IUP Performing Arts Groups Present Gilbert & Sullivan’s Swashbuckling Pirates of Penzance

Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Music Theater, Theatre-by-the-Grove, Symphony Orchestra, and Chorale will present a production of the popular classic comic operetta, “The Pirates of Penzance” with libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. This production will take place on November 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Fisher

Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now online at www.iup.edu/livelyarts. This production is directed by Oliver Lo. Concerning the decision to produce this operetta, Lo remarked, “Many non-opera students told me that they were surprised when they watched ‘The Pirates of Penzance.’ They didn’t expect opera could be so fun!” As a result, “Pirates”; was selected as the 2023 co-production of the Department of Music and Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance.

Other members of the creative team include, Rebekah O’Brien, conductor of the IUP Symphony Orchestra, Joan Van Dyke, choreographer; Craig Denison, chorus master; and Nancy Pipkin Hutchinson, costume designer.

Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance” was first presented in New York in 1879. Since then, this beloved operetta has been presented on all continents featuring songs such as “With Catlike Tread,” “Poor Wand’ring One” and the memorable “patter” song, “I Am the Very Model of Modern Major General.” The story follows a group of pirates who try to keep their youngest apprentice with them and pursue happiness through marriage to the Major-General’s daughters.

Tickets for this event are priced between $12-18 (not including a $2 ticket fee) for all patrons and are available for purchase online through the Lively Arts website www.iup.edu/livelyarts. Access to purchase tickets is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by visiting the website and clicking on the “Purchase Tickets” link. Patrons who have questions or need assistance with their order may call the Lively Arts office at 724-357-2787, M-F, 10 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. for assistance.

Theater-by-the-Grove and Music Theater productions are produced by the Department of Music the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance and the College of Arts and Humanities. It is funded, in part, by the IUP Student Cooperative Association. The Lively Arts, a program of the College of Arts and Humanities, presents nearly 200

performances, programs, and exhibits annually.