NYGASP's HMS PINAFORE to Dock at Mayo Performing Arts Center This Spring

HMS Pinafore, Gilbert and Sullivan's delightful comedic tale about overblown nationalism, personal ambition and forbidden love, comes to Mayo Performing Arts Center on Sunday, April 23, 2017 at 3 pm. Tickets are $29 - $69.

Ride a wave of music and laughter as romantic sailors, sisters, cousins, and aunts sing and dance their way across the deck of the fanciful British naval vessel with the improbable name. The very proper Captain Corcoran and ridiculously pompous Sir Joseph Porter preside, the villainous Dick Deadeye speaks the ugly truth, and Little Buttercup reveals the outrageous mistake that allows true love to overcome the problems of class distinction. Memorable signature tunes abound on board ship and the riotous "Bell Trio" sparks a celebration in Act II.

H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass That Loved A Sailor was first performed at the Opera Comique, London, on May 25, 1878, and has remained popular on both sides of the Atlantic ever since. The show's satirical jabs at the vaunted British Navy and at rigid Victorian class distinctions remain as readily understand- able in the new millennium as they were over 100 years ago. Since the specific satire was meant to amuse and not provoke, the universal nature of human foibles shines through to any audience.

Author Gilbert's characters are sharply drawn, from the romantic hero Ralph Rackstraw and the pomp- ous Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B., to the villainous Dick Deadeye. Composer Sullivan provides indelible mu- sical introductions: "I'm called Little Buttercup", "I am the Captain of the Pinafore", "I am the Monarch of the Sea" -songs which are among the most famous in the English language. The choruses also have their share of unforgettable numbers including the sailors' "We Sail the Ocean Blue", the ladies' "And We Are His Sisters, and His Cousins, and His Aunts" and the rousing full ensemble anthem "For He Is an Englishman".

The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players' production of H.M.S. Pinafore features an elaborate setting of a ship's deck, based on drawings by Gilbert himself, and beautiful Belle Epoch costumes. Besides the lush sounds of legitimate voices and a full orchestra, this production offers energetic action, lively choreography and broad comedy.

For more information, visit nygasp.org.

Mayo Performing Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, presents a wide range of programs that entertain, enrich, and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of Northern New Jersey. The 2016-2017 season is made possible, in part, by a grant the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support received from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, F.M. Kirby Foundation and numerous corporations, foundations and individuals. The Mayo Performing Arts Center has been designated a Major Presenting Organization by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Mayo Performing Arts Center has been named 2016 Outstanding Historic Theatre by the League of Historic American Theatres.

Mayo Performing Arts Center is located at 100 South St., Morristown, NJ 07960. Contact the box office at (973) 539-8008 or online at www.mayoarts.org. All Programs Subject to Change.