The Guthrie's H.M.S. PINAFORE Kicks Off PBS Arts Fall Festival, 10/14

The Guthrie Theater's acclaimed production of Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore will open the nine-part PBS Arts Fall Festival of performing arts programming on Friday, October 14 at 8:00 p.m. CST on PBS.

The Gilbert and Sullivan blockbuster is among the most crowd-pleasing comic musicals in history, loved for its dynamite songs, gleefully entertaining story and saucy satire. Helmed by Guthrie Artistic Director Joe Dowling, the Guthrie's production of H.M.S. Pinafore is the first in an exciting lineup of performances that will be broadcast every Friday night into mid-December.

H.M.S Pinafore features Robert O. Berdahl and Christina Baldwin as Captain Corcoran and Little Buttercup, respectively. The production also features Aleks Knezevich (Ralph Rackstraw), Seri Johnson (Cousin Hebe), Heather Lindell (Josephine), Jason Simon (Dick Deadeye), J. Tyler Whitmer (Bob Becket), Robb McKindles (Bill Bobstay) and Peter Thomson (Sir Joseph Porter). Barbara Bryne makes a special appearance as Queen Victoria, courtesy of new material by Jeffrey Hatcher, as was notably done for the Guthrie's 2004 staging of The Pirates of Penzance.

Rounding out the cast are the lovable sailors Joseph Bigelow, Nathan Bird, Nathaniel Braga, Alfie Parker, Jr., Adrian Pena, 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.

The story takes place aboard a British ship, where Captain Corcoran's (Berdahl) daughter, Josephine (Lindell), has fallen in love with an ordinary sailor, Ralph Rackstraw (Knezevich). As the crew works to get things shipshape for the arrival of Sir Joseph Porter (Thomson), Corcoran's choice for a more sophisticated suitor for his daughter, Josephine decides initially to abide by her father's wishes and marry him. Conventional social order is quickly overturned, however, when Sir Joseph arrives and advocates for the equality of humankind. With a change of heart, Josephine declares her love for the ordinary sailor and the two - through the help of the crew, sisters, cousins and aunts - make plans to elope that night. When the captain discovers the plot, a surprise disclosure, as is typical of many Gilbert and Sullivan's works, changes things dramatically.

The artistic team includes Andrew Cooke (Music Direction, Arrangements), David Bolger (Choreography/Musical Staging), Frank Hallinan Flood (Set Designer), Fabio Toblini (Costume Designer), Malcolm Rippeth (Lighting Designer), Scott W. Edwards (Sound Designer), Jo Holcomb (Dramaturgy), Lucinda Holshue (Voice and Dialect Consultant), Chris A. Code (Stage Manager), Martha Kulig (Assistant Stage Manager), Timothy Markus (Assistant Stage Manager) and James McNamara (Assistant Director).

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. www.guthrietheater.org

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