Gilbert & Sullivan's
H.M.S. Pinafore
or, The Lass Who Loved a Sailor

June 16-18 & 23-25, 1995

Directed by Malinda Lloyd
Music Directed by Michael Plant

Cast

Sir Joseph Porter, KCB, First Lord of the Admiralty - Gordon Brigham
Captain Corcoran, Commanding HMS Pinafore - John Perine
Ralph Rackstraw, Able Seaman - Chris Carrico
Dick Deadeye, Able Seaman - Tom Goode
Bill Bobstay, Boatswain - Todd Long
Bob Becket, Carpenter's Mate - Charles Sheridan
Josephine, the Captain's Daughter - Lisa Lockhart
Hebe, Sir Joseph's first Cousin - Rusty Suter
Little Buttercup, a Portsmouth Bumboat Woman - Karen Mercedes

Chorus of Sailors and Female Relatives - Stephanie Brigham, William G.S. Brown, Lynne Claflin, Paige Duncan*, Les Elkins, Laurice Fattal, Lisa Fisher, Fran Fleming, Gaye Freese, Tom Fuchs, Virginia Garber, Julia Lukas Gorman, Ira Haber, Leta Hall, Barry Hilton, Donna Jaffe, Lyle Jaffe, Charlie Johnston,Kate Lawniczak, Aroostine McDowell-Long, Bill Rippey, Vinnie Quintero, David Roethel, Andrea Schewe, Jack Wells, Lisa Wright-Matthews

*understudy

Orchestra

Violin - David Friedlander*, Carla Baker, Norman Baker, Bonnie Barrows,
            Martin Brown, Alban Deniz, Allie Laban, Carolyn Larson,
            Audrey Maxwell, Dirck Storm
Viola - Patrick Femiano, Amanda Laudwein
Cello - Charles Finney, Cheryl Libman, Arthur Watson
Bass - Sue Lyon
Flute - Louise Hill, Pauline Summers
Oboe - Mary Ann Ruehling
Clarinet - Sue Shapiro, Eugene Sober
Bassoon - Courtney Gorham
French Horn - Don Hunter, Lorin Krusberg
Trumpet - Bernard Rappaport, Gregory Robertson
Trombone - Earl Zastrow
Percussion -  George Huttlin

Production Staff

Producers - Barry Grinnell & Lyle Jaffe
Assistant Director - Todd Long
Choreographers - Todd & Aroostine McDowell Long
Artistic Director - Rosalie Santilhano
Stage Manager - Pam Hodges
Assistant Stage Manager - Mollie Toms
Set Design - Malinda Lloyd
Lighting Design - Scott Lord
Master Carpenter - Ron Lloyd
Master Electrician - Shannon Mangialetti
Costumers - Lisa Fisher, Gaye Freese
Costume Assistants - Stacey Abbott, Andrea Schewe, Mollie Toms
Technical Director (Rockville Civic Center) - Lew Dronenburg
Technical Crew - Kim Arthur, Scott Bryant, Tony Dwyer, Jenny Farley, David Kaysen, Jeff Lord, David Quigley
Orchestra Managers - Bernard Rappaport, Mary Ann Ruehling, Gene Sober
Rehearsal Pianist - Jenny Bland
Make-Up - Malinda Lloyd, Rusty Suter
Tickets - Caroline & Jim Hummel
Program - Leta Hall
Publicity - Kent Woods
Set Construction (Shipwrights) - Gordon Brigham, Bill Brown, Les Elkins, Ira Haber, Lyle Jaffe, David Kaysen, Bill Rippey
Set Painting - Bill Brown, Tom Fuchs Debbie Hansen, Judith Rubinstein, Linda Weaver (Backdrop)
Videotaping - Falls Church Cable Television
Photography - Joel Hoffman
Refreshments - The Wooden Shoe Pastry Shoppe
Costume Storage - Donna & Lyle Jaffe
Set Storage - Gordon & Stephanie Brigham, Harry Leet, Rockville Civic Center

  • Program Illustrations from Victorian Pictorial Borders, Carole Belanger, ed; Dover Publications, Inc., NY
  • Music stands and lights courtesy of Rockville Musical Theatre and Christ Congregational Church
  • Bass drum courtesy of the Naval Surface Warfare Center
  • Tympani courtesy of the City of Rockville, Arts Division of the Department of Recreation and Parks.
VLOC would like to extend its sincere thanks to:
Hany Leet; Dick Meyer; Renee at Joanne Fabrics; Judy Gardner;
Caroline Hummel; Lou Wiot; The Wooden Shoe Pastry Shoppe;
Giant Food (barrels); Sherwood High School; and the District of
Columbia Branch/Commissioned Officers Association (sailors
bell-bottomed trousers) for their efforts on our behalf.

Synopsis

Ralph Rackstraw, a humble sailor, loves Josephine, the daughter of his commanding officer, Captain Corcoran. Likewise, Little Buttercup, a peddler-woman, loves the Captain. Class pride, however, stands in the way of the inclinations of the Corcorans to reciprocate Ralph's and Buttercup's affections. The Captain has, in fact, arranged a marriage between his daughter and Sir Joseph Porter, First Lord of the Admiralty, who socially outranks the Corcorans. When Act I opens. the sailors are preparing the ship for Sir Joseph's inspection. The generally happy atmosphere on deck is marred only by Little Buttercup's hints of a secret she is hiding, by the misanthropic grumbling of Dick Deadeye, and by the love-lorn plaints of Ralph and Josephine. Sir Joseph appears, attended by a train of his relatives, who follow him wherever he goes. He explains how he became first Lord of the Admiralty and examines the crew, patronizingly encouraging them to feel that they are everyone's equal, except his. Josephine finds him insufferable; and, when Ralph again pleads his suit and finally threatens suicide, she agrees to elope.

Act II opens with the Captain in despair at the demoralization of his crew and the coldness of his daughter towards Sir Joseph. Sir Joseph appears and tells the Captain that Josephine has thoroughly discouraged him; he wishes to call the match off. The Captain suggests that perhaps his daughter feels herself socially inferior to Sir Joseph, and urges him to assure her that inequality of social rank should not be considered a barrier to marriage. This Sir Joseph does, not realizing that he thus pleads his rival's case. He mistakenly believes that she accepts him and they all join in happy song. Meanwhile, Dick Deadeye has made his way to the Captain, and informs him of the planned elopement. The Captain intercepts the elopers; and is so incensed that he cries, "Damme!'' Unfortunately. Sir Joseph and his relatives hear him and are horrified at his swearing; Sir Joseph sends him to his cabin in disgrace. But when Sir Joseph learns from Ralph that Josephine was eloping, he angrily orders Ralph put in irons. Little Buttercup now comes out with her secret, which solves the whole difficulty: she confesses that many years ago she had charge of nursing and bringing up Ralph and the Captain when they were babies. Inadvertently, she mixed them up; so the one who now was Ralph really should be the Captain, and the one now the Captain should be Ralph. The error is immediately rectified. The sudden reversal in the social status of Ralph and the Corcorans removes Sir Joseph as a suitor for Josephine's hand and permits her to marry Ralph, and her father to marry Buttercup. Sir Joseph resigns himself to marrying his cousin, Hebe.

Musical Selections

Act I
  • Overture
  • We sail the ocean blue (Sailors)
  • I'm called Little Buttercup (Buttercup)
  • But tell me who's the youth (Buttercup & Boatswain)
  • The nightingale (Ralph & Sailors)
  • A maiden fair to see (Ralph & Sailors)
  • My gallant crew (Captain Corcoran & Sailors)
  • Sir, you are sad! (Buttercup & Captain Corcoran)
  • Sorry her lot (Josephine)
  • Over the bright blue sea (Female Relatives)
  • Sir Joseph's barge is seen (Sailors & Female Relatives)
  • Now give three cheers (Captain Corcoran, Sir Joseph, Cousin Hebe, & Chorus)
  • When I was a lad (Sir Joseph & Chorus)

  • For I hold that on the seas (Sir Joseph, Cousin Hebe, Female Relatives, & Sailors)
  • A British tar (Ralph, Boatswain, Carpenter's Mate & Sailors)
  • Refrain, audacious tar (Josephine & Ralph)
  • Can I survive this overbearing? (Ensemble)
Act II
  • Fair moon, to thee I sing (Captain Corcoran)
  • Things are seldom what they seem (Buttercup & Captain Corcoran)
  • The hours creep on apace (Josephine)
  • Nevermind the why and wherefore (Josephine, Captain & Sir Joseph)
  • Kind Captain, I've important information (Dick Deadeye & Captain)
  • Carefully on tiptoe stealing (Ensemble)
  • Farewell, my own! (Ensemble)
  • A many years ago (Buttercup)
  • Oh joy, oh rapture unforeseen! (Ensemble)