H.M.S. Pinafore 1981

Artistic Team

Philip A. Kraus......................................................................Stage Director
Barnard Jones........................................................................Conductor
Amy L Kekst......................................................................... Choreographer
Nels Anderson.......................................................................Scenic Designer
JoEllen Bendall......................................................................Costume Designer
Mark S. Mongold...................................................................Lighting Designer

Cast

The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B..................................William T. Wronski
Captain Corcoran.....................................................................Patrick Wroblewski
Ralph Rackstraw..................................................................... Jeffery Wiggins
Dick Deadeye......................................................................... Steward Figa
Bill Bobstay............................................................................ John Holland
Bob Beckett............................................................................ Mark Sundberg
Tom Tucker............................................................................. Tom Shea Josephine................................................................................ Gayle Royko
Cousin Hebe........................................................................... Kathleen Keske
Little Buttercup...................................................................... Ann G. Hoselitz
Bertha .................................................................................... Jacqueline Krupka

Marine Guards........................................................................ Joel W. Baird, Jack Dare

Sailors: Alejandro G. Abraham, Mark Avant, Barrington Coleman, Bob Fitzgerald, Gregory Franklin, John E Giles, Daniel Harper, Daniel Jay Hurtado, Jeff Little, Frank McCormick, Terrance C. McCracken

Sisters, Cousins, and Aunts: Anne Louise Flood, Joy Huston, Karen H. Lerner, Victoria Lang, Robin Lee, Sharman Link, Susan Wertz Ohlrich, Sara Pscheidt, Patricia K. Steiner, Virginia Tate, Donna Welch-Sandri, Shirley A. Van Yzendoorn.

For the first production of a new company it is just about mandatory to do a "standard" in the repertory to set a "standard" for the company. Gilbert and Sullivan's first big success, H.M.S. Pinafore, which premiered in 1878 was a little over 100 years old and as popular at that venerable age as it was just after its initial production. Not only would the piece be welcomed at the box office, but it was one of a few operettas that only required one set and that in itself seemed practical for a company starting out with dubious financial backing. Scenic designer Nels Anderson, a faculty member at Goodman School of Drama who had designed for Chicago's famed Body Politic and Spectrum Theaters relished the opportunity to do something on a grand scale and provided a first class Bristish Man-of-War with full rigging for the stage of Cahn Auditorium. Costume designer JoEllen Bendall coordinated the costume rental and Organic Theater lighting designer Mark Mongold lit the production.

From the outset of founding the company, it was Philip Kraus' modus operandi to create opportunities for young, up and coming Chicago vocal talent. Bill Wronski had done some of the Gilbert patter leads for Kraus at Northwestern and this unpredictable comedian had certainly mastered the style needed for these roles; a perfect choice then for the absurdly pompous Sir Joseph Porter. Beautiful Gayle Royko and handsome Jeffrey Wiggins had recently graduated from the opera program at Northwestern and seemed perfect for the romantic leads. Royko, with her rich soprano and star quality presence would become a favorite artist in the early years of the company.

Baritone Patrick Wroblewski played Captain Corcoran. Also from Northwestern, he would soon join the Lyric Opera Apprentice Program and go on to an international career. Chicago was lucky to have a true Gilbertian contralto in Ann Hoselitz. Kraus had met her in the Chicago Symphony Chorus and recognized that she truly had that rich, plumby timbre of the great D'Oyly Carte contraltos. She did a wonderful Little Buttercup and would go on to do many of the company's G & S productions. It is also fitting to mention the casting of John Holland as Bill Bobstay. A scholar and friend of Kraus' at Northwestern, John possesed a terrific character bass voice, was great on stage, and always wonderful to work with. He would go on to do more shows at LOW than any other artist.

Light Opera Works' first production would reunite Kraus with two trusted and singularly creative artistic talents from his days at Northwestern. Conductor Barney Jones had been a close friend of the artistic director since they had met doing The Mikado at Northwestern. Barney was and still is a superb musician with a wide ranging spectrum of interests. He had studied composition at Northwestern with Alan Stout but was also an accomplished conductor, choral technician, and singer. Barney served as music director for the entire production and in his choral preparation immediately adopted the "Richard Boldrey" technique of "memorize first" that he had experienced in the chorus at Opera Midwest. This method would become a standard routine in the training of the compay's choruses. He also engaged Alan Heatherington, a fine violinist and experienced union contractor to bring together a first rate professional orchestra. Musically, Sullivan's score was in expert, loving hands.

Dancer Amy Kekst had choreographed Kraus' two Gilbert and Sullivan Guild productions at Northwesterm as well his critically acclaimed Die Fledermaus at the short lived Opera Midwest. Amy had the particular talent of being able to communicate dance moves to singers with limited terpsichorian experience. She also had a keen sense of the Gilbert and Sullivan style and was incredibly flexible when she worked with a director. In short, she was a dream collaborator. Amy had moved back to her home town Cleveland, after graduating from Northwestern and agreed to make the trip back to Chicago to work with the company.

It was hoped that the first production would be a critical success. H.M.S. Pinafore received rave reviews in the Chicago Sun Times and Pioneer Press with only the Chicago Tribune dissenting in the minority. It would begin a somewhat tempestuous relationship with the press in Chicago. It mattered that the company be seen as professional, and in that regard, there was ample evidence in the reviews that LOW's maiden voyage was a joyous success that set an impressive professional standard.

Use the buttons on the left to view reviews and pictures from the production.