H.M.S. PINAFORE to Close 8/28 at the Guthrie Theatre

The Guthrie Theater will say bon voyage to its splash-hit summer musical comedy H.M.S. Pinafore on Sunday, August 28, following a heralded 10-week run on the Wurtele Thrust Stage. Captained by Guthrie Artistic Director Joe Dowling, and featuring "sumptuous costumes" by Fabio Toblini and "arresting choreography" by David Bolger, the production has entertained audiences and critics alike with its "continuous parade of stunning song-and-dance sequences."

With a Broadway-caliber cast -- led by the incomparable Robert O. Berdahl as the "toothy, physically maladroit and morally dubious" Captain Corcoran and "feminine powerhouse" Christina Baldwin as Buttercup -- it's no surprise why this Gilbert and Sullivan blockbuster is among the most crowd-pleasing comic musicals in history.

As previously announced, Twin Cities Public Television will film performances of the Guthrie's H.M.S. Pinafore next week, airing the entire production nationally on Friday, October 14, 2011, 8 p.m. CST to launch the nine-part PBS Arts Fall Festival of performing arts programming. With its infectious songs, witty libretto and lighthearted satire, this production is destined to shine a spectacular spotlight on the Guthrie artists and the rich Twin Cities arts community when the production airs nationally this fall.

Joining Berdahl and Baldwin on the ship's deck are Aleks Knezevich (Ralph Rackstraw), Seri Johnson (Cousin Hebe), Heather Lindell (Josephine), Jason Simon (Dick Deadeye) and J. Tyler Whitmer (Bob Becket) - all five making their Guthrie debuts - in addition to Robb McKindles (Bill Bobstay) and Peter Thomson (Sir Joseph Porter). Guthrie favorite Barbara Bryne hops aboard for a special appearance as Queen Victoria, courtesy of new material by Jeffrey Hatcher, as was also notably done during the Guthrie's 2004 staging of The Pirates of Penzance. The Guthrie cast also feature sailors Joseph Bigelow, Nathan Bird, Nathaniel Braga, Alfie Parker, Jr., Adrian Peña, Adam Sarette, Brian Skellenger and Brian Sostek, and sisters/cousins/aunts Lauren Asheim, Timotha Lanae, Molly Sue McDonald, Tinia Moulder, Simone Perrin and Kersten Rodau. Adam Lendermon, Nicholas McGough and Laura Rudolph round out the company as swings.

Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore continues through August 28, 2011, on the Wurtele Thrust Stage at the Guthrie. Single tickets start at $34 and are now on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE, 612.225.6244 (Group Sales) and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joe Dowling, Director) was founded by Sir Tyrone Guthrie in 1963 and is an American center for theater performance, production, education and professional training. The Tony Award-winning Guthrie Theater is dedicated to producing the great works of dramatic literature, developing the work of contemporary playwrights and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. With annual attendance of nearly 500,000 people, the Guthrie Theater presents a mix of classic plays and contemporary work on its three stages. Under the artistic leadership of Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie continues to set a national standard for excellence in theatrical production and performance. In 2006, the Guthrie opened its new home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the Guthrie Theater houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms and dramatic public lobbies.

Photo Credit: Michal Daniel

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