The Pirates of VLOC will storm the stage for opening night in exactly two weeks!  Are you ready?  Our Major General is certainly ready for them.  George Willis, who will sing the role of the Major General, tells us more in today's cast interview:

What's your role in the show?
Major General

Is this your first time in Pirates? If no, how many Pirates productions have you been in?
3rd Production of Pirates

When and how did you first get involved with VLOC?
I started working at my new office job in Wheaton, MD in September 2013, so I went to the VLOC season auditions in October. I was cast in the chorus of Yeoman of the Guard, Feb. 2014, to be followed with the role of the Major General in June 2014.

What's your favorite part about being in a show (this particular one, or any show)?
I love to strut around on stage.

What's your least favorite or the hardest part of the rehearsal process for you?
"Reigning it in . . ."  I tend to overact and I want to deliver a quality performance.

When you're not performing in community theatre, what do you do? (job, hobby, family, etc.)
I work in a Commercial Real Estate office during the week.  On weekends, I am a singing server known as "Biscuit Boy" at the Silver Diner near my home in Springfield, VA.

What's your favorite Gilbert & Sullivan show and why? (If you don't have one, pick a favorite musical or opera).
Pirates Rule!

Thanks, George!  Do you have your tickets yet?  Don't miss out on his Major action!

A couple of weeks ago we introduced you to Courtney Kalbacker, our Mabel that just happens to be married to the Pirate King!  For today's interview, we'd like you to meet our other fabulously talented Mabel - Keely Borland.  

What's your role in the show?
Mabel

Is this your first time in Pirates? If no, how many Pirates productions have you been in?
Yes! 

When and how did you first get involved with VLOC?
This is my very first production with The Victorian Lyric Opera Company and it's been an amazing experience so far.  Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, I moved to the DC/MD area last October and immediately started looking for performance opportunities. I love Gilbert & Sullivan, so when I saw the audition positing I got really excited.

What's your favorite part about being in a show (this particular one, or any show)?
I think one of the best parts about being in a show is all the new people you get to meet -- it's almost like gaining a new family. Everyone at VLOC has been so welcoming and I'm so excited to continue working with this company.  That being said, I love performing because you get to become a completely different character. Gilbert & Sullivan shows are especially fun because the text is really clever and the music is so much fun to sing.

What's your least favorite or the hardest part of the rehearsal process for you?
Nothing! :) Even when the rehearsal process becomes tedious it's still fun for me. I'm always grateful for the chance to perform any piece of music and to meet/work with new people. 

When you're not performing in community theatre, what do you do? (job, hobby, family, etc.)
I'm actually a Self-Employed Freelance Musician and strive to make a living off performing. Earlier this year I was living in Fargo, ND for 2.5 months working as a Young Artist with Fargo-Moorhead Opera. It's definitely not an easy lifestyle - there is constant uncertainty about the future and moving around. Right now, I am the Soprano Section Leader at Christ Episcopal Church in Rockville, MD and between rehearsals I work odd jobs around town.

What's your Gilbert & Sullivan show and why? (If you don't have one, pick a favorite musical or opera)
This question is too hard!  My first G&S production was singing the role of Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore with the Pittsburgh Savoyards. So I think that show will always have a special place in my heart. 

Anything else you want to share?
Thank you Victorian Lyric Opera Company for this wonderful performance opportunity!

Visit my website for more upcoming performances:
www.KeelyBosworthBorland.com

What is your Pirate name?
Mabel doesn't have a Pirate name!

Thanks, Keely!  You can see Keely as Mabel on June 12th, 14th, 20th, and 21st.  Have you gotten your tickets yet? 

Our diverse cast is full of pirates, police, and maidens that love everything from dolphins (Ralph Johnson) to traveling by motor scooter.  Which brings us to today's cast interview with Barbara Semiatin!

What's your role in the show?
Governess.

Is this your first time in Pirates? If no, how many Pirates productions have you been in?
Yes.

When and how did you first get involved with VLOC?
I found out about VLOC while attending a performance of Ruddigore at the 2011 International Gilbert and Sullivan Society Festival in Gettysburg. There was a couple who had been involved in VLOC's Mikado the night before sitting next to me who told me that the company was about to begin rehearsals of Mlle Modiste which didn't require auditions. Couldn't pass up that opportunity!!!!! I contacted Joe Sorge [VLOC's music director], showed up at the first rehearsal, and have been performing with VLOC ever since!

What's your favorite part about being in a show (this particular one, or any show)?
As a chorus member, my favorite part is learning and running the blocking, particularly when there is a lot of dancing and/or the songs are fun. A lot of cast bonding takes place during those times and a lot of laughter. The icing on the cake is when we get to perform those wonderful scenes live at the theater. 

What's your least favorite or the hardest part of the rehearsal process for you?
My least favorite part is standing around for long stretches of time when there is little for me to do during that rehearsal. The hardest part is memorizing all of the lyrics!

When you're not performing in community theatre, what do you do? (job, hobby, family, etc.)
I am an accountant at the Department of Homeland Security (Domestic Nuclear Detection Office). My husband Steve is a special education teacher and we have two grown children. My son Josh is a psychologist at the Baltimore VA and my daughter Rivka is Director of Social Services at a nursing home/rehab center in Lanham, MD. My passion, besides VLOC, is riding with my husband on our motor scooters, particulalry on the beautiful back roads of Adams County, PA and Frederick County, MD. I'm also an avid knitter, especially when commuting to work on the Metro..

What's your Gilbert & Sullivan show and why? (If you don't have one, pick a favorite musical or opera)
Ruddigore has always been my favorite show (and I've been in all of them except The Grand Duke). The story, the music, the wonderful characters (love Sir Despard and Mad Margaret!) and that fabulous ghost scene in Act II have always made it the perfect show.

What is your Pirate name?
Rebecca Gold.

Thanks, Barbara!  

In rehearsal, the question often comes up: "Wouldn't it be great if we had a [insert name of prop here] for this scene?"  This came up when a bit of choreography called for some members of the women's chorus to be on the floor. The first act of the show takes place on the beach, so during "How Beautifully Blue the Sky", the wards are sunbathing. The director wanted to makes sure she didn't wreck all of the brand new dresses being made by our costume designer and crew, so these girls were going to need something to sit on. One of the chorus members said, how about beach towels? 

Well, it just so happens that our director, Felicity Ann Brown, is also the Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Librarian at The University of Maryland's Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, where she helps performing arts students and faculty with their research. So the question was raised: Did beach towels exist in England in the Victorian era, and therefore be appropriate for our show? Not to allow a reference question go unanswered, Felicity did some research and found the following article:

It's exactly one month until opening night of VLOC's The Pirates of Penzance!  Are you ready for some piracy?  Our cast certainly is.  Except, perhaps, the Sergeant of Police, who is played by Tom Goode and is the subject of today's cast interview. 

What's your role in the show?
Sergeant of Police.

Is this your first time in Pirates? If no, how many Pirates productions have you been in?
I have been in two other productions as a chorister.

When and how did you first get involved with VLOC?
I've been a G&S fanatic since childhood. My parents had done some G&S in their youth, so the recordings and scores were always around (including my current Pirates score!). While in college, I spent a year at Oxford, and belonged to the G&S Society there. I used to work in a law office, in a menial capacity, and one of the associates was Larry Garvin, who was president of VLOC at that time. We had many conversations on the subject. During one of these, I suggested to him what has evolved into the Great G&S Sing-Out. (Gotta get my brag in!) It was based on an event I attended while in England. Larry encouraged me to try out for VLOC, and my first show was Patience in 1993.

What's your favorite part about being in a show (this particular one, or any show)?
Definitely the company. I thought I knew all about G&S when I started with VLOC, but I'm constantly learning things from the people in VLOC that I had no idea about. The opportunity to perform with such a talented, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic group of people is wonderful.

What's your least favorite or the hardest part of the rehearsal process for you?
Watching videos of myself. That guy who's always standing where I thought I was is such a bore! Everybody else is doing their job, but that guy just drags the whole show down. I'm sure I could do a better job than him.

When you're not performing in community theatre, what do you do? (job, hobby, family, etc.)
By day, I'm employed by the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, keeping track of Baptism, Marriage, Confirmation & First Communion records for military personnel and their families. I live in Silver Spring with my wife and daughter, two dogs, and a large collection of LPs and CDs (mostly classical), which I've been collecting all my life. I'm also famously addicted to cryptic crossword puzzles.

What's your favorite Gilbert & Sullivan show and why? (If you don't have one, pick a favorite musical or opera)
Iolanthe has always been my favorite G&S opera. There's something special about a show with such an indescribably nonsensical plot, that can still manage to bring a tear to the eye before it's over. Playing Lord Mountararat last season was a fulfillment of a longstanding ambition. I have to admire a guy who knows well that his vast importance to society (and it is vast) lies in the fact that he "does not itch to interfere in matters which (he does) not understand."

Anything else you want to share?
The Pirates of Penzance is probably my second favorite G&S opera. The fact that, after 135 years, the jokes have not dated at all and still make people laugh out loud is the mark of a true classic.

What is your Pirate name?
I don't mix much with them, but I like to think it's "The Outraged Majesty of the Law".

The Pirates of Penzance opens in just over one month! Today we bring you an interview with one of our Pirates and long-time members, Ralph Johnson.

What's your role in the show?
Pirate and police constable.

Is this your first time in Pirates? If no, how many Pirates productions have you been in?
No, I think this is my 17th Pirates of Penzance production. [Editor's note:  WOW!]

When and how did you first get involved with VLOC?
My involvement with VLOC began in 1995 in a production of HMS Pinafore in which several of my fellow performers from the Washington Savoyards (WS) were auditioning. The HMS Pinafore rehearsal schedule fit my schedule well, so I auditioned.  Pirates is my 24th VLOC production as a cast member.  I've also served on the VLOC Board of Directors.

What's your favorite part about being in a show (this particular one, or any show)?
My favorite part of being in a show is the reactions of an appreciative audience. This is rewarding, and it inspires us to perform better. I also enjoy the comradeship with fellow cast members during the rehearsal period and performances.

What's your least favorite or the hardest part of the rehearsal process for you?
The hardest part of the rehearsal process is learning new or modified choreography and staging. It's difficult to overcome the first version I learn.

When you're not performing in community theatre, what do you do? (job, hobby, family, etc.)
I sing in a barbershop quartet, Prince William Sound VA; in the Bull Run Troubadours and Harmony Heritage Singers (male choruses); and in the NOVA Annandale Chorale. I'm retired; I do volunteer work on American Red Cross blood drives and driving Meals on Wheels.

What's your Gilbert & Sullivan show and why? (If you don't have one, pick a favorite musical or opera)
My favorite Gilbert & Sullivan show is Trial by Jury, because the story line is so compact but amusing; Trial contains no unsung dialogue and no verbiage that is not central to the plot. The Judge's solo lyrics are wonderful, and the Defendant has a hilarious song, as well. The show requires minimal sets, so is easily transportable. Trial by Jury should be performed in less than 45 minutes, so audiences will not get tired of it..

Anything else you want to share?
"There's no business like show business." (from Annie Get Your Gun) sums up my feelings about this hobby.

What is your Pirate name?
Davey Jones (Pirate literature refers to "Davey Jones' locker").