THE GONDOLIERS to be Presented by New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players in October

New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players (NYGASP) begins its 48th season with its colorful and vivacious production of the Gilbert & Sullivan's classic send up of Republican (in the generic sense) principles and class distinction The Gondoliers. The repertory company will present 4 performances at New York's Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues) from Friday, October 28th through Sunday, October 30th.

The Gondoliers, or The King of Barataria uses two distinct casts of principal characters, firstly the Venetian gondolier couples, and secondly the impoverished and corrupt quasi Spanish (read British) nobility, connected by a humorously ominous Grand Inquisitor. You may be seeing double as these two groups, with separate story lines, collide in one boisterous and joyous show with ample opportunity for the multitalented NYGASP Company to demonstrate its many skills with song and dance to "leave you with feelings of pleasure" as the final line of the score proclaims.

The show will feature a cast of talented NYGASP veterans and new Company members bringing this treasured production back to life. Audiences will be entertained by the brilliant wit of this venerable classic with its enticing Italianate score, lots of engaging dance numbers, and its witty script. A new visual twist in Act 2 suggests that the Venetian gondoliers, when they move to the fictitious kingdom of Barataria, have ordered their new outfits from Titipu, Penzance and the Houses of Parliament, in a sly reference to other classic productions in the NYGASP repertory.

The NYGASP production of The Gondoliers has been in the Company's repertory for over 40 years. The New York Times called this production "A joy! The greatest musical treats are provided by the troupe's ensemble work - Excellent!" This season's cast includes many Company veterans featuring Sarah Caldwell Smith, Amy Maude Helfer, Cameron Smith, and Matthew Wages as the Venetian gondolier couples; David Macaluso, Angela Christine Smith, and Michelle Seipel as the Duke, Duchess and daughter of the Spanish Plaza-Toro family; John Charles McLaughlin as drummer boy Luiz, David Auxier as the supercilious Grand Inquisitor Don Alhambra del Bolero, and Victoria Devany as the mysterious nursemaid Inez. Other named Venetians are played by Brooke Collins, Kendrick Pifer, Laura Sudduth, Chris-Ian Sanchez, Lance Olds, Logan Pitts, and Michael Connolly, while the rest of the ensemble is rounded out by Caitlin Borek, Hannah Eakin, Katie Hall, Maurio Hines, Hannah Holmes, Sarah Hutchison, Claire Leyden, Patrick Lord-Remmert, James Mills, Ben Neumayer, Joshua Scott, and Nathan Seldin.

Founder and Artistic Director Albert Bergeret, recent recipient of a Legend of Off-Broadway award for nearly 50 years of achievement, directs and conducts the full orchestra with choreography by multi-talented David Auxier.

Performance schedule is as follows:

Friday, October 28 at 7:30pm

Saturday, October 29 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm

Sunday, October 30 at 3:00pm

For information on all shows and to purchase tickets please visit www.nygasp.org/.

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