T
his operetta gave Gilbert and Sullivan their first mega hit in 1878. As the action begins, rollicking sailors sing as they swab the deck of their saucy ship H.M.S. Pinafore in preparation for the arrival of Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B., Britain’s First Lord of the Admiralty. Buttercup, comes aboard to sell her “snuff and tobaccy” to the sailors. Ralph, a sailor, confesses to his mates that he has fallen in love with the captain’s daughter, Josephine. The Captain arrives to inspect his crew, and we learn that Buttercup has a romantic interest in the Captain. Josephine is sought in marriage by Sir Joseph, a cabinet minister, but she is secrely in love with a lowly sailor--Ralph Rackstraw! The music and ation whirl to an ending with “joy and rapture unforseen,” for “he is an Englishman!”
playbill illustrations by: djt freeland
H.M.S. Pinafore
Or The Lass That Loved A Sailor Book by W. S. Gilbert Music by Arthur Sullivan
CAST Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B., First Lord of the Admiralty Pep Speed
Captain Corcoran, Commander of H.M.S. Pinafore Greg Flaherty
Ralph Rackstraw, An Able Seaman Clay Terry
Dick Deadeye, An Odious Seaman Kevin Webb
Bill Bobstay, Boatswain Neill Kelly
Josephine, the Captain’s Daughter Allison Stanford
Hebe, Sir Joseph’s Cousin Tiffany Gammell
Buttercup, A Portsmouth Bumboat Woman Briana Fae Logan
Sailors on the H.M.S. Pinafore:
Jason Bouldin, Christopher Clark, Sam Jacobs, Jay Jurden, Pete Raif
Sir Joseph’s Sisters, Cousins, and Aunts:
Jane Bunting, Dana Clark, Dana Colagiovani, Anna Donnell, Mary Lane Haskell*, Brittany Helmes, Anne Klingen, Diana Marino, Claire Taylor, Alexis White, and Elizabeth Williamson Scene: Quarterdeck of H.M.S. Pinafore, off Portsmouth Act I - Noon Act II - Night
H.M.S. Pinafore
Or The Lass That Loved A Sailor Book by W. S. Gilbert Music by Arthur Sullivan
STAFF Director Scenic Designer/Painter Costume Designer Lighting Designer Conductor Choreographer Rehearsal Pianist Technical Director Stage Manager Costume Shop Manager Prop Master Master Electrician Sound/Music Designer Assistant Stage Manager Costume Shop Staff Costume Staff/Wigs and Makeup Scene Shop Staff Wardrobe Master House Manager
Julia Aubrey Matthew Zerangue Jenn Polkowski Dewey Douglas Robert Aubrey RenĂŠ Pulliam Paul Brown Blake McLemore Cassie Daniel Lee Martin Danielle Wheeler Angela Golightly Brian Tichnell Jill Pugh Pamela Bullock Greg Flaherty Kallie Rolison Christopher Raines Zach Murphy Pamela Bullock Amanda Malloy
H.M.S. Pinafore
Or The Lass That Loved A Sailor Music by Arthur Sullivan
Musical Numbers Overture Act I No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 3a No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 No. 7 No. 8 No. 9 No. 10 No. 11 No. 12
We sail the ocean blue I’m called Little Buttercup The nightingale A maiden fair to see My gallant crew Sorry her lot Over the bright blue sea Sir Joseph’s barge is seen Now give three cheers When I was a lad A British tar Refrain, audacious tar Can I survive this overbearing?
Sailors Buttercup Ralph and Sailors Ralph and Sailor Captain and Sailors Josephine Sisters, Cousins, Aunts Sailors and Relatives Captain and Chorus Sir Joseph and Chorus Ralph, Boatswain, Deadeye, Sailors Josephine and Ralph Ensemble
Entr’acte Act II No. 13 No. 14 No. 15 No. 16 No. 17 No. 18 No. 19 No. 20 No. 21
Fair moon, to thee I sing Things are seldom what they seem The hours creep on apace Never mind the why and wherefore Kind Captain, I’ve important information Carefully on tiptoe stealing Farewell, my own! A many years ago Oh joy, oh rapture unforeseen!
Captain Corcoran Buttercup and Captain Josephine Josephine, Captain, Sir Joseph Captain and Dick Deadeye Ensemble Ensemble Buttercup and Chorus Ensemble
There will be one 12-minute intermission.
H.M.S. Pinafore
Or The Lass That Loved A Sailor Music by Arthur Sullivan
Orchestra Conductor, Dr. Robert H. Aubrey** Pianist, Paul Brown Flutes
Andrew Gordon and Angie Wells
Clarinets
Deanna Nicholson, Amanda Ashmore and Michael Aubrey
Oboe
Jessica Crociata
Bassoons
Bryan Gaston and Jeff Tilghman
Cello
Susan Gaston*
Cornets
Jennifer Dickerson and Justin Wallace
Trombone
Jonathan Evans
Horn
Jeremy Smith
Percussion Paige Turner
*Courtesy of Actors’ Equity Union **Department of Music Faculty
DIRECTOR’S NOTES H.M.S. PINAFORE Oxford Shakespeare Festival Fifth Anniversary Season
Summer 2008
H.M.S. Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan’s first commercial success. When it opened in Soho on May 25 in 1878, it ran for 571 performances. Its popularity abroad, albeit through illegal productions, led D’Oyly Carte to stage the first authorized performance in the United States on December 1, 1879. Perhaps the attraction of a nautical theme and these acts of “piracy” gave Gilbert the idea for their next opera, The Pirates of Penzance. Certainly the operetta with the most whistle-able tunes, H.M.S. Pinafore continues to enjoy the popularity begun over a hundred years ago. But why? In my opinion, the story of a lass whose sorry lot is to “love too well” and a sailor who “alas, loves a lass above his station” transcends time and place. All lovers can relate to a situation wherein their love is unrequited or societal expectations restrict romance. The drama is the struggle each pair of lovers experience, as they love above or below their class standing. The music appeals to the music aficionado as well as a general public. Ian Bradley tells us “Savoy Operas broke new ground in using the chorus to represent real people with a meaningful role in the action rather than just as a passive vehicle for stetting a scene or telling a story.” Sullivan also parodies Italian opera, writes traditional British hymn tunes, and provides his famous patter songs. The longevity of this operetta can be attributed not only to the historical musical importance, but also the fact that an audience just wants to sing along with these tunes. Gilbert names characters for parts of a ship such as Deadeye (a wooden block used for tightening the shrouds of a ship) or Bobstay (the loop of rope used for holding spars) and writes many, many jokes meant to poke fun at arch snobbery, solecisms, and archetypal characters. Again, we don’t have to know these details to understand the humor; we only have to observe,- “Things are seldom what they seem.”
Julia Aubrey