Hunter Ryan Herdlicka to Lead PIRATES OF PENZANCE at 5th Avenue Theatre; Full Cast Announced!

The 5th Avenue Theatre is thrilled to announce that pirates will be invading the historic stage for four hilarious weeks of performances this summer in Gilbert & Sullivans The Pirates of Penzance. This tuneful classic first set sail from New York's Fifth Avenue Theatre on Broadway more than 130 years ago, and 40 major revivals later, it arrives in Seattle with a Pacific Northwest twist. DirectorJames Rocco will take the helm of the all-new production, which he is setting in British Columbia. This cheeky farce features a boatload of Seattle's favorite performers.

Brandon O'Neill will lead a band of rollicking (but tenderhearted) pirates as the swaggering Pirate King and David Pichette takes charge as a very modern Major General. Broadway star Hunter Ryan Herdlicka will swing into Seattle to take a turn as the young lover, Frederic, and his land-locked sweetheart, Mabel, will be played by Anne Eisendrath. Broadway veteran Anne Allgood as Ruth will also prove that a pirate can still be a lady. Throw in a treasure-trove of damsels in distress, a fleet of clumsy Canadian Mounties, and a score you will hum the whole way home, and The Pirates of Penzance will set hearts aflutter with high-seas hi-jinks for the whole family.

The Pirates of Penzance plays July 11-August 4, 2013 (press opening July 18) at The 5th Avenue Theatre (1308 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101). Tickets (starting at $29) may be purchased online at www.5thavenue.org, by phone at 206-625-1900, or at the Box Office at 1308 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle.

"We couldn't be more thrilled to have The Pirates of Penzance on our stage and to introduce this marvelous musical to a whole new generation of audiences." says 5th Avenue Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong. "This classic show is just as fresh today as when Gilbert and Sullivan first put pen to paper."

For more information about The 5th Avenue Theatre, its season and its programs, please visit www.5thavenue.org.