THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE

The Savoy Arts Company's 2012 production will be the perennial Gilbert & Sullivan favourite, "The Pirates of Penzance" (or The Slave of Duty). The Artistic Director is Michael Morton-Evans and the Musical Director is Atalya Masi.



 

AUDITIONS

Auditions for principal roles are being held on Thursday 9 February and Tuesday 14 February from 7:30-10:00pm.  The audition venue is the Roseville Uniting Church,  7 Lord Street, Roseville. Bookings are essential. If you would like to book or enquire, please email auditions@savoyarts.com.au with your details and return telephone number. Or call Nicole Taylor on 0414 673 476 (after 6pm weekdays or on weekends). 

Those wishing to join the chorus for The Pirates of Penzance will need to be evaluated for voice type, singing and stage movement abilities. This will take no more than 5-10 minutes,  Chorus auditions will be held at the commencement of rehearsals, on orientation night, Tuesday 1 May from 7:30pm at the Roseville Uniting Church, 7 Lord Street, Roseville. If you are interested in joining the chorus, please email auditions@savoyarts.com.au  with your details and return telephone number. Or call Nicole Taylor on 0414 673 476 (after 6pm weekdays or on weekends).

To get an idea of the commitment level, please have a look at the production schedule. 



 

SYNOPSIS
[Courtesy of Wikipedia]

The Pirate of Penzance is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W.S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879. Its London debut was on 3 April 1880, at the Opera Comique, where it ran for 363 performances, having already run successfully for over three months in New York.

The story concerns Frederic, who having completed his 21st year, is released from his apprenticeship to a band of tender-hearted pirates. He meets Mabel, the daughter of Major-General Stanley, and the two young people fall instantly in love. Frederic finds out, however, that he was born on 29 February, so technically has a birthday only each leap year. His apprenticeship indentures state that he remains apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st birthday, so must serve for another 63 years. Bound by his own sense of duty, Frederic's only solace is that Mabel agrees to wait for him faithfully. 

The Pirates of Penzance was the fifth Gilbert & Sullivan collaboration and introduced the much-parodied Major-General's patter song. The opera was performed for a century by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in Britain and many other opera companies and repertory companies worldwide. It has received several modernised productions, including Joseph Papp's 1981 production on Broadway, which ran for 787 performances, winning the Tony Award for Best Revival and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, and spawned many imitations. The Pirates of Penzance remains popular today, taking its place along with The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore as one of the most frequently played Gilbert & Sullivan operas. 



 

PERFORMANCE DATES & VENUES


BUNDANOON: Soldiers' Memorial Hall, Railway St, Bundanoon

3 PM Saturday 18 August 2012

Email enquiries -bookings@savoyarts.com.au

Telephone bookings & enquiries:  To be advised

Ticket prices:  Adult $25 | Concession $20 | Child $15


ZENITH THEATRE: Cnr McIntosh & Railway Sts, Chatswood

8 PM Friday 24 August 2012

8 PM Saturday 25 August 2012

3 PM Sunday 26 August 2012

8 PM Friday 31 August 2012

2 PM Saturday 01 September 2012

8 PM Saturday 01 September 2012

Online bookings:  www.zeniththeatre.com.au (after 1 April)

Box office & enquiries:  02 9777 7547 (after 1 April)

Ticket prices:  Adult $35 | Concession $30 | Child $20 | Groups (10+ adults) $30 each

N.B. Theatre booking fee of $3 applies to each booking (irrespective of number of tickets purchased).



 

FRIENDS OF SAVOY MAILING LIST

If you would like to join our Friends of Savoy mailing list and receive information about our events, please email us at mailing.list@savoyarts.com.au.