HMS Pinafore
November 21 - December 2, 2006
Palace Theatre, London, Ontario
The fourth collaboration between Gilbert & Sullivan, H.M.S. Pinafore was their first blockbuster hit, opening May 28, 1878 at the Opera Comique in London, England. It ran for 471 performances and became a huge fad in England, as well as in America, being copied illegally by dozens of performing companies in the U.S., as well as being presented there by Gilbert, Sullivan and D'Oyly Carte themselves. Pinafore is among the most popular Gilbert & Sullivan operas, perhaps because of its infectious tunes and generally well-constructed libretto.
The gentlemanly Captain of the Pinafore, who claims that he would never swear at his crew, 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, KCB. 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...little Buttercup. Fear not: it all works out in the end. Hip, hip, horrah!
Artistic Team
Artistic Director: Chris Wood
Musical Director: Mark Payne
Choreographer: Laura Wood
Production Team
Producer: Kerry Stover
Stage Manager: Wendy Ewert
Assistant Stage Managers: Leah Morise, Katherine Dennis
Set Designer: Elizabeth Van Doorne
Lighting Designer: John C. Leberg
Wardrobe Co-Ordinator: Wanda Hagan
Hair/Make-up Co-Ordinator: Cindy Salliss
Properties Co-Ordinator - Jay Cott
Publicity - Kerry Stover, Fay Kydd
Program - Ken Sadler
Program Design - Simon Goodwin
Box Office - Elizabeth Van Doorne, Jacqui Vandale
Cast
The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B. (First Lord of the Admiralty) - Christopher Lane
Captain Corcoran (Commander of H.M.S. Pinafore) - Carey Unger
Ralph Rackstraw (able seaman) - Kent Tisher
Dick Deadeye (able seaman) - Rod Culham
Josephine (the Captain's daughter) - Carolyn Holdsworth
Cousin Hebe (Sir Joseph's first cousin) - Hilary Greer
Little Buttercup (a Portsmouth bumboat woman) - Elizabeth Bonisteel
Bill Bobstay (Boatswain's mate) - Julian Munds
Bob Becket (Carpenter's mate) - Joe Taylor
The Male Chorus - Robert Bailey, Bill Hanlon, David Jeffrey, Brian Lester, Christopher F. Parker, Phil Pentecost, Ken Sperling, Matt Stewart, Emil Wijnker.
The Female Chorus - Emily Banavage, Casandra Campbell, Karen Carroll, Elisabeth Geertsma, Charlotte Knight, Laura Meren, Shelley Oakes, Gretchen Rozek, Rebecca Surman, Ceris Thomas, Amanda Vallejos, Shannon Watson.
The Flappers - Tina Chamberlain, Rebecca Dashford, Amanda Hansen, Laura Higgs, Maria Simos, Donna Sneddon
The Passengers - Ester Landreville, Sarah McCarthy, Matthew Stewart, Tom Stewart
Orchestra
Violin 1 - Henry Olynyk, Bill Zadorsky, Sally Vernon
Violin 2 - Mo Jenner, Bill Chefurka
Viola - Jan Clarke, Jim Whitby
Cello - Ray Thomson, Margaret Whitby
Bass - Jason Eady
Flute - Caroline Hauffe, Kay Hohner
Oboe - Mary Taylor
Clarinet - Lisa Philpott, Lois Bezeau
Bassoon - Jordana MacDonald
Trumpet - Joan Clarke
Keyboard - Dawn Chomitsch
Timpani - Janis Wallace