The Pirates of Penzance Swaggers Uptown, March 31-April 8

The award-winning Blue Hill Troupe, New York's oldest Gilbert & Sullivan performing society, will celebrate its 82nd season with a production of The Pirates of Penzance, from March 31st through April 8th at Teatro Heckscher of El Museo del Barrio (5th Avenue between 104th and 105th Streets).

The Pirates of Penzance concerns young Frederic, who vows to scourge the seas of pirates to be with the girl he loves--despite having been apprenticed to a buccaneer himself. The show will be directed and choreographed by Gary Slavin, currently represented Off-Broadway by the hit revue Bush is Bad: The Musical Cure for the Blue-State Blues. Musical direction will be by Zachary Schwartzman, whose work has been seen at New York City Opera and Glimmerglass Opera.

All proceeds from the production will benefit The Doe Fund, a Ready, Willing & Able program that "gives homeless people the tools and foundation they need to help themselves," according to press notes.

Since its inception in 1924, the Blue Hill Troupe has produced a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta every spring, with the proceeds benefiting a different New York City charity. The impressive total donated now tops $3 million.

The Blue Hill Troupe has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and has appeared twice at Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops. For the past eleven years, the Troupe has presented a Gilbert & Sullivan concert as part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Concerts and Lectures series. In August 2005, the Blue Hill Troupe presented their revised performance edition of the Gilbert & Sullivan rarity The Grand Duke at the 12th Annual International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in Buxton, England, where it was honored with awards for Best Male Performer, Best Female Performer and Best Musical Direction.

Performance dates are Friday, March 31 at 8 pm, Saturday, April 1 at 8 pm, Sunday, April 2 at 3 pm, Wednesday, April 5 at 8 pm, Thursday, April 6 at 8 pm, Friday, April 7 at 8 pm, Saturday, April 8 at 2 pm, Saturday, April 8 at 8 pm.

Ticket prices range from $25 to $65. Tickets will be available online beginning February 20 at www.bht.org; they will be available by phone beginning March 6 at 212-988-2012.