The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, Inc. has been a mainstay of Chicago's Hyde Park cultural scene since the Company's first production, The Gondoliers, in 1960. Incorporated in 1964, the Company is devoted to the promotion and performance of the musical arts and to the presentation of Gilbert and Sullivan's delightful operatic oeuvre.
Our 2013 Production takes us once again back to the rocky shores of England with the ever popular Pirates of Penzance. The production is set for March 15-17, 2013 in Mandel Hall on the campus of the University of Chicago. For more information on:
+ Times, address, and tickets for Pirates,
+ On seeing the movie Topsy-Turvy & a Pirates Preview on March 10, and
+ On viewing Company memorabilia from past performances of Pirates
click here or click on the Future button above.* * *
Our 2012 Production was the delightful satire of egalitarian politics, The Gondoliers. The performances of the duo's last great success took place in Mandel Hall on March 9-11, 2012. The return of Stage Director Thrisa Hodits, Music Director Timothy Semanik, and Scenic Designer Vicki Granacki was the perfect recipe for the critically acclaimed production. This year the experiment with the use of super titles was so greatly appreciated by our audience, we hope to make them even better for the Company's next production.
Our 2011 Production was the most magical of the Gilbert & Sullivan operettas: The Sorcerer, the famous duo's first full-length work following on the success of Trial by Jury. Taking audiences to a world of fantasy that lay behind a quiet English village, the production was one of our most memorable successes, thanks to the work of Stage Director Thrisa Hodits, Music Director Timothy Semanik, and Scenic Designer Vicki Granacki. The University of Chicago's Mandel Hall was the place to be for magic and mayhem during performances on March 11-13, 2011.
Our 2010 Production celebrated the Company's 50th year with the most popular Gilbert & Sullivan opera of them all: The Mikado, in which imperial Japan becomes the backdrop for a send-up of all things British! The beautiful production was presented at the University of Chicago's Mandel Hall on March 12-14, 2010, thanks to the efforts of Stage Director Thrisa Hodits, Music Director David Cubek, Producer Mark Johnson, and a stellar cast and crew.
Our 2009 Production was Gilbert & Sullivan's underappreciated but wonderfully witty opera Ruddigore, in which a noble lad strives to overcome a hereditary curse while wooing the village maiden (with her chorus of perpetual bridesmaids) and being tormented by the ghosts of his ancestors! The ghastly tale unfolded at the University of Chicago's Mandel Hall on March 13-15, 2009, thanks to the adept teamwork of Stage Director Thrisa Hodits, Music Director David Cubek, and Producer Trip Driscoll. For video highlights from the production, click here.
Our 2008 Production was Gilbert & Sullivan's masterpiece blending fantasy and political satire in a delightful romp through the Houses of Parliament: Iolanthe, which materialized in a delightful production at the University of Chicago's Mandel Hall on March 14-16, 2008. Once again, Stage Director Thrisa Hodits, Music Director William White, and Producer Mark Johnson combined to present a sparkling version of what many aficionados consider G&S's best work.
Our 2007 Production was Gilbert & Sullivan's first full-length smash hit and a perennial favorite: H.M.S. Pinafore, which delighted audiences once again at the University of Chicago's Mandel Hall on March 9-11, 2007. Stage Director Thrisa Hodits and Music Director William White, with the support of Producer Mark Johnson and an outstanding cast, created what one reviewer called "a jaunty look at H.M.S. Pinafore" and our "greatest achievement in recent memory."
Our 2006 Production was Gilbert & Sullivan's grandest operetta of them all: the dramatic The Yeomen of the Guard, staged for enthusiastic audiences on March 10-12, 2006, at the University of Chicago's Mandel Hall. Jamie Axtell, who portrayed Major-General Stanley in the 2005 producion of Pirates, stepped behind the footlights to become Stage Director, and teamed up with returning Music Director Andrew Kohler and Producer Mark Johnson to bring this heart-wrenching masterpiece to life.
Our 2005 Production was the ever popular The Pirates of Penzance, presented on March 11-13, 2005, at the University of Chicago's Mandel Hall. This time it was Producer Mark Johnson, Music Director Andrew Koehler, and Director Adam Kozlowski who joined forces with an outstanding cast and the University of Chicago orchestra to present this timeless classic to enthusiastic audiences who left with a smile on their lips and a song in their hearts.
Our 2004 Production was Patience, presented on March 11-14, 2004, and it marked the Company's 45th production and its 20th collaboration with the University of Chicago's Department of Music. Producer Mark Johnson, Music Director Chung Park, and Director Jill Van Brussel teamed up to produce a visually stunning and musically joyous production that captured all the delightful charm of this witty operetta. In November, 2004, a video tape of one of the Patience performances was presented twice on the city of Chicago's three cable television providers.
For a summary of past productions of the Company, click here or click on the Past button above.
