Peter Pan has one, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream has a slew and Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe, as staged by the Pittsburgh Savoyards, has at least ten - before I stopped counting. Fairies, that is. Just after the opening overture, performed by the 30-plus orchestra, possibly as best as I ever heard it under the baton of Guy Russo, a bevy of maiden fairies dressed in pastel gossamer fairy garb with wings, frolicked across the stage gleefully singing in full-voiced and stunning harmony ”Tripping hither, tripping thither.” There was little to no tripping, however, as they danced nimbly to the spirited song, then segued into expressing their discomfort at the loss of Iolanthe (Savannah Simeone), the one fairy who brought such happy song and spirit to their fairy circle. For such a blissful group there were some draconian laws that govern their behavior, namely, if one were to marry a mortal, they should be put to death. Alas, poor Iolanthe. Due t
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