H.M.S. Pinafore

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

Media
Production Team

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

Cast

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

Chorus

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

Venue
Previous Grand Productions

Princess Ida – 2013

Learn more

Patience – 2012

Learn more

The Mikado – 2011

Learn more