Update 2/14/23 @ 9:20 p.m. : Sarah Keller from Whitewater, WI, who is studying Music at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, is a member of the cast, serving in the role of Edith in “Pirates of Penzance” by Sir W.S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan.Sarah is a junior, and this is her second collegiate show. She was Aello in the production of “The Harpies” and is now performing the role of Edith. She would like to thank the amazing directors, her cast mates, and the wonderful tech crew for putting on a great show!
The College of Arts and Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater announces the next show of the Theatre/Dance season with “Pirates of Penzance” by Sir W.S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan. Directed by Sara J. Griffin, this production will run in the Barnett Theater from February 15-18 at 7:30 p.m. and February 18-19 at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale for the performances and may be purchased online at tickets.uww.edu or by calling (262) 472-2222. Admission for adults is $18, for those age 65+, $16; for those under 18, $12. There is a $2 surcharge for tickets purchased at the door at the time of the event. The Barnett Theater is located in the Greenhill Center of the Arts at 950 W. Main St., Whitewater, WI 53190.
Set sail with this classic whimsical comedy! Mistakenly apprenticed to a raucous band of pirates, Frederic is caught up between a marauding crew that lacks killer instinct, a squad of overly empathetic policemen, and a modern major-general’s bevy of daughters. Hilarious and hopeful, you’ll find plenty of wit, charm and an abundance of musical gems.
Sir W.S. Gilbert was born in 1836, and at the age of two was kidnapped by Italian gang members but was soon set free. As an adult, Gilbert worked as a lawyer for the high courts in 1861, penning political humor and dramatic stories, illustrated poems and columns to a popular British publication. He wrote to this publication under the name of “Bab,” and after many years of writing, a collection of poems was made into a book for Gilbert. These poems would become inspiration later on for Gilbert’s operettas with Sullivan.
Sir Arthur Sullivan was born in 1842 and was surrounded by music from an early age. Sullivan composed his first anthem at the age of 8, and was awarded a prestigious scholarship, attending many prominent academies all over Europe. Over the course of his twenties, Sullivan created many choral works, which then morphed into a desire to create compositions for comic operas.
The duo first teamed up in 1871 to create “Thespis,” as well as two other shows over the next six years. Their smash hit “H.M.S. Pinafore” ran for almost 600 performances. Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas were the first steps in creating what we now know as musical theater, and to fully cement their legacy in history, the duo created their most acclaimed show: “Pirates of Penzance.” The two created fifteen shows during their time together, and created a musical legacy that is still cherished to this day.
On choosing this production, Griffin states, “Since March of 2020, the world has needed an escape. Being forced to stay inside our dwellings, separated from the people and pursuits we love, many of us developed coping mechanisms and desperately sought an escape from the unrelenting angst. Thankfully, the light at the end of the tunnel became clear, for many of us, and all we had to do was wait for it to arrive. But what about the people for whom there was no light? That what awaited them on the other side was just as daunting, unrelenting, and miserable as their current circumstances? This led me to a parallel between our collective recent experience with the collective experience of child workers in the Victorian Era, when ‘Pirates’ was written. Rather than simply present ‘Pirates of Penzance,’ I wanted to put it through a specific lens, one that would give it a context to allow the audience to connect with the story on a more relatable level. I hope you enjoy our production and appreciate the two-hour escape.”
The cast for this production includes Colin Allison as The Pirate King, Erin McKee as Mabel, Nahuel Recoba as Frederic, Robbie Chelius as Major General Stanley, Emma Dutcher as Ruth, Ian Black as Sergeant of Police, Jacob Mhyre as Samuel, Sarah Keller as Edith, Makayla Fedler as Kate, and Tessa Fitzsimmons as Isabel.
“Pirates of Penzance” will run in the Barnett Theater from February 15-18 at 7:30 p.m. and February 18-19 at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale for the performances and can be purchased in advance online at tickets.uww.edu or by calling (262) 472-2222. The Barnett Theatre is located in the Greenhill Center of the Arts at 950 W. Main St., Whitewater, WI 53190.
Editor’s note: The above press release was received from the UW-W College of Arts & Communication.
