A Philadelphia Tradition, THE SAVOY COMPANY Sails the Ocean Blue & Presents Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S. PINAFORE!
Internationally acclaimed & the newest Company in Residence with Philadelphia Theatre Company, The Savoy Company [www.savoy.org] will drop anchor to present Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic opera H.M.S. PINAFORE featuring a gorgeous, professionally designed set, beautiful costumes, & a professional orchestra. Three performances will delight the audience at The Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Philadelphia, PA on May 12 (8 pm) & 13 (2 pm & 8 pm), 2017.
The Savoy Company [www.savoy.org] will present Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic opera H.M.S. PINAFORE under the stars on Stage of the Open Air Theatre amid the tranquil beauty of Longwood Gardens featuring gorgeous, professionally designed set pieces, beautiful costumes, & a professional orchestra. Two evening performances (8:30 pm) will delight the audience at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA on June 9 & 10, 2017. ALL DAY ADMISSION TO THE GARDENS IS INCLUDED. Note Raindate policy.
H.M.S. PINAFORE or The Lass That Loved a Sailor, delights the audience with the nautical tale of star-crossed lovers — the Captain’s daughter Josephine & the gallant but lower class sailor Ralph. Sought in marriage by Sir Joseph (First Lord of the Admiralty), Josephine plans to elope with Ralph until thwarted by another sailor, Dick Deadeye. Little Buttercup tells a secret that saves the day!
H.M.S. PINAFORE features some of the most memorable Gilbert & Sullivan songs including: “We sail the ocean blue,” “I’m called Little Buttercup,” & “I am the monarch of the sea.” Celebrating its 117th season, The Savoy Company is the oldest theater company in the world dedicated solely to the production of the 13 surviving immortal operas of Gilbert & Sullivan & promises H.M.S. PINAFORE to be a seaworthy love story, a delight for audiences of all ages!
Savoy will perform H.M.S. Pinafore to benefit CAPA (Philadelphia High School for Creative & Performing Arts).
Music Director: Peter A. Hilliard
Stage Director: Bill Kiesling
The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B. (First Lord of the Admiralty): Ross Druker
Captain Corcoran (Commanding the H.M.S. Pinafore): David Price
Ralph Rackstraw (Able Seaman): Michael Maicher
Dick Deadeye (Able Seaman): Aaron Manthey
Bill Bobstay (Boatswain’s Mate): Fred Dittmann
Bob Becket (Carpenter’s Mate): Brian Clark
Josephine (The Captain’s Daughter): Rachel Sigman
Cousin Hebe (Sir Joseph’s First Cousin): Sheila Haswell
Little Buttercup (A Portsmouth Bumboat Woman): Shellie Camp
In 1901, a young Philadelphia doctor named Alfred Reginald Allen, having witnessed Gilbert & Sullivan works in England, decided that the operas should be produced in Philadelphia in the “original manner.” Allen was convinced that the G&S operas heretofore produced in the United States had been ruined by “modernization, colloquial interpolation, and improvements.”
He recruited a group of local people to perform a true Gilbert & Sullivan show and presented Trial By Jury at the Merion Cricket Club on May 4th, 1901. The production was such a huge success that the original conspirators were moved to form a permanent organization.
The Savoy Company is now the oldest amateur theatre company in the world dedicated solely to the production of the works of Gilbert and Sullivan. Our cast, composed of local talent, has included such luminaries as Hollywood film star Nelson Eddy, Metropolitan Opera soprano Margaret Harshaw, Wagnerian bass-baritone James Pease, and Broadway star Wilbur Evans.
Returning to Philadelphia in 2016 (after a 5-year absence), The Savoy Company presented The Pirates of Penzance at The Suzanne Roberts to 3 sold out houses and at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square for 2 near capacity crowds.
Enjoy a video clip from 2016 The Pirates of Penzance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWRFwtfQbl4
At the 23rd International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival last summer in Harrogate, England, The Savoy Company received the Best Traditional Opera Award for its live performance of The Pirates of Penzance.