. But summer is on it’s way.

Onward!