Valley Light Opera

Over the past quarter-century, Valley Light Opera has become the premier source for exceptional community theater productions of Gilbert & Sullivan (and a few other) operettas in the Pioneer Valley. Every fall more than 150 dedicated music lovers from Hartford to Brattleboro -- both singers and non-singers -- sew costumes, build sets, hang lights, play instruments, rehearse and finally perform before thousands of appreciative light opera devotees. Each year a full third of our cast members are new to the organization. Cast and crew range from those who make their living in the arts, to experienced amateurs, to first-timers. All are volunteers! Join us for our Jubilee Season!

Our 25th anniversary fall show will be Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, or the Slave of Duty. Swashbuckling (but genteel) pirates, a bevy of beautiful maidens, stalwart (if bumbling) policemen -- all are thrown together in a series of predictably unpredictable plot turns in a comic romp along the rocky coast of Cornwall. The music includes some of the best and most memorable songs G&S ever wrote, including "Poor wandering one", "I am the very model of a modern major general", "A policeman’s lot is not a happy one" and "Hail, poetry!" Performances will be November 5, 6, 7, 12 and 13, 1999 in Amherst.

Auditions for the cast will be held on Saturday, May 8 (from 11 am to 4 pm) and Sunday, May 9 (from 1 to 4 pm) at the First Congregational Church, 165 Main Street, Amherst MA. Everyone sings on a first-come, first-heard basis. You seldom have to wait more than 20 minutes, and we provide hot and cold drinks, a low-key friendly atmosphere, and comfortable chairs.

You’ve never auditioned before? Almost none of our chorus members had before they came out that first time! While auditions are always nerve-wracking for newcomers and seasoned veterans alike, we try to make them as simple and non-threatening as possible. You will sing before a small committee of 5 or 6 people. We look for voice projection, intonation, musical quality, diction, and stage presence. An accompanist will be provided.

We hope to make casting decisions on the basis of the initial auditions. If we feel we need more information in some cases to cast principals, we may invite some auditionees to a callback session to be held at the church on Sunday from 4 to 5:30 pm.

Directions: From the traffic light in the center of Amherst (Fleet Bank on one corner, Subway Sandwich Shop diagonally across), take Main Street east two blocks. The church is on the right, just beyond the police station. Park in the lot in the rear of the church, or on the street. (You can find the church at location 32 on the Amherst Walking Tour.)

Chorus If you are auditioning for the chorus, prepare one verse of a song which displays your range, projection, diction, and ability to sing on pitch. It can be from G&S or something similar, or even your favorite national anthem -- anything simple and straightforward which will give us a chance to compare your voice with others we hear.

Principals If you are auditioning for a principal role, prepare a solo number for the character in Pirates you hope to play, or a solo from any opera or light opera for a character which requires a similar voice. You will also be asked to read some dialogue from Pirates.

Scores for all G&S operas will be available on the piano. If you bring your own music and want piano accompaniment, please bring a copy for the accompanist as well.

The full score and audiotapes of Pirates are available for copying at the circulation desk of the Jones Library in Amherst (location 10 on the Amherst Walking Tour).

Rehearsals are Tuesday and Thursday evenings (7:30 to 10 pm) and Sunday afternoons (1 to 5 pm) starting just after Labor Day at the Amherst Regional High School. All rehearsals include a break with potluck refreshments (they say the VLO travels on its stomach!)

We place a high value on the time you and everyone else has committed to this venture. We start and end rehearsals on time, and we work hard. Because we depend on each other, we take our rehearsal policy very seriously. If you are asked to join the company, your obligation is to attend all your scheduled rehearsals (except for sickness and emergencies), and to arrive early enough to be ready to rehearse at the scheduled time. Everyone who auditions will be asked to agree to this policy in writing, and anyone who cannot adhere to it may not be able to continue in the cast.

Have you ever thought, "I’d like to get involved in that! It looks like fun!"? The backstage action is just as exciting and important as the music, and there are jobs for singers and non-singers alike. For most jobs experience is not required, and you decide how much time you are able to give! Everyone gets credit in the program and an invitation to the company party after we strike the set.

Frederic, tenor. A "slave of duty", he takes his absurd position seriously. This is a vocally demanding title role, with numerous high G’s and A-flats. Heroic singing but wonderfully naive acting.

Mabel, soprano. She knows what she wants (Frederic) and how to go about getting it. Considering there is much musical parody of Verdi’s Violetta (in La Traviata) -- especially Mabel’s Act I cadenzas -- she must have excellent coloratura and power, a soaring lyric soprano. There are numerous high B-flats throughout the score.

The Pirate King, bass/baritone. A blood-and-thunder pirate. This is a physically and vocally challenging role.

Major General Stanley, tenor or baritone. His aria "I am the very model of a modern major general" is perhaps the most parodied song in all G&S. With both patter and lyric songs, this role requires impeccable diction and good projection in both low and high ranges.

Ruth, alto. Pirate maid-of-all-work and the only woman Frederic has ever seen . . . until Mabel and her sisters appear. This is a true alto role and needs excellent projection. Her aria "When Frederic was a little lad" requires a solid low register, especially since its most significant line (and an essential one for the plot) is delivered over an octave leap to a low G. A physically demanding role.

Samuel, baritone. Leader of the pirate chorus.

Sergeant of Police, bass. He never really gives in to his cowardice, and has a wonderful chance to make a great impression in a fairly short period of time. A true bass role: must have a solid low G and the ability to project diction clearly in that register.

Edith, soprano. She has a couple of short but important solos and a bit of dialogue in Act I. Requires a strong soprano voice. Also a member of the chorus.

Kate, mezzo. Has one short solo and a bit of dialogue. Also a member of the chorus.

Isabel. No solo singing, but a few lines of dialogue. Also a member of the chorus.

Chorus women are all wards of Major General Stanley, unattached young ladies.

Chorus men all sing Act I as members of the pirate band. In Act II, the tenors continue as pirates, while the basses become police!

Thom Griffin, stage director, is well known up and down the Connecticut River Valley for his numerous leading roles in both dramatic and musical theater. After having acted and sung major roles in the entire G&S repertoire, he turned to directing with The Gondoliers (VLO ‘92) and Princess Ida (VLO ‘95). He runs a bed-and-breakfast in Colrain and teaches in the Plant and Soil Sciences Department at UMass.

Peter Gutowski, music director and conductor, has worked with Commonwealth Opera in Northampton since 1986, serving at various times as conductor, chorus master, assistant stage director and principal singer, and as a member of the board of directors. He has a Master of Music degree in conducting from Indiana University. He works with computers in the graphic arts field and lives in Northampton with his wife Beth Parker (see below).

Beth Parker, vocal coach, is director of the Opera Workshop at UMass, where she also teaches music history and theory, with a research specialty in the Classical and early Romantic periods. She has worked as pianist, vocal coach and chorus master with the Metropolitan Opera National Council, San Francisco Opera, Indiana University Opera Theater, Berkshire Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera, among others.

Cami Elbow will act as coordinating producer for Pirates, with Al Hudson, Elaine Walker and John Foster rounding out the production team.

A 25th Anniversary Committee is busy planning activities throughout the year to celebrate our Jubilee Season, including a very special gala performance next spring. Watch for details!

Valley Light Opera welcomes Cathy Butterfield and Mary Annarella to the Board of Directors. They join continuing members Steve Tanne, Judy Pistrang, John Foster, Kathy Moser, John Jenkins, Lew Jordan and Tamara Gallant. The officers continue to be Barbara Davis (President), Mzamo Mangaliso (President-Elect), Kurtiss Gordon (Clerk) and Jim Walker (Treasurer).

Contact the producers:

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http://www.vlo.org/

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