NY Gilbert & Sullivan Players Presents THE GONDOLIERS at NYU Skirball Center

The rarely staged G & S collaboration The Gondoliers will be the final production of The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players' milestone 40th Anniversary Season --- playing a limited engagement May 15th - 17th at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place). Produced by America's preeminent professional Gilbert & Sullivan repertory company (NYGASP) , the production will feature a full cast and 28 piece orchestra.

"It seems particularly appropriate for NYGASP to be presenting the sunny Gilbert & Sullivan classic The Gondoliers during our 40th Anniversary Season," commented NYGASP's Artistic Director, Albert Bergeret. "The show was written for the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company at a point when that company was bursting with talent, and a recent comment from a devoted fan stated that NYGASP productions are loaded "with more talent than I thought was legal". We certainly have the right personnel and experience to populate this colorful work! The NYU Skirball Center is the perfect venue for this production full of lavish movement and dance, yet charmingly intimate, with plenty of Gilbertian satire, clever lyrics, and Sullivan's lush Italianate score."

The Gondoliers or, the King of Barataria combines two different groups with two different storylines that collide in one boisterous and joyous show! Spanning both stories is the marvelously menacing Grand Inquisitor, Don Alhambra del Bolero, who stole the infant son of the King of Barataria and cast him off to Venice, but only after the young future monarch was secretly wed to a nobleman's daughter. Now, the unwitting heir to the throne and his "brother" are gondoliers seeking mates when the impoverished nobleman brings his daughter to Venice in search of her infant groom. Since nobody can tell which gondolier is the true heir to the throne, Don Alhambra arranges for them to leave their newlywed brides and reign jointly until the proper monarch can be identified. After much confusion, lots of exuberant dancing, and jolly Italianate musical ensembles, the stage is set for leaving all concerned, including the audience, with feelings of pleasure! The Gondoliers was the 12th collaboration between Messer's Gilbert and Sullivan premiering in 1889.

The production will be directed by Mr. Bergeret with choreography & co-direction by David Auxier along with a set design by Jack Garver, a costume design by Jan Holland and lights designed by Benjamin Weill.

As is the G&S tradition, audiences are welcome to take part in two special post and pre-show events. Enjoy Savoy Dialogue - a dazzling discourse about all matters Gilbert & Sullivan with members of the NYGASP artistic staff after the Friday evening performance. Kids of all ages are invited to the Family Overture on Saturday afternoon (12:45pm in the theatre) - a free musical introduction and plot summary made entertaining and informative for the entire family!

The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players has presented over 2,600 performances throughout the United States, Canada, and England - where the Company appeared last August at the 21st annual International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in Harrogate, UK. Incorporating a full orchestra, its productions feature contemporary energy while retaining a traditional respect for each of the G&S masterpieces. New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players is considered by many to be the nation's "leading custodian of the G&S classics."

The NYGASP 2014-15 season is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

The Gondoliers, at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place), will play Friday, May 15 (8PM); Saturday, May 16 (2PM & 8PM); and Sunday, May 17 (3PM). Ticket prices are $89, $69 & $59 with 50% off for children 12 and under (accompanied by an adult) and 10% off for seniors 65 & older. Tickets may be purchased by calling NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts Box office at 212-998-4941 or by visiting www.nygasp.org.

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