By Steve Gilliam, University Relations
Gilbert and Sullivan fans will flock to UNCG Friday through Sunday, Nov. 18-20, to enjoy “H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass Who Loved a Sailor.”
And with good reason. The operetta, which will feature UNCG voice professor Robert Wells, is widely considered Gilbert and Sullivan’s masterpiece and has been performed by many regional opera companies and amateur organizations throughout the United States.
“It was their first really big success, and it’s very well known,” said David Holley, director of opera at UNCG. “It’s light. It’s fun. It’s tuneful. It’s great for the family. It’s in English, and it’s very, very funny.”
Performances are being held in Aycock Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18 and 19 and 2 p.m. Nov. 20. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for senior citizens and $6 for children and all high school and college students. College students must show valid IDs. In addition, on Nov. 17, a special matinee (invitation only) will be performed for area school children in grades three and up, Holley said.
“H.M.S. Pinafore” is a classic tale of lovers trying to overcome barriers threatening to keep them apart, Holley said. Specifically, Ralph Rackstraw, a common sailor, falls in love with his captain’s daughter, Josephine, who secretly loves him back. “Because she is the captain’s daughter she is of higher social status, so they cannot wed,” Holley said.
“H.M.S. Pinafore” will be the third G&S opera performed at UNCG since Holley arrived in 1992. The university put on “Trial by Jury” in 1999 at the Guilford County Courthouse and “The Pirates of Penzance” in 2003 in Elliott University Center Auditorium, he said.
“In the odd-numbered years in the fall we do either a chamber opera or an operetta, which involves a smaller orchestra and fewer characters on stage,” Holley said. “When we performed “Trial by Jury” and “The Pirates of Penzance,” that was such a hit that I thought since Gilbert and Sullivan have their own faithful followers, I’m going to try to do a G&S piece every other year.”
Holley said he’s excited about “H.M.S. Pinafore,” particularly since it will feature Wells, who recently performed the role of Antonio in “The Marriage of Figaro” with the Greensboro Opera Company.
“We’re featuring him as Sir Joseph Porter, and the audiences that saw our performances of ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ will remember him as the Major General Stanley,” Holley said. “He’s just a fantastic comedian. The rest of the ‘Pinafore’ cast is students, so we have a combination of Mr. Wells and the students.
“It’s a nice mentoring relationship where he actually gets to share the stage with them. It’s an excellent opportunity for him to model what a professional is like, and the students are very excited to share the stage with him.”
Holley said he’s hoping for a large turnout for the performances. “Last time we sold many more tickets than I expected,” he said. “The Elliott Center Auditorium seats 500 and we sold out the last three performances. We’re holding it in Aycock and hoping to sell even more tickets because it seats 2,300.”
UNCG doctoral student Michael Dougherty has prepared the chorus for the operetta, and Holley said he expects audiences to be thrilled by the performances.
“There’s great choral singing, great solo singing and a wonderful orchestra,” Holley said. “It’s just a lot of fun. What’s attractive about a G&S piece is that it makes you laugh, it moves quickly, has great music and great characters. Gilbert and Sullivan wrote these pieces as social satires of the British political scene of the late 1800s, but they’re still relevant today.”
Tickets can be purchased at the UNCG Box Office (334-4849) in EUC or in the School of Music building from noon to 5 p.m. weekdays and beginning one hour before scheduled show times at Aycock Auditorium. Tickets can also be purchased online.
