Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia Opera Theater will present Gilbert and Sullivan’s iconic operetta The Pirates of Penzance at the university’s Fine Arts Theater on Feb. 17 and 18 at 8 p.m., with a special matinee performance on Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $18, or $5 for UGA students with ID, and are available from the Performing Arts Center box office, via phone at 706/542-4400 and online at www.uga.edu/pac.
First performed in New York City on New Year’s Eve in 1879, The Pirates of Penzance is a comedic, family-friendly tale of British pirates and policemen, and love and leap years. It features some of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most famous songs, including “I am the very model of a modern Major-General.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity for families and music lovers of all ages to discover the joy of Gilbert and Sullivan,” said Frederick Burchinal, the Wyatt and Margaret Anderson Professor of the Arts in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music and director of the opera program. “The Pirates of Penzance is light and fun, written and presented in English, and these performances feature many of the university’s most talented singers.”
The UGA production will be directed by John Stephens, a guest Gilbert and Sullivan specialist, as well as a stage director and performer. Head of the voice program at the University of Kansas, Stephens is a veteran of opera stages across the U.S.
For more information, see www.music.uga.edu.
##
Note to editors: An image from The Pirates of Penzance is available for download at http://multimedia.uga.edu/media/images/Pirates_of_Penzance.jpg.
Cutline for photo: UGA students rehearse for the upcoming performance of The Pirates of Penzance, which will be held at the university’s Fine Arts Theater on Feb. 17 and 18 at 8 p.m., with a special matinee performance on Feb. 19 at 3 p.m.