Opera Columbus Presents THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, 6/ 10 - 12

OPERA COLUMBUS AND CAPA PRESENT THE NEW YORK Gilbert & SULLIVAN PLAYERS IN THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE

"Opulent... colorful and inventive... beautifully crafted... the stage direction offered the balance of economy and extravagance that makes Gilbert & Sullivan work..."
- The New York Times

"Engaging... unfailingly enchanting... visually, the production is impressive, while the stage direction and excellent cast are further pleasures..." - New York Daily News

Co-presented by Opera Columbus and CAPA, the New YorK Gilbert & Sullivan Players will perform The Pirates of Penzance at the Southern Theatre June 10-12. Join the band of swashbuckling buccaneers, bumbling British bobbies, frolicsome Victorian maidens, and the delightfully dotty "model of a modern Major-General" for a rollicking romp over the rocky coast of Cornwall. This exuberant musical theatre masterpiece, directed and conducted by Albert Bergeret with choreography by Bill Fabris, will be performed in its original format with full orchestral accompaniment provided by the Columbus Symphony, a chorus, and vocal soloists.

Opera Columbus and CAPA present the New YorK Gilbert & Sullivan Players in The Pirates of Penzance at the Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.) June 10-12. Show times are Friday, June 10, at 8pm; Saturday, June 11, at 8pm; and Sunday, June 12, at 2pm. Tickets are $10-$102.50 at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000.

The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty, was first performed at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on December 31, 1879. It was the only Gilbert & Sullivan operetta to have its world premiere in the US, and it h as remained popular both here and throughout the English-speaking world ever since. Gilbert's wit (always incisive but never vicious or dated) and Sullivan's memorable score (including the original tune from which "hail, hail the gang's all here" is drawn) are among the most valuable treasures of musical theatre history.

Patter songs are a Gilbert & Sullivan trademark and Pirates features the most famous of them all-"I am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General." This jaunty tune has been cleverly set to different words countless times (Tom Lehrer's element song a notable example) and used in a myriad of commercials. Pirates also contains some of Gilbert's most famous lyrics such as the often used quotation, "A policeman's lot is not a happy one," from the Act Two lament of the diffident "men in blue." Other highlights of the show include "For I am a Pirate King," the pirates' "Here's a First Rate Opportunity," the policemen's "When the Foeman Bears His Steel," and Mabel's show-stopping coloratura aria, "Poor Wand'ring One."

The plot of Pirates centers on the dilemma of young Frederic, who as a child was mistakenly apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st birthday. Since he was born in leap year on February 29, he is honor-bound to remain a pirate until the distant date of 1940, despite his moral objection to piracy. Helping Frederic to deal with this unusual predicament are the brash Pirate King, Ruth (the pirate maid-of-all-work), romantic Mabel, and the delightfully stuff Major-General Stanley.

About the New YorK Gilbert & Sullivan Players
Now in its fourth decade of operation, New YorK Gilbert & Sullivan Players (NYGASP) is America's preeminent professional Gilbert & Sullivan repertory ensemble. Under the dynamic leadership of Artistic Director Albert Bergeret, who has been hailed as "the leading custodian of the G&S classics" by New York Magazine, NYGASP has created its own special niche in the cultural mosaic of New York City and the nation. Since its founding in 1974, the company has presented over 2,000 performances of the G&S masterpieces throughout the eastern US and Canada, captivating audiences of all ages.

www.nygasp.org

CALENDAR LISTING
OPERA COLUMBUS and CAPA present the New YorK Gilbert & Sullivan Players in The Pirates of Penzance
Friday, June 10, 8pm
Saturday, June 11, 8pm
Sunday, June 12, 2pm
Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.)
Join the band of swashbuckling buccaneers, bumbling British bobbies, frolicsome Victorian maidens, and the delightfully dotty "model of a modern Major-General" for a rollicking romp over the rocky coast of Cornwall. This exuberant musical theatre masterpiece will be performed in its original format with full orchestral accompaniment provided by the Columbus Symphony, a chorus, and vocal soloists. Tickets are $10-$102.50 at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. www.capa.com

About Opera Columbus
Established in 1981, Opera Columbus enriches central Ohio by educating, enlightening, and entertaining people of all ages and backgrounds through the live music theatre experience, employing a diverse repertoire of creative talent, ideas, and artistic energies. For more information, visit www.operacolumbus.org.

About CAPA
Owner/operator of downtown Columbus' magnificent, historic theatres (Ohio Theatre, Palace Theatre, Southern Theatre) and manager of the Riffe Center Theatre Complex, Lincoln Theatre, Valentine Theatre (Toledo, OH), and Shubert Theater (New Haven, CT), CAPA is a not-for-profit, award-winning presenter of national and international performing arts and entertainment now celebrating 40 years of service.