H.M.S. Pinafore (1999)

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

June 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 & 26, 1999 at 8pm
June 13, 20 & 27, 1999 at 2pm

Directed by Pamela Leighton-Bilik
Music Directed by Catherine Huntress-Reeve

Cast

Sir Joseph Porter, KCB, First Lord of the Admiralty - Pablo Zylberglait
Captain Corcoran, of the HMS Pinafore - Bill Melling
Ralph Rackstraw, Able Seaman - Dan Snyder
Dick Deadeye, Able Seaman - A.G. Murphy
Bill Bobstay, Boatswain - Barry Hilton
Bob Becket, Carpenter - David Haavik
Tom Tucker, Midshipmite - Brett E. Maites
Josephine Corcoran, the Captain's Daughter - Kelly Lynn Quinn
Hebe, Sir Joseph's First Cousin - Karen Rice
Little Buttercup, Mrs. Cripps, a Bumboat Woman - Linda Nadeau

Sailors
Dave Bradley, Edward Byrdy, Les Elkirts, Ralph Johnson, Tom Lane, Steven Roth, J. Marshall Wolman

Sir Joseph's Sisters, Cousins, and Aunts
Lynn Anslow, Fran Fleming, Virginia Garber, Jennifer Gavin,
Alexandra Huntress-Reeve, Lillian McMath, Anna K. Soderberg,
Rusty Suter, Julie Stevens, Helen Sydavar, Mary Anna Vineyard,
Ivy Zola

Orchestra

Violins - Bonnie Barrows (concertmistress), Martin Brown,
Carolyn Larson, Audrey Maxwell, David Friedlander
Violas - Amanda Laudwein
Cello - Sheryl Friedlander, Liz Ryan
Bass - Jim Bowes, John Grayhor
Flute & Piccolo - Louise Hill, Jackie Miller, Juliann Dunn, Diana Loeb
Oboe - Gwen Earle
Clarinet - James Bensinger
Bassoon - Brett Louis
French Horns - Don Hunter, Lorin Krusberg
Cornet - Curtis Anstine, Tom Gleason, Bernard Rappaport,
Nicholas Sandifer
Trombone - Christa Pezold, Steve Ward
Percussion - George Huttlin, Heather Borsum, John W. Wriggley
Keyboard - Grace Jong

Production Staff

Producer - Bill Rippey
Artistic Director - Rosalie Santilhano
Stage Manager - Mollie Toms
Assistant Stage Manager - Lisa Freese
Light Board Operators - Kerry Freese, Gaye Freese
Set Design - Holly Beck
Master Carpenter - Les Elkins
Lighting Design - John Lindsay, Robert Ferrera
Costumer - Jennifer Gavin
Technical Director (Rockville Civic Center) - Kim Haug
Technical Crew - Tony Dwyer, Bill Rippey
Orchestra Manager - Amanda Laudwein
Rehearsal Pianists - Jenny Bland, Grace Jong
Make-Up - The Cast
Tickets and Box Office - Merle Haber
Program - Leta Hall
Publicity - Bill Rippey
Set Construction/Painting - Ed Byrdy, Les Elkins, Lisa Freese, Kerry Freese, David Haavik, Barry Hilton, Lyle Jaffe, David Kaysen,
Tom Lane, Lillian McMath, Gina Nowaki, Nancye Postman,
Bill Rippey, Maureen Roult, Anna Soderberg, Julie Stevens,
Mary Anna Vineyard, Jay Wolman, Kent Woods
Properties - Lynn Anslow, Julie Stevens
Videotaping - Falls Church Cable Television
Photography - Joel Hoffman
House Management - Ira Haber, Caroline Hummel,
Rosalie Santilhano
Costume Storage - Donna & Lyle Jaffe
Set Storage - Maureen Roult, City of Gaithersburg,
Rockville Civic Center
Printing - Quick Printing, Inc.

Synopsis

Before Act I opens, Ralph Rackstraw, a humble sailor, has fallen in love with Josephine, the daughter of his commanding officer, Captain Corcoran. Likewise, Little Buttercup, a peddler-woman, has fallen in love with 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 been arranging 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 dark 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. The act ends with the general rejoicing of the sailors at Ralph's success; but Dick Deadeye croaks a warning that their hopes will be frustrated.

Act II opens with the Captain in despair at the demoralization of his crew and the coldness of his daughter towards Sir Joseph. Little Buttercup tries to comfort him and prophesies a change in store. But Sir Joseph soon appears and tells the Captain that Josephine has discouraged him thoroughly in his suit; he wishes to call off the match. The Captain suggests that perhaps his daughter feels herself inferior in social rank 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 his words are as applicable to Josephine in relation to Ralph as they are to himself in relation to Josephine. He thinks that she accepts him, whereas actually she is reaffirming her acceptance of Ralph; and they all join in happy song. Meanwhile, Dick Deadeye has made his way to the Captain, and informs him of the plarmed elopement of his daughter with Ralph. The Captain intercepts the elopers and is so incensed that he cries, "Dammel" 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 he 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 is 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 Numbers

Overture

Act I

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)
My gallant crew (Captain Corcoran & Sailors)
Sir, you are sad! (Buttercup & Captain Corcoran)
Sorry her lot (Josephine)
Over the bright blue sea (Women)
Sir Joseph's barge is seen (Sailors & Women)
Now give three cheers (Capt Corcoran, Sir Joseph, Hebe, & Chorus)
When I was a lad (Sir Joseph & Chorus)
For I hold that on the seas (Sir Joseph, Hebe, & Chorus)
A British Tar (Ralph, Boatswain, Carpenter & 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)
Never mind the why and wherefore (Josephine, Captain Corcoran, & Sir Joseph)
Kind Captain, I've important information (Captain Corcoran & Dick Deadeye)
Carefully on tiptoe stealing (Josephine, Hebe, Ralph & Sailors)
Farewell, my own! (Sir Joseph, Captain Corcoran, Josephine, Hebe, Ralph, Buttercup, Boatswain, Dick Deadeye, & Chorus)
A many years ago (Buttercup & Chorus)
Oh joy, oh rapture unforeseen! (Ensemble)