Gilbert & Sullivan: Iolanthe
Iolanthehas one of the funniest lines in all of Gilbert and  Sullivan. As the Peers (as in the House of Lords) enter, they sing: "Bow! Bow!  Ye lower middle classes; Bow! Bow! Ye tradesmen bow ye masses; Blow the  Trumpets! Bang the brasses! Tan Taran Tarah Chin Boom!" OK, so you had to have  been there; but trust me, it's a riot. Anyway, this "fairy"-story parody on the  undine theme, about a fairy who loves a mortal, is a typically frothy confection  of biting social satire and innocent sentiment. The performance by the D'Oyly  Carte company is about as close to the original production as we're likely to  get.--David Hurwitz