Transgressive and Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Co. Announce A GILBERT AND SULLIVAN JEWELRY BOX

Transgressive Theatre-Opera announces the first production of its 2017/2018 season!

In an exciting new partnership with Hyde Park's The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, Transgressive Theatre-Opera will open their season with a double bill of the new concert musical review, The Best of The Worst, After the Carpet Quarrel, The Finest Music in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Grand Duke and Utopia Limited, and Cox and Box, for which Sullivan also composed the music.

The musical review that examines the final two operettas cobbled together by Gilbert and Sullivan after their partnership began to unravel is a new compilation of the very best arias, duets, trios, quartets, quintets, and choruses from these two works. The various lovers in the two pieces, jostling their way toward satirical happiness, provide the first operatic classroom-examination in Transgressive Theatre-Opera's 2017/18 season. Producing Artistic Director Aaron Hunt's narration will provide quips and comedy to sew the numbers together.

The following artists appear in Selections from The Grand Duke:
Ludwig - Brad Jenks
Julia Jellicoe - Teaira Burge (Teaira doubles as Cox, see photo below)
Lisa - Celeste Peake (Celeste also appears as Box, see photo below)
Ernest Dummkopf- Jesus Alfredo Jimenez Jiminez 9/10,11 & 12; Zico Shaker, 12/9
Dr. Tannhauser (Notary) - Paul W. Thompson
Baroness - Claire DiVizio
Herald - Daniel Grambow
The Prince of Monte Carlo - Jonathan Wilson
The Princess of Monte Carlo - Katherine Bruton

In Selections from Utopia Limited, the following artists appear:King Paramount - Daniel Grambow (Daniel also appears as The Herald in The Grand Duke)
Princess Zara - Angela Born
Colonel Fitzbattleaxe - Dennis Kalup
Lady Sophie - Claire DiVizio (Claire also sings The Baroness in selections from The Grand Duke)
Phylla - Sarah Wasserman
Princess Nekaya - Samantha Farmilant
Princess Kalyba - Katarina A. Bakas
Lord Dramaleigh - Paul W. Thompson
Mr. Goldbury - Jonathan Wilson (Jonathan also sings The Prince of Monte Carlo)
Sir Bailey Barre - Zico Shaker (Zico sings Ernest on 12/9)
Mr. Blushington - Benjamin Recchie
Captain Sir Edward Corcoran, KCB - Ian McGuffin

This new piece is paired with a fully-staged production of the Burnand/Sullivan gem, Cox and Box. Written for three men, two of whom occupy the same apartment at different times of the day according to the machinations of the third, finds the two rakes discovering that they have made love to, and then connived to flee from the same woman. Transgressive and The Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company have cast three women in the roles, who will appear in male drag. This is a new and stimulating concept for the production of this piece, rewarding the ladies an opportunity to step into the shoes of the scheming men, pointing up the lessons to be learned in even the frothiest operetta.

Producing Artistic Director Aaron Hunt directs, with musical direction by Sarah Jenks. Elizabeth Bagby provides Clown and Mime stylings.

Singing the three gents in Cox and Box are sopranos Teaira Burge and Celeste Peake, and mezzo-soprano Susan Gosdick.

Production dates, times, and locations for this co-produced, double-bill of Best of The Worst/Cox and Box are as follows:

Friday, November 10, 7:30 in Ebenezer Lutheran Church's Sanctuary, 1650 W. Foster Ave., Chicago

Saturday, November 11, 7:30 in Ebenezer Lutheran Church's Sanctuary, 1650 W. Foster Ave., Chicago

Sunday, November 12, 1:30 in Ebenezer Lutheran Church's Sanctuary,1650 W. Foster Ave., Chicago

Saturday, December 9, 7:30 in Goodspeed Hall on the campus of the University of Chicago, 1010 E. 59th Street, Hyde Park, Chicago

Both locations are wheelchair accessible.

Tickets for the north side performances are priced at $30.00, and may be purchased via Brown Paper Tickets:

Chicago, northside: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3079870. Donations will be accepted at the door for the Hyde Park performance..

About Transgressive Theatre-Opera

Music that is as spoken as it is sung.
Spoken text so evocative and lyrical that it sings.

These are the tools for the type of storytelling that Transgressive Theatre-Opera offers, as envisioned and executed by artists from multiple disciplines: the soul-painters who can imagine and create the productions, and the performers who can inhabit the characters with fulsome artistic sensibilities.

As the line between theatre and music theatre continues to blur, a new lyric theatre is emerging, unhampered by labels and preconceived notions of ownership. Transgressive Theatre-Opera is excited to be part of the change.