Village Light Opera Group presents IOLANTHE, 11/19

Friday, November 19, Village Light Opera presents Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University.

Founded in 1935 by a group of doctors, the Village Light Opera group continues to uphold its tradition of presenting professional-quality light opera and musical theatre. The cast of Iolanthe features doctors, lawyers, teachers and community members with a variety of professional and arts backgrounds, all bound together by an undying passion for the arts. The company presents two major productions per year, in addition to several cabaret shows, educational performances, classes and workshops throughout the year. The group is headquartered at the Robert Dewar Center, at Church Street and Leonard Street in TriBeCa.

Iolanthe director Emily Cornelius comes to VLOG from the Metropolitan Opera, where she is a member of artistic administration, and The Flying Karamazov Brothers and Ohio Light Opera where she served as assistant director and stage manager. Musical director Jamie Ratcliffe is a past assistant conductor at the Troupers Light Opera, and Assistant Conductor of the American Chamber Orchestra.

First Produced in 1882, Iolanthe is the story of an exiled fairy who returns from her swampland to greet her son, Strephon, whose romantic adventures with the beautiful Phyllis (as well as the complication of his mixed heritage) set the scene for musical conflict between the whimsical denizens of the fairy world, and the somber members of English Parliament. The cast of Iolanthe features Megan Marod as Iolanthe, Tadzio Smith as Strephon, Natalia Salemmo as Phyllis, Minda Larsen as the Fairy Queen and Martin Everall as the Lord Chancellor.

Iolanthe runs Friday, Nov. 19 through Sunday, Nov. 21st, with performances at 8 pm on Friday and Saturday, and 2 pm on Saturday and Sunday at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts, at 3 Spruce Street in Downtown Manhattan.

Tickets are available at www.vlog.org, or by calling Ovation Tix at 866-811-4111.