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Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing, but still worth seeing
Review: I hope someone someday will release a definitive video of Yeomen. This one is not it, although it is better than nothing and seems to be the only version available. Yeomen should be much better known, both to serious opera lovers and to G&S fans. Hoever, it is almost never performed outside Britain, and not very often there. There are two main problems with this version- it was cut to fit a TV length and Joel Grey was miscast as the jester Jack Point. There are several numbers missing from the middle of both acts. Act two in particular has a very abrupt and truncated feel. Joel Grey is a fine musical comedy performer, but he is out of his league in this more operatic work. This is particularly noticeable in his duets with Elizabeth Gale as Elsie and Alfred Marks as Wilfred- both of them very strong singers. The casting of comedians or Broadway performers in G&S productions might work for The Mikado or Pirates of Penzance, but not for Yeomen. Another quibble with the whole Opera World series - for the DVD release, why didn't they do optional English subtitles for the musical numbers? It probably would have been easier and cheaper than including a printed libretto with each disc.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing, but still worth seeing
Review: I hope someone someday will release a definitive video of Yeomen. This one is not it, although it is better than nothing and seems to be the only version available. Yeomen should be much better known, both to serious opera lovers and to G&S fans. Hoever, it is almost never performed outside Britain, and not very often there. There are two main problems with this version- it was cut to fit a TV length and Joel Grey was miscast as the jester Jack Point. There are several numbers missing from the middle of both acts. Act two in particular has a very abrupt and truncated feel. Joel Grey is a fine musical comedy performer, but he is out of his league in this more operatic work. This is particularly noticeable in his duets with Elizabeth Gale as Elsie and Alfred Marks as Wilfred- both of them very strong singers. The casting of comedians or Broadway performers in G&S productions might work for The Mikado or Pirates of Penzance, but not for Yeomen. Another quibble with the whole Opera World series - for the DVD release, why didn't they do optional English subtitles for the musical numbers? It probably would have been easier and cheaper than including a printed libretto with each disc.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent in parts, but far from being a definitive version
Review: In general this is an excellent production, with high quality music and singing in the best D'Oyly Carte tradition. Elizabeth Gale as Elsie Maynard and Elizabeth Bainbridge as Dame Carruthers are both superb. They capture the parts to perfection, both in singing and acting. Geoffrey Chard as Sergeant Meryll, Peter Savidge as the Lieutenant, and Alfred Marks as Wilfred Shadbolt are also excellent. But I've given this version only 4 stars because there are some definite problems with it. Joel Grey is good, but somehow his rendition of Jack Point just doesn't quite work. The part of Phoebe is a good example of how *not* to do it - fake accent, very poor acting, and excessively operatic singing. The introduction by Douglas Fairbanks reaches an apex of inanity, but it's easy to skip it. More importantly, several songs and some parts of the dialog are cut. I don't know how anyone with a heart, or with any feeling for G&S, could have cut 'Is life a boon?' from the Yeomen of the Guard. The words are even engraved on Gilbert's tombstone. Still, on the whole, I'd say it's definitely worth watching.
Rating: 
Summary: A sadly lackluster production
Review: It is a shame that this seems to be the only widely-distributed video recording of Yeomen of the Guard. In my opinion it was Gilbert and Sullivan's best collaboration, but this production fails to capture its spirit. A crucial element Yeomen's greatness is its balance of humor and pathos, but the humor is completely missing here. Joel Grey, especially, in his drab costume, seems to miss the Point (forgive the pun) entirely. Without seeing his brighter side, I felt no sympathy for him at the end. In fact, all of the actors cover up the humor. I also feel that the choreography is extremely dull. In some places, the chorus walks aimlessly around like zombies. The numerous cuts further detract from this performance, especially in the second act. On the positive side, the singing (with the possible exception of Joel Grey) is generally very good. Nevertheless, if you want to see Yeomen as it was meant to be performed, go see a good live production.
Rating:
Summary: A fine production marred by cuts
Review: The Brent-Walker series is currently the only complete (except for "Utopia, Limited" and "The Grand Duke") video set of Gilbert and Sullivan operas available. And, as far as I can tell, this is the only version of "Yeomen of the Guard" available on video in the U. S. This is the "serious" Gilbert and Sullivan, the closest thing to a grand opera the pair would ever do. If, like me, you have viewed the entire Brent-Walker series, you'll know that this production relies less on cutesy camera tricks and more on characterization and a real sense of the opera's purpose. The costumes and sets are really lovely, and the acting is very good, considering that many of the cast are singers before they are actors. Particular mention must be made of Alfred Marks as a likable Wilfred and Elizabeth Gale as a sympathetic Elsie (which is no mean feat; I consider Elsie the least sympathetic herione in the G & S canon). Pride of place, however, must go to Joel Grey's Jack Point, a stunning portrayal. I know there are those who disagree with me (I read one review that called him "dull as dishwater") but I find Grey a wonderful Point. He shouldn't be, of course -- he plays the part with an American accent and is a high tenor rather than the baritone the role calls for. However, the accent helps to mark Point as an outsider, and Grey has no problem with the lower end of his range. He really plays the role with a sense of the bitterness underneath the jester's facade, without alienating the affection of the audience. Jack Point is the pivotal part in this piece; depending on how the actor chooses to portray him, "Yeomen" can end up being a light operetta or a dark opera. Here, it is most decidedly the latter. Grey is especially moving in the final scene as well -- if he doesn't break your heart, you really must be a cynic. My review has been positive thus far, so why only three stars? Alas, the video is marred by the excision of no fewer than six entire numbers, as well as the opening verse of Phoebe's spinning song. Some of the most famous songs are gone -- both of Fairfax's arias as well as the quartets "When a Wooer goes a-wooing" and "Strange adventure." The decision for the elimination of these numbers is inexplicable. Apparently some of them were filmed and shown on the BBC broadcast, but no video version contains them. There is missing dialogue as well, most notably the scene between Elsie and the disguised Fairfax and the scene when Dame Carruthers discovers Sergeant Meryll's secret. Presumably these cuts were made so that the piece would fit into the two-hour time slot alotted to the other videos, but if so, that is a poor reason. So enjoy this video for what is there: costumes, sets, performances (especially Grey), but make sure you have a good recording handy so you don't have to do without the missing music.
Rating:
Summary: A fine production marred by cuts
Review: The Brent-Walker series is currently the only complete (except for "Utopia, Limited" and "The Grand Duke") video set of Gilbert and Sullivan operas available. And, as far as I can tell, this is the only version of "Yeomen of the Guard" available on video in the U. S. This is the "serious" Gilbert and Sullivan, the closest thing to a grand opera the pair would ever do. If, like me, you have viewed the entire Brent-Walker series, you'll know that this production relies less on cutesy camera tricks and more on characterization and a real sense of the opera's purpose. The costumes and sets are really lovely, and the acting is very good, considering that many of the cast are singers before they are actors. Particular mention must be made of Alfred Marks as a likable Wilfred and Elizabeth Gale as a sympathetic Elsie (which is no mean feat; I consider Elsie the least sympathetic herione in the G & S canon). Pride of place, however, must go to Joel Grey's Jack Point, a stunning portrayal. I know there are those who disagree with me (I read one review that called him "dull as dishwater") but I find Grey a wonderful Point. He shouldn't be, of course -- he plays the part with an American accent and is a high tenor rather than the baritone the role calls for. However, the accent helps to mark Point as an outsider, and Grey has no problem with the lower end of his range. He really plays the role with a sense of the bitterness underneath the jester's facade, without alienating the affection of the audience. Jack Point is the pivotal part in this piece; depending on how the actor chooses to portray him, "Yeomen" can end up being a light operetta or a dark opera. Here, it is most decidedly the latter. Grey is especially moving in the final scene as well -- if he doesn't break your heart, you really must be a cynic. My review has been positive thus far, so why only three stars? Alas, the video is marred by the excision of no fewer than six entire numbers, as well as the opening verse of Phoebe's spinning song. Some of the most famous songs are gone -- both of Fairfax's arias as well as the quartets "When a Wooer goes a-wooing" and "Strange adventure." The decision for the elimination of these numbers is inexplicable. Apparently some of them were filmed and shown on the BBC broadcast, but no video version contains them. There is missing dialogue as well, most notably the scene between Elsie and the disguised Fairfax and the scene when Dame Carruthers discovers Sergeant Meryll's secret. Presumably these cuts were made so that the piece would fit into the two-hour time slot alotted to the other videos, but if so, that is a poor reason. So enjoy this video for what is there: costumes, sets, performances (especially Grey), but make sure you have a good recording handy so you don't have to do without the missing music.
Rating:
Summary: Could have been much better
Review: This movie has some good scenes, all of which involving Joel Grey. But, for the most part it's boring and corny. This is the closest Gilbert and Sullivan ever got to an opera and you can feel it. They have long, boring passages of chorus that are kind of pointless. Joel Grey's performance lights up the screen though. His Jack Point is so full of ambition and pathos that you have to empathize with him. The guy playing Fairfax is ugly, not very good at singing or acting and comes across as a total jerk. Another problem is that most of the actors are from the stage because when they sing or act they look DIRECTLY AT THE CAMARA. This gets to be very irratating and distracting. If you ever get the oppurtunity to watch it without buying it I'd say go for it. But, unless it's really cheap, I wouldn't endorse buying it.
Rating:
Summary: Could have been much better
Review: This movie has some good scenes, all of which involving Joel Grey. But, for the most part it's boring and corny. This is the closest Gilbert and Sullivan ever got to an opera and you can feel it. They have long, boring passages of chorus that are kind of pointless. Joel Grey's performance lights up the screen though. His Jack Point is so full of ambition and pathos that you have to empathize with him. The guy playing Fairfax is ugly, not very good at singing or acting and comes across as a total jerk. Another problem is that most of the actors are from the stage because when they sing or act they look DIRECTLY AT THE CAMARA. This gets to be very irratating and distracting. If you ever get the oppurtunity to watch it without buying it I'd say go for it. But, unless it's really cheap, I wouldn't endorse buying it.
Rating:
Summary: Worth watching over and over
Review: Yes, I'm in love with Poor Jack Point (Joel Grey) and with Sir Arthur's music and Gilbert's lyrics. The video could be better; it leaves out a great song by Colonel Fairfax, and one of the weddings (Dame Carruthers really does get a man in the original). Elsie Maynard is one of the best leading ladies in this series of G&S. Wilfred, the assistant tormentor, is the perfect foil for Jack Point. A feast for the eyes and ears despite my quibbles.
Rating:
Summary: Worth watching over and over
Review: Yes, I'm in love with Poor Jack Point (Joel Grey) and with Sir Arthur's music and Gilbert's lyrics. The video could be better; it leaves out a great song by Colonel Fairfax, and one of the weddings (Dame Carruthers really does get a man in the original). Elsie Maynard is one of the best leading ladies in this series of G&S. Wilfred, the assistant tormentor, is the perfect foil for Jack Point. A feast for the eyes and ears despite my quibbles.
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