The Pirates of Penzance

June 29 - August 4, 2024

Sponsored by Pamela and Louis Bansbach

 

The 2024 Festival has concluded.

Stay tuned for a 2025 announcement soon!

The Pirates of Penzance

Swashbuckling Adventures and Harmonious Hijinks!

Set against the backdrop of Cornwall’s coastline, The Pirates of Penzance is a comedic operetta that revolves around a young man mistakenly apprenticed to a band of pirates due to a communication mix-up. As he completes his term with the pirates, he yearns for love and an honorable life. After humorous encounters with a group of young women and a crafty ruse involving the pirates’ soft spot for orphans, a surprising revelation about the young man’s true apprenticeship commitment is unveiled. Enjoy unexpected twists and a heartwarming resolution that touches on loyalty, duty, and societal expectations.

FESTIVAL Extras:

    • Opera Notes: Free Pre-performance Lectures in the Williams’ Stables: 45 minutes prior to every main stage performance. Seating is limited — arrive early.
    • Après Opera: Saturday, July 20 at approximately 9:15 PM. Make your way over to The Little Kingdom Room after The Pirates of Penzance for a cash bar and impromptu performances by the Festival’s artists! No cost to attend and no registration required.
    • New this year! Drag Me To The Opera: July 27 at approximately 9:15PM in Rouge in the Teller House. Registration required; learn more here.
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Performing Artists & Creative Team

AllCastCreative
Director/Choreographer

Kyle Lang

Principal Conductor

Brandon Eldredge

Mabel

Jasmine Habersham

Pirate King

Alex DeSocio

Maria Callas; Soloist (Concert)

Jennifer DeDominici

Frederic

Chris Mosz

Edward, Sergeant of Police; Carl Olsen

Andrew Harris

Samuel; George Jones

Jake Surzyn

Assistant Director

David Macaluso

Associate Conductor / Chorus Director

Michael Poll

Assistant Conductor/Pianist

Arthur Bosarge

Principal Coach

Shelby Rhoades

Assistant Conductor/Pianist

Chan Mi Jean

Resident Fight Choreographer

Matt Herndon

Scenic Designer, Papermoon Opera Productions

Jefferson Ridenour

Technical Director, Papermoon Opera Productions

Brian B. Moore

Paper Fabrication Expert, Papermoon Opera Productions

Zoe Still

Resident Wig and Makeup Designer/Supervisor

Ronell Oliveri

Resident Lighting Designer

Abigail Hoke-Brady

Assistant Director

Madeleine Snow

Director/Choreographer

Kyle Lang

Previously with CCO: Director, Don Quixote and the Duchess (2015); Assistant Director, Oklahoma!(2012), Showboat (2013), Dead Man Walking (2014)

Recently: Director, La bohème, Hawaii Opera Theater (2024); Don Giovanni, San Diego Opera (2024); Turandot, Teatro Petruzzelli (2023); Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi, San Diego Opera (2023); The Pirates of Penzance, Virginia Opera and Utah Opera (2022); Le Nozze di Figaro, Virginia Opera (2022)

Director/Choreographer:The Pirates of Penzance

Principal Conductor

Brandon Eldredge

Previously at CCO: Assistant Lighting Designer, The Barber of Seville (2025), The Knock (2025), Once Upon a Mattress (2025); Lighting Designer, CCO in Concert (2025) 

Recently: Lighting Designer, The Precipice, Irondale, NYC; Assistant Lighting Designer, A Guide for the Homesick, DR2 Theatre, Off-Broadway; Left on Tenth, Broadway; The Who’s Tommy, Broadway & Goodman Theatre, Chicago; Peter Pan, National Tour

Principal Conductor:Amahl and the Night Visitors (2023, 2024)

Conductor:The Pirates of Penzance (2024)

Associate Conductor/ Chorus Director:The Girl of the Golden West (2024)

Mabel

Jasmine Habersham

Recently: Sophie, Werther, Houston Grand Opera (2023); Gilda, Rigoletto, The Atlanta Opera (2023); Almirena, Rinaldo, Glimmerglass Festival (2023); Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro, Madison Opera (2023); Juliette, Romeo et Juliette, Opera San Jose (2023); Frasquita, Carmen, Gran Teatre del Liceu (2024)

Mabel:The Pirates of Penzance

Voice Type:Soprano

Pirate King

Alex DeSocio

Recently: Papageno, Die Zauberflöte Livermore Valley Opera (2024); Sgt. Aaron Marcum, An American Soldier, PAC NYC (2024); Travis Briggs (Cover), Intelligence, Houston Grand Opera (2023) Marcello, La bohème, Fargo Moorehead Opera (2023); Schaunard, La bohème, Pensacola Opera (2023); Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Shreveport Opera (2022)

Pirate King:The Pirates of Penzance

Voice Type:Baritone

Maria Callas; Soloist (Concert)

Jennifer DeDominici

Previously at CCO: Ruth, Pirates of Penzance (2024); Mother, Amahl and the Night Visitors (2024, 2023, 2022); Franca Naccarelli, The Light in the Piazza (2022); Carrie Pipperidge, Carousel (2021) 

Recently: Lady Capulet, Romeo and Juliet, Theatreworks, Colorado Springs; Duchess Estonia Dulworth, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Lone Tree Arts Center; Mrs. Anderssen, A Little Night Music, Denver Center Theatre Company 

Frederic

Chris Mosz

Previously with CCO: Daemon, Acis and Galatea (2018); Novice and Squeak Cover, Billy Budd (2019)

Recently: Tonio, La fille du regiment, Wexford Festival Opera (2023); Ernesto, Don Pasquale, Hurn Court Opera (2022); Ferrando, Così fan tutte, Vienna Opera Festival (2022); Bill, Flight, Royal College of Music in London (2022)

Frederic:The Pirates of Penzance

Voice Type:Tenor

Edward, Sergeant of Police; Carl Olsen

Andrew Harris

Previously with CCO: Bartender, The Saint of Bleeker Street (2007); Mutter, Die Sieben Todsünden (2011); Simone, Gianni Schicchi (2011); Zuniga, Carmen (2011)

Recently: Il Re, Aida, Deutsche Oper Berlin (2024); Fafner, Das Rheingold, Siegfried, The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (2024); Talpa, Il Trittico, Deutsche Oper Berlin (2024); Vater Rangier, Die Teufel von Loudun, Bayerische Staatsoper (2023)

Edward, Sergeant of Police:The Pirates of Penzance

Carl Olsen:Street Scene

Voice Type:Baritone

Samuel; George Jones

Jake Surzyn

Recently: Elijah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Christ Church Grosse Pointe (2024); Councilman (cover), Breaking the Waves, Detroit Opera (2024); Der Lautsprecher, Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings (2024); Alfio, Cavalleria Rusticana, Opera West (2023); Older Thompson, Glory Denied, Permian Basin Opera (2023)

Samuel:The Pirates of Penzance

Mr. Jones:Street Scene

Voice Type:Baritone

Assistant Director

David Macaluso

Previously at CCO: Major General Stanley, The Pirates of Penzance (2024) 

Recently: Ko-Ko, The Mikado, New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players (NYGASP) Tour; Strephon, Iolanthe, NYGASP; Director, H.M.S. Pinafore, G&S Light Opera Company of Long Island; Creative Producer, Cox & Box the Film, NYGASP  

Voice Type:Patter Baritone

Associate Conductor / Chorus Director

Michael Poll

Recently: Guest Conductor, Tchaikovsky and New Works, Virginia Tech (2024); Guest Artist, Siete, BalletX of Philadelphia (2023); Guest Artist, New Commissions, SUNY Binghamton (2023); Guest Conductor, Elgar and New Works, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2022); Conductor, Così fan tutte, Bloomsbury Opera (2019)

Associate Conductor / Chorus Master:The Pirates of Penzance

Cover Conductor / Chorus Master:The Girl of the Golden West

Associate Conductor / Chorus Master:Street Scene

Assistant Conductor/Pianist

Arthur Bosarge

Recently: Chorus Master and Director of the Apprentice Artists Program, Sarasota Opera (2024); Hansel and Gretel, Opera Birmingham (2023); A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Utah Festival Opera (2023); L’occasione fa il ladro, Opera Southwest (2023)

Assistant Conductor/Pianist:The Girl of the Golden West

Assistant Conductor/Pianist:The Pirates of Penzance

Assistant Conductor/Pianist:Street Scene

Principal Coach

Shelby Rhoades

Previously at CCO: Principal Coach (2024); Music Staff (2023)

Recently: Music Staff, Palm Beach Opera (2023-24); Music Staff, Seattle Opera (2022-23)

Assistant Conductor/Pianist

Chan Mi Jean

Recently: Lecturer in Collaborative Piano, University of Tennessee at Martin (2018-Present); Music Director, MUEN 367: Lyric Opera Theater (2018-Present); Co-Director & Chair of Collaborative Piano Program, Vilacello String and Piano Summer Music Festival (2023); Vocal Coach & Music Director for Young Singer Program, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival (2022-2023)

Resident Fight Choreographer

Matt Herndon

Previously with CCO: Fight Choreographer, Romeo et Juliette, Kiss Me, Kate, Otello (2023); The Light in the Piazza, Die Fledermaus, Two Remain (2022)

Recently: Fight Choreographer, Sweeney Todd, IU Opera and Ballet Theatre (2024); Fight Choreographer, Romeo et Juliette, IU Opera and Ballet Theatre (2023)

Resident Fight Choreographer:The Pirates of Penzance

Resident Fight Choreographer:The Girl of the Golden West

Resident Fight Choreographer:Street Scene

Scenic Designer, Papermoon Opera Productions

Jefferson Ridenour

Recently: Scenic Designer, Arizona Opera, Opera Delaware, Opera Baltimore, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Palm Beach Opera, Amarillo Opera, Pensacola Opera, West Edge Opera, Knoxville Opera, Charlottesville Opera, Annapolis Opera, Opera Roanoke, Inland Northwest Opera

Technical Director, Papermoon Opera Productions

Brian B. Moore

Recently: Lighting Designer/Set Build, The Barber of Seville, Amarillo Opera (2023); Technical Director, Carmen, Pensacola Opera (2021); Don Giovanni, Pensacola Opera (2020); A Little Night Music, Ball State University Theatre (2019); Hansel and Gretel, Palm Beach Opera (2019); Madama Butterfly, Inland Northwest Opera (2019)

Paper Fabrication Expert, Papermoon Opera Productions

Zoe Still

Recently: Costume Designer, A Doll’s House, Wright State University (2024); Costume Build/Paint Charge, The Barber of Seville, Amarillo Opera (2023); Set and Costume Assistant, The Barber of Seville, Opera Delaware (2022)

Resident Wig and Makeup Designer/Supervisor

Ronell Oliveri

Previously with CCO: Wig and Makeup Designer/Supervisor (2011; 2017; 2018; 2019; 2023)

Recently: Opera Colorado, Sampson and Delilah (2024); Opera Omaha, The Last Dream of Frida and Diego (2024); Opera Columbus, Eugene Onegin (2024); Pacific Symphony, La Bohème (2024)

Resident Lighting Designer

Abigail Hoke-Brady

Previously at CCO: Lighting Designer, The Barber of Seville (2025), The Knock (2025), Once Upon a Mattress (2025), The Pirates of Penzance (2024), The Girl of the Golden West (2024), Street Scene (2024), Romeo & Juliet (2023), Kiss Me, Kate (2023), Othello (2023)  

 

Recently: Lighting Designer, A Doll’s House, Two River Theater; Little Miss Perfect, The Olney Theater; Intelligence, Virginia Opera; La traviata, San Diego Opera; Tosca, Pittsburgh Opera; Pagliacci, Seattle Opera; Roméo et Juliette, Toledo Opera; Don Pasquale, Opera Omaha

Assistant Director

Madeleine Snow

Recently: Assistant Director, An American Soldier, PAC NYC (2024); Assistant Director, Norma, Palm Beach Opera (2024); Stage Director, Die Zauberflöte, Boulder Opera (2023);

Stage Director, La Calisto, Eastman Opera Theatre (2022)

Contact our Box Office for more information at 303-292-6700 or [email protected].

Performance Location

Central City Opera House
124 Eureka St.
Central City, CO 80427

Book by

Sir William Schwenck Gilbert

Music by

Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan

Lyrics by

Sir William Schwenck Gilbert

Sung In

English
(English supertitles)

Run Time

2 hours, 10 minutes including intermission

Production Sponsors

Pamela and Louis Bansbach