After getting home from my first visit to Light Opera of Portland, which is performing the Gilbert and Sullivan tragicomedy The Yeomen of the Guard or The Merryman and His Maid, I had one question: What took me so long?

Fans of LOoP already know that this company, which is celebrating its 10^th season, is a Portland treasure. So it will come as no surprise that its production of Yeomen at the Brunish Theatre on Saturday, October 11 (it continues through Oct. 26), was a stream of steady delights featuring engaging music, motion, costumes and comedy, with a moment of sincere emotion at the end.

As Daryl Browne wrote in her excellent ArtsWatch preview of the production, the plot goes like this: Young Phoebe is in love with Tower prisoner Colonel Fairfax who has been unjustly sentenced to be beheaded for sorcery; this annoys Wilfred, head jailor of the Tower who is in love with Phoebe. Enter Phoebe’s father, Sergeant Meryll, who was once saved in battle by Fairfax and does not want the Colonel to die; meanwhile, Phoebe’s brother Leopold, also a Fairfax fan, has just been appointed as a Tower Warden. Spit, spot the three hatch a plot to break Fairfax out of prison.

If that sounds like a lot to keep track of, it’s actually not, thanks to the talents of everyone involved, including Laurence Cox, who directs; Josh Pounders, who provides music direction; and the vibrant cast and orchestra. Of course Sullivan’s colorful music also sweeps us along with the story, and Gilbert’s clever lyrics keep us entertained with their cheerful references to cruel Tower of London punishments such as thumbscrews.

Another plus of this LOop production is the intimate Brunish theater itself, where every seat is close to the action, allowing audiences to catch each grimace and grin from the splendid cast, all of whom are fine actors as well as singers.

In particular, Phoebe Gildea (as Phoebe), milks many funny moments with their comic facial expressions. Pining for Fairfax, Phoebe (the character) lights up whenever she thinks about how handsome he is, and makes a frowny face whenever his impending execution is mentioned. In contrast, she rolls her eyes when Wilfred, an assistant tormentor at the Tower, declares his love. She also looks thoroughly bored when her father (the wonderful Tom Harper) blathers on about what a great guy her brother, Leonard (Riven Dederian), is.

The Tower housekeeper, Dame Carruthers (Sara Rivara, who is also the show’s producer), adds her own dark and delicious notes to Yeomen. Dressed in a heavy, deep purple gown, her eyes gleam and her R’s roll as she celebrates the Tower by singing When Our Gallant Norman Foes,” a song that personifies the place that maintains King Henry VIII’s laws, no matter how unfair or vile they are:   

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The screw may twist and the rack may turn,

And men may bleed and men may burn,

O’er London town and its golden hoard

I keep my silent watch and ward!

Likewise, Alex Hemsath, as the 2^nd Yeoman, earnestly sings his part in the same song as if it were a love ballad, and the chorus’s animated gestures add texture to the story just as their voices do with Sullivan’s music.

Then there is Cox, as Jack Point, a strolling jester. Unlike some of Shakespeare’s fools, Jack is more endearing than insulting, plus modern-day audiences can get his jokes without explanation from an English professor. His character also serves to nimbly bridge the story’s comic and tragic elements, both of which are captured in his two performances of the playfully sweet “I Have a Song to Sing, O!”

The first time we hear the song, Jack prances and poses as he and Elsie, a strolling singer (the clear-voiced Lindsey Lefler), sing alternate verses, like this one by Jack:

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  It is sung to the moon

  By a love-lorn loon,

  Who fled from the mocking throng, O!

  It’s a song of a merryman, moping mum,

  Whose soul was sad, and whose glance was glum,

  Who sipped no sup, and who craved no crumb,

  As he sighed for the love of a ladye.

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Later, the agile Cox subtly turns the song into a lament. Despite the fact that he’s still dressed in his jester suit, with a pointed collar with multi-colored panels, he makes this scene truly poignant. If its tune or lines are still lilting through your head days later, have no fear: It’s more like having a jaunty friend at hand than an infiltration by a dreaded earworm.

While the main feature on the spare stage is a platform with a bloodstained chopping block, Yeomen is also a visual delight, with lines of scarlet-clad guards marching to and fro, dressed in knickers and pleats, neck ruffs and puffed sleeves. Atop their heads are the slouchy black bonnets of their uniforms, while in their hands each holds a halberd.

Similarly, Phoebe’s blue maiden costume (designed by Nan Dahlqist) provides a nice contrast to all the red, while Wildred’s dull garb matches his personality, which is humorously brought to life by Thomas McAulay.

The program comes with an audience survey, and among the questions it asks what LOop could do better. My response is, “Nothing – just keep such wonderful entertainments coming.”

***

The Yeomen of the Guard or The Merryman and His Maid will continue at the Brunish Theatre in Antoinette Hatfield Hall, 1111 S.W. Broadway in Portland, through Oct. 26. Find schedule and ticket information here.