Stephanie Blythe to Lead Palm Beach Opera's THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, 4/7-9

Palm Beach Opera will present Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance for one weekend only, April 7 - 9, at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach.

Appearing on the Palm Beach Opera stage for the very first time, W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance is an uproarious comedy with razor-sharp wit, and a brilliant score full of memorable melodies.

Comic mayhem ensues when a rollicking band of pirates plots to keep a young man from leaving their employ. Mistakenly apprenticed as a child, Frederick was to be released on his 21st birthday but, alas, being born on February 29th, he's technically only five years old.

The Pirates of Penzance will be sung in English with supertitles projected above the stage. Performances are at 7:30 pm on April 7 and 8 (Friday and Saturday), and2 pm on Sunday, April 9.

The company's annual Children's Performance will be a one-hour abridged performance of The Pirates of Penzance, presented at 1 pm on April 8 (Saturday) at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Fun, interactive Education Stations open in the lobby at 11:30 am. All tickets for Children's Performance are $5, and are on sale now.

Directing The Pirates of Penzance will be Alan Paul. He is currently the Associate Artistic Director of The Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC (Recipient of the 2012 Regional Theater Tony Award).

The choreography for The Pirates of Penzance will be handled by Deanna Dys, President and Artistic Director of Broadway by the Beach, LLC. She has been the choreographer for numerous theatrical stage productions of both Broadway and Off-Broadway, as well as national Theater Productions.

Taking the podium for The Pirates of Penzance, Palm Beach Opera welcomes back its Chief Conductor David Stern.

Opera legend Stephanie Blythe will portray Ruth in her Palm Beach Opera mainstage debut. Hugh Russell appears as Major General Stanley, and The Pirate King is played by Todd Simpson. Andrew Stenson takes on the role of Frederic. The cast is rounded out by Sarah Joy Miller as Mabel, Mark Schaible as the Sergeant of Police, and returning Benenson Young Artist Tobias Greenhalgh as Samuel.

Current Palm Beach Opera Benenson Young Artists will also be taking the mainstage in this production. Danielle MacMillan will play Edith, Tara Curtis will play Kate, and Kasia Borowiec appears as Isabel.

Palm Beach Opera dedicates this production of The Pirates of Penzance to Bill Fabris, who was to direct and choreograph this production but has passed away.

How to Get Tickets to The Pirates of Penzance:

Tickets start at $20, while they last, and are available at 561-833-7888 or pbopera.org.

Co-Producers of Palm Beach Opera's The Pirates of Penzance:

Palm Beach Opera gratefully acknowledges the following members of its Co-Producer Society, and additional sponsors, for making this performance possible:

+ Producers: Mr. and Mrs. William G. Brown; Mrs. Ari Rifkin (Chief Conductor Sponsor)

+ Double Co-Producers: Toni and Martin Sosnoff (Stephanie Blythe Appearance Sponsor); Gladys and Sy Ziv Foundation (Opening Night Sponsor)

+ Single Co-Producers: Mr. Sanford Baklor and Ms. Arlene Kaufman; Dr. and Mrs. David Kosowsky

+ Associate Co Producers: Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Goldner; Merrill and Charles Gottesman (Season Concertmaster Sponsor); Mr. and Mrs. John Pohanka

+ Assistant Co-Producer: Mr. and Mrs. Jack Purdy

+ Supertitle Sponsor: Palm Beach Opera Guild

Palm Beach Opera is dedicated to producing live opera at an international standard of excellence and to enriching the life of the communities it serves with a diverse offering of educational programs. Founded in 1961, the fully professional Palm Beach Opera presents mainstage performances at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach and is a proud member of OPERA America and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. For more information, please visitpbopera.org.

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