New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players Presents Announces 36th Season with UTOPIA, LIMITED, 11/21

America's foremost Gilbert & Sullivan repertory ensemble, the New YorK Gilbert & Sullivan Players (NYGASP), is happy to announce that its new fall, winter and spring season will kick off with a production of Utopia, Limited on Sunday, November 21st (5PM) at Peter Norton Symphony Space (2535 Broadway at 95th Street). Its 36th annual season is spread throughout the year as an alternative to its annual January program at New York's City Center, due to City Center's planned winter construction and renovations.

Under the artistic and music direction of Albert Bergeret, the company has presented over 2,600 performances throughout the United States, Canada, and England. Incorporating a 25-piece orchestra, its productions feature contemporary energy while retaining a traditional respect for each of the G&S masterpieces. New YorK Gilbert & Sullivan Players is considered by many to be the nation's "leading custodian of the G&S classics."

Utopia, Limited, or "The Flowers of Progress" is a rarely performed G&S satire concerning the attempts of an island paradise to clone the ways of Victorian England. The score is full of arching melodies, sprightly tunes, and rousing choruses while timely objects of Gilbert's wit include political correctness and governmental gridlock. Not bad for a neglected 100 year old work! Gilbert's humor is a bit more vindictive than in his previous works and Sullivan's score reflects the intricacies of a composer striving for a new level of composition, but both are delightful in their own way. Although Gilbert's lampooning of the 1862 invention of the principle of "limited liability" (here in America it is called "incorporation") may have seemed dated, the recent debate over companies too big to fail and government bailouts have brought the topic back into the limelight. The premise of an island paradise named "Utopia" desiring to "improve" its lot by adopting all things British, the privatization of government functions, the problems of the "tabloid press", satire on the difficulty of singing tenor, and other references in the show are uncannily up to date - typical of Gilbert's unerring insight into human foibles. King Paramount of Utopia has sent his oldest daughter to an English boarding school while importing an English lady to tutor his younger girls. When the elder student returns to her south sea island paradise home from the United Kingdom with seven idealistic "flowers of progress" representing various British institutions (amongst them a dashing young dragoon guard with whom she is in love) the locals adopt their white washed versions of Victorian ways, with catastrophic results.

The NYGASP 2010-11 season is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

The season will also include Sunday afternoon presentations of: The Yeomen of the Guard (December 5th), Trial by Jury with the revue G&S a la Carte (March 20th) and a special G&S Sing-Along - a NYGASP first-(May 22nd) as well as a week-long engagement of The Mikado (December 29-January 2nd which includes a gala New Year's Eve performance).

All performances will feature the full score and dialogue with NYGASP's cast and orchestra, with the orchestra on stage for all performances including the unique G&S Sing-Along.

Tickets for Utopia, Limited on Sunday, November 21st (5PM) at The Peter J. Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space range in price from $82 - $62 for adults; $74 - $56 for seniors; $42 - $32 for children and can be purchased by phoning (212) 864-5400 or by visiting www.nygasp.org or www.symphonyspace.org.

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