Details

Item details

Date

May 13, 2023 2:00PM

Description

Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance, relying on comedic good-humored satire, pokes fun at many things Victorian: the nouveau riche, the army, the police, marriage, and one’s own sense of duty. It features some of the most memorable Gilbert and Sullivan songs including: “Poor Wand’ring One,” “I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General,” and “Hail Poetry.” The Pirates of Penzance promises to be a rollicking pirate tale, suitable for audiences of all ages.

Show synopsis:
As a young boy, Frederic was apprenticed to a band of pirates through a mistake made by his nursemaid, Ruth. Now 21 years old, he disavows the pirate life forever. Resolving to lead a blameless life henceforth, Frederic takes his leave from the Pirate King and company. On the beach, he encounters many beautiful and proper young maidens, all daughters of the Major-General Stanley. It is love at first sight for the handsome Frederic and the beautiful Mabel. The pirates determine to wed all the other daughters! The Major-General tells a story that saves the day, but by night he is tormented by his tale of untruth. Just as Frederic is ready to lead the Police Sergeant and his officers to subdue the pirates, he is presented with an unforeseen paradox that would make him the slave of duty.

Historical context of the show:
After the success of H.M.S. Pinafore, many American theatrical companies presented their own unauthorized versions. To prevent that from happening again and to protect their copyright, Gilbert and Sullivan with D’Oyly Carte presented official versions of The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty, simultaneously in England and America. With Sullivan conducting, the opera premiered in New York on December 31, 1879 at the Fifth Avenue Theater to secure the U.S. copyright, with a single performance given the previous day at the Royal Bijou Theatre, Paignton, England, to secure the British copyright. The Pirates of Penzance played successfully for over three months in New York and then opened in London on April 3, 1880, at the Opéra Comique, running for 363 performances.

About The Savoy Company:
Since 1901, The Savoy Company, a Philadelphia-based non-profit theatrical organization, promotes community involvement and educational outreach by supporting local charitable organizations through an annual production of one of the thirteen extant works of Gilbert and Sullivan. The Company offers
opportunities for personal growth and community reinvestment for its members, beneficiaries, and audiences. Savoy’s amateur membership is a diverse group of volunteers drawn from the Greater Delaware Valley area. We are committed to putting on the highest quality theatrical productions and
sharing the artistic, musical, and cultural influences of Gilbert and Sullivan and their wonderful comic operas. A portion of our ticket sales benefits local arts non-profit organizations as part of ongoing commitment to enriching the cultural arts in this area. Our partner organization in 2023 is the Chester Children’s Chorus.

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