FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Woodstock Musical Theatre Company Contact: Laurie Faith Gibson, Publicity Chair Phone: 815-263-7658 Email: info@woodstocktheatre.com Web: www.WoodstockTheatre.com

HMS Pinafore: A Very British Show

 

April 2004 - Avast! Ahoy! All hands on deck! Gilbert and Sullivan's comic masterpiece, HMS Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor is underway April 2^nd thru 25^th at the Historic Woodstock Opera House.

 

Replete with some of librettist Gilbert's wittiest lines and Sir Arthur Sullivan's most charming melodies, the lavishly produced two-act operetta is presented as the closer of the Woodstock Musical Theatre Company season ticket series.

 

Fall in love aboard His Majesty's Ship Pinafore, as the crew busily prepares for the arrival of Sir Joseph Porter, the Ruler of the Queen's Navee, who is to be betrothed to the Captain's charming daughter, Josephine. She, however, is in love with a handsome but lowly sailor, Ralph Rackstraw. They make plans to elope, but the plot is overheard by Dick Deadeye, the ugliest sailor in the Royal Navy. Will Dick's evil machinations lay waste to Ralph and Josephine's plans? And what of Little Buttercup, the woman who hides a dark secret? Find out if love conquers all in this lavish and glorious production of a classic tale told with laughter, love and lunacy.

 

The show's young lovers are "lusty tenor" M. Corey Keane as Ralph Rackstraw, and soprano Julie Hermann, our own "vocal/theatrical treasure," as Josephine. Featuring Nancy Weber, as the naughty Little Buttercup, the bumboat woman, and baritone Timothy R. Curtis, as Corcoran, captain of the good ship Pinafore, and Jeff Little, as the audacious Sir Joseph Porter K.C.B.     

 

Now 126 years old, Pinafore's  straightforwardly absurd plot is about young and old loves nearly wrecked on the barrier reefs of social class, with some titanic upheavals thrown in to make things right. True love and the other kind finally prevail everywhere and all live happily - and hardly ever unfaithfully - ever after.  

 

Throughout, Pinafore is about all-round Englishman-hood, appropriately directed by Ned O’Reilly, with Kerry Hays as Musical Director and Angie Brandenburg as Choreographer. The wondrous Quarterdeck of the Pinafore set was designed and built by Kent Wilson, and Bernice Ferraro with Fantasy Festival designs costumes.

 

Other delightful and talented Cast members include: Dan Kreisman as Dick Deadeye, Barbara Tipton as Cousin Hebe, John Radford as Boatswain, and a company and Sailors and Sir Joseph’s female relatives including:  Neil Arsenty, Danny Birmingham, Laurie Faith Gibson, Gary Gruebnau, Beth Davis Johnson, Jennifer Lorenc, Lauren Magnetta, Amaar Muhammad, Lynne Olson, Taran O’Reilly, Jillian Palmer, Michael Perry, David Radford, Charles “Sandy” Rutherford, Jennifer Scott, Daniel Stalker, Joseph Stalker, Lydia Stalker and Suzanne Stalker.

 

Putting aside for a moment the obvious delights of melody and the visual excitement of set, costume, and lights, how can a modern audience get into a work that was as fresh as the day's headlines to its original audience?  Well, you’ll just have to come and see for yourself! 

 

The HMS Pinafore docks at the Woodstock Opera House April 2 – 25, 2004.  Performances are at 8:00 pm Friday and Saturday and 6:00 pm Sunday, with a 2:00 pm Saturday matinee on April 10, 17, and 24.  Tickets range from $16 to $21 and may be purchased via the Woodstock Opera House Box office at 815-338-5300 or Monday thru Saturday in person from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.  More Detail information, including cast photo’s and articles can be found on our website, www.WoodstockTheatre.com

 

Rehearsal Photos

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Rehearsal Photos coming early March!

 

PRODUCTION PHOTOS

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