Skylight Opera Theatre Presents An Evening With Gilbert & Sullivan 5/28-6/20

Dale Gutzman, founder and artistic director of Off The Wall Theatre, is returning to Skylight Opera Theatre to premier his new work, An Evening with Gilbert & Sullivan. Gutzman not only wrote the show but will also be directing it. He is no stranger to the Skylight, having directed twenty-three shows in the 1970s and 80s. He has also written nearly a dozen original shows for Skylight and has acted in over twenty Skylight Productions.

Gutzman subtitles this show with "An iconoclastic three-man review in two acts with one intermission for refreshments and intellectual disagreement."

Performed by two of the very best Gilbert and Sullivan "patter men" in the country, Gary Briggle (Sir Arthur Sullivan) and John R. Muriello (W. S. Gilbert), this amazing tour de force of lyrics and melody is music directed by Jeff Schaetzke, who in addition to playing piano in the production, performs as the character Meadows.

It's a fun-filled musical revue that is much more than a revue. Gilbert and Sullivan meet again, this time, in Heaven and they can't seem to get along any better there, than they did on Earth. Over twenty of their most famous songs tell the story of their lives, their impossible working relationship and of their goals and dreams. The show travels from Heaven to Victorian London, to a tiny Theatre On Jefferson Street in Milwaukee called The Skylight.

"I have always loved the Skylight and my memories of Clair Richardson and working there are among the most precious in my life. To be able to return and do Gilbert & Sullivan and to be able to write once again for the Skylight is a dream come true," said Gutzman.

Dale Gutzman (Writer, Stage Director) - Dale has directed twenty-three shows for Skylight Opera Theatre and has written over a dozen original pieces, including Holiday Punch. He is the Artistic Director of Off the Wall Theatre, located in Milwaukee. He is also the Associate Director of the Odessa Russian Drama Theatre and founder of United Bangkok Artists in Thailand and was twice named "Director of the Year" by Theatre Week Magazine. In the past year, the Sondheim Review has featured two articles on his work with the shows of Stephen Sondheim. He will soon be presenting Into the Woods at his Theatre On Wells Street. In celebration of his 10 years at Off the Wall Theatre, he is creating a musical and comedy revue, A Perfect 10.

Jeff Schaetzke (Music Director, Meadows) - Jeff is thrilled to be joining Skylight again, having last been seen in My Fair Lady and will be joining Skylight this fall for Dames at Sea. Recent credits include the premiere of The Daly News at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at First Stage. Other credits include two seasons at American Players Theatre, directing and music directing at Marquette University, Carroll College, and Sunset Playhouse. He currently runs the theater department at Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay, where he has directed over twenty-five productions, including favorites such as Les Miserables, Pirates of Penzance, Metamorphoses, State Fair, Ragtime, Cats, Aida, and many others. Jeff is happily married, and lives with his wife and three children in Cedarburg.

John R. Muriello (W.S. Gilbert) - John was last seen at Skylight as The Sergeant of Police in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance. Other credits with the Skylight include: Colonel Calverly in Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience, Tartuffe in Kirk Mechem's Tartuffe, Pooh-bah in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado, The Lecturer in Dominick Argento's A Water Bird Talk and Mama Agatha in Donizetti's Viva la Mama. He has also performed with Seaside Music Theatre, Lyric Opera of Cleveland, Ohio Light Opera, and Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. John teaches voice at the University of Iowa.

Gary Briggle (Sir Arthur Sullivan) - Gary is honored to return to his favorite theater in the country, having previously appeared in The Pirates of Penzance, Patience, Hansel and Gretel, The Mikado, Iolanthe, Sweeney Todd and The Threepenny Opera. In his home of the Twin Cities, he has worked with The Minnesota Opera Company, Midwest Opera Theater, The Children's Theater Company, La Theatre de la Jeune Lune, The Guthrie Theater, Vocal Essence, The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Nautilus Music-Theater, Frank Theater, Minnesota Dance Theater, and Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion. For twelve years, he served as principal tenor and subsequently as artistic director for Lyric Opera Cleveland and frequently performs with regional companies such as The Arizona Theatre Company, The Artist Series of Sarasota, Sacramento Opera, Virginia Opera, Dayton Opera, Nevada Opera, Memphis Opera, Opera Omaha, Anchorage Opera, The Ordway Theater, Berkeley Rep, Kansas City Rep, and Skylark Opera, among others.

Song List

ACT I
"Poor Wand'ring One" (Pirates of Penzance)
"If You Give Me Your Attention" (Princess Ida)
"Here's a How-De-Do" (Mikado)
"Titwillow" (Mikado)
Medley: "Modern Major General/When I Good Friends was Called to the Bar" (Pirates of Penzance)
"Love Sick Boy" (Trial By Jury)
"I'm Called Little Buttercup" (H.M.S. Pinafore)
"The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring" (Mikado)
"I Have a Song to Sing" (Yeomen of the Guard)
"With Nothing to Grumble At" (Princess Ida)

ACT II
"Fairy Song" (Iolanthe)
"Nightmare Song" (Iolanthe)
"Onward Christian Soldiers"
"When I was a Lad" (H.M.S. Pinafore)
"Am I Alone" (Patience)
"The Sun and I" (Mikado)
"Le Medley Grand" (Mikado, H.M.S. Pinafore, Pirates of Penzance)
Performance dates: May 28, 29, 30; June 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Good to Know Before the Show
Cabaret Performances...What A Pair - The Best of Becky Spice & Jamie Johns: Following all Friday and Saturday evening performances in the Skylight Bar & Bistro. There is not a cabaret performance on opening night.

Food and Drink... Skylight Bar & Bistro by Kafevino, located on the second floor of the Broadway Theatre Center, is a full-service bar open two hours before performances, at intermission and after performances with the exception of Sunday evenings. For reservations, call (414) 224-4900.

Box Office Information
Skylight Opera Theatre's Box Office is located in the Broadway Theatre Center at 158 North Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202. Phone: (414) 291-7800

Hours...Monday through Saturday noon to 6:00 p.m. and two hours prior to all performances. Skylight tickets are available for purchase online at www.skylightopera.com -- 24 hours a day/7 days a week!

Ticket Prices...$33.50

Skylight Opera Theatre is a nationally recognized producer of the full-spectrum of Music Theatre.

The Skylight is proud to be a cornerstone member of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), which provides major annual financial support. Through community support of the United Performing Arts Fund, UPAF Member and Affiliate Groups are able to provide education and outreach to over 400,000 children, provide over 2,000 live performances and reach over 1,000,000 people every year. When everyone supports the arts through UPAF, they help our local economy, improving education and strengthening outreach programs to the disabled and elderly - all while adding culture to their own life. Support of UPAF is critical to UPAF Member Groups' ability to continue to offer exceptional live performances, award-winning education and outreach programming and substantial economic impact to our region. To learn more about UPAF or to donate, go to www.upaf.org.

The Skylight is supported in part by grants from the NEA, Wisconsin Arts Board, the City of Milwaukee Arts Board, and Milwaukee County's CAMPAC. The Skylight is a member of OPERA America; Visit Milwaukee; Historic Third Ward Association; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin; Theatre Wisconsin; Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee and a cultural partner of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's Arts in Community Education (ACE) Program. This theater is an equal opportunity employer. Except in plays where race itself is an issue, casting is decided based on ability, not race.

To post a comment, you must register and login.