The Story
Fez, Morocco.

ACT l
Ormindo and Amida, foreign princes assisting in the defense of Morocco, discover to their dismay that they are both in love with the same woman. She is the flirtatious and nubile Erisbe, unhappily married to Ariadeno, the elderly king of Morocco. The princes agree to remain friends while they test her love, each confident he will win.

Prince Amida seems to have forgotten about his love for Princess Sicle, whom he abandoned five years ago. Disguised as an Egyptian sorceress, she arrives with her nurse, Erice, and her servant, Melide. Amida’s page, Nerillo, tells them about his master and Erisbe, so they devise a ruse to remind him of his old love for Sicle.

According to their earlier agreement, Ormindo flatters Erisbe while Amida lurks in the bushes. Amida is crushed when Erisbe responds passionately to Ormindo, but when Amida gets his turn, she declares Amida her only love. When confronted by both men, she tells them they’d better get used to it because she can’t choose between them. King Ariadeno adds to her delight when he asks her to treat them with special kindness—to which she slyly agrees.

Still disguised as a sorceress, Sicle interrupts Amida’s tryst with Erisbe. Sicle pretends to read Amida’s palm, which proves him an inconstant deceiver. She warns Erisbe to reject him and be faithful to Ormindo alone. After this, Erisbe is easily persuaded to elope with Ormindo, who must return home to defend his native Tunis.

ACT ll
With an impressive display of mumbo-jumbo, the nurse Erice tricks Amida by summoning the “ghost” of Sicle, who berates the faithless Amida for driving her to suicide. Remorsefully, he recalls his love—and is overjoyed when she turns out to be alive after all.

Suddenly, this romantic comedy takes an ominous twist when King Ariadeno discovers Erisbe’s adultery with the young man he treated as a son.  Things look dark indeed for the young couple when he orders his captain, Osmano, to poison them. How will it end? Suffice it to say that Gilbert and Sullivan weren’t the first to come up with an unexpected solution to a grave situation!

--Beth “Opera Lady” Parker

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