By Amanda Berg Whittle
Composers Gilbert and Sullivan are known for comic operas: upbeat, funny operas that end happily. This differentiates them from composers of “traditional operas,” where the entire world is doom and gloom, everyone dies, and love is lost. The Off Broadway Theatre is an upbeat place, often featuring original comedies. This time, however, they decided to play the Gilbert and Sullivan classic, H.M.S. Pinafore, which ends up being a perfect match.
H.M.S Pinafore is the story of a ship captain’s daughter, Josephine (Alexia Adair), who falls in mutual love with a humble sailor, Ralph (Gregory Harrison), much to the dismay of her father, Captain Corcoran (Rusty Bringhurst). The Captain would like her to marry someone of similar social status and has Sir Joseph Porter (Eric R. Jensen) in mind. Sir Joseph’s cousin, Cousin Hebe (Dory Peacock) constantly tries to gain the affection of Sir Joseph, while another sailor, Dick Deadeye (Matthew L. Glade) tries to foil Josephine and Ralph’s plan to marry so he can obtain her hand instead. A local bumboat vendor and gypsy, Little Buttercup (Katie Evans) tries to win over the Captain the entire time, and ends up winning over the entire audience. The story plays on ideas about social differences, interesting monarchical family relations, and the Royal Navy putting unqualified people in positions of power.
As usual for The Off Broadway Theatre, the casting for the show is done perfectly. Jensen and Bringhurst are, in my opinion, the two funniest actors in Utah, so putting them together in one show makes for an especially enjoyable time. Both Adair and Harrison have beautiful voices and wonderful chemistry, and their professional operatic voices help maintain the “opera-like” feel of the show, despite the inclusion of modern jokes, comedy, and well-timed, sarcastic PSAs. A notable character is the accompanist, Debby Cannon. Not only is she a wonderful pianist, but she and the unnamed drummer have great personalities that add extra humor, sarcasm, and fun to the performance. Director Sunny Simkins helps each performer become their part, from the leads down to the ensemble parts, and brings the whole scene to life notwithstanding the simplicity of the set and props. Light and Sound Tech Ben Tribe makes the stage feel like we’re sailing the ocean blue with moving blue lights and the sounds of seagulls.
Prolonged stress, depression, anxiety disorder, and mental strain are something that hinders online viagra the normal functions of male reproductive system and thus the system gets extra energy and strength for curing the diseases. Precautions: Before taking this drug , tell your doctor about all your medical problems, including if you: * have heart problems such as arthritis or hairline fractures in the hip area. sale levitra Different types of herbs are used for treating different kinds of conditions like female sexual dysfunction, bladder and uterine prolapse, loose vagina, pelvic pain, and stress and so he goes through some worst situations but such stress and problems also leads him to erectile dysfunction. cheap viagra http://www.fundacionvision.org.pa/viagra-4113.html With non-manual therapeutic treatment such as nutritional teaching and different exercise thought about that buy generic levitra program, stress is then managed more effectively without having to take anti-depressant medications.
The Off Broadway Theatre is one of my favorite date spots, not only for their featured performances, but also for their improv comedy every Friday and Saturday night. If you’re having a hard week, or an easy week, or any week, and want some fun and laughs, OBT is the place to be.
Off Broadway Theatre presents H.M.S. Pinafore with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert.
Off Broadway Theatre, 272 S Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84110
August 3rd-September 8th (Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays) 7:30 PM
Tickets: $10-16
Contact: 801-355-4628
The Off Broadway Theatre’s Facebook Page
0 Comments