June 12 - 22, 2014
The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin presented H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor as our Summer 2014 Grand Production. Nine performances were presented at the Worley Barton Theater at Brentwood Christian School, June 12-22.
Artistic Director Ralph MacPhail, Jr. returned for his 14th summer with the Society, along with Jeffrey Jones-Ragona, enjoying his 18th season as Music Director. Bill Hatcher returned as Production Manager.
H.M.S. Pinafore satirizes the snobbery and hypocrisy of the English social system of the day, as the beautiful daughter of the ship’s captain falls in love with a lowly seaman. This groundbreaking musical also pokes good-natured fun at patriotism, party politics, the Royal Navy, and the appointment of unqualified people to positions of authority.
The gentlemanly Captain of the Pinafore, who claims that he would never swear at his crew (what, never?), does not know that his daughter has fallen in love with a common sailor serving on her father's ship. Meanwhile, the Captain has arranged for her to marry the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Joseph Porter. Sir Joseph himself has risen from humble beginnings to gain his office by political acumen, despite having never gone to sea! And the Captain himself fancies a poor bumboat woman. Fear not: it all works out in the end. “Oh joy, oh rapture unforeseen!”
The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin received three B. Iden Payne award nominations for its June 2014 production of H.M.S. Pinafore. Carol Brown (Josephine) for Outstanding Lead Actress in Musical Theater, Russell Gregory (Sir Joseph Porter) for Outstanding Featured Actor in Musical Theater, and Music Director Jeffrey Jones-Ragona for Outstanding Music Direction.
Reviews
Austin Chronicle
Austin.Metblogs.com
Media
Press release
Press image
Press photo
Poster
Libretto
Vocal Score
Ralph MacPhail, Jr.
Artistic Director
Jeffrey Jones-Ragona
Music Director
Bill Hatcher
Production Manager
Monica Kurtz
Stage Manager
Ann Marie Gordon
Set Realization
Jennifer Rogers
Lighting Designer
Pam Fowler
Costumes & Make-up Designer
Russell Gregory
Sir Joseph Porter
Gil Zilkha
Captain Corcoran
Holton Johnson
Ralph Rackstraw
David Fontenot
Dick Deadeye
Julius Young
Bill Bobstay
David Yakubik
Bob Becket
Carol Brown
Josephine
Megan Sherrod
Hebe
Janette Jones
Little Buttercup
Bruno Barbosa
Jasmine C. Bell
Kate Clark
Arthur DiBianca
Andy Fleming
Will Fox
Leann Fryer
Paul Halstead
Ezra Hankin
Rosa Harris
Andy Heilveil
Chris Karaguleff
Melissa Kreuger
Mark Long
Susan Meitz
Maurine McLean
John O’Brien
Annaliese Oliveira
Julia Powers
Rachael Shaw
Tim Shelburne
Mario Silva
Ian Stilwell
Abigail Taylor
Hilary Taylor
Jamie Taylor
Brittany Trinité
Patrick Wright
Dirk Yaple
Rebecca Yaple
Jay Young