Lamplighters to Present first G&S Two-Act

Poster design for The Sorcerer (from the Lamplighters Web page for this production)

Those familiar with the partnership of dramatist William Schwenck Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan know that it began with an opera entitled Thespis, subtitled “The Gods Grown Old.” The premise was an amusing one involving a troupe of actors offering to take on the duties of the aging gods on Mount Olympus. This was a failure, whose only asset was “Climbing over rocky mountain,” which would find its way into the far more successful The Pirates of Penzance. Things improved with the one-act “Trial by Jury,” which also marked the beginning of their partnership with Richard D’Oyly Carte, manager of the Royalty Theatre. This would be followed by their first two-act success, The Sorcerer.

The plot was drawn from one of Gilbert’s short stories, “The Elixir of Love.” Basically, it involves the good intentions behind a love potion and the farcical complications when things quickly begin to go wrong. The Sorcerer opened in 1877, running for over six months. As the old cliché applies to the Gilbert and Sullivan partnership, the rest is history!

The Sorcerer will be the next operetta to be produced by Lamplighters Music Theatre. Opening night will be a festive one, complete with a “Sorcerer’s Brew” cocktail being served at the intermission. The staging by Nicolas A. Garcia will transplant the late nineteenth century of Gilbert and Sullivan to 1920, a period in which the British had become fascinated with the occult.

This will mark the return of Lamplighters to the Presidio Theatre Performing Arts Center, where they performed The Mystery of Edwin Drood about a year ago. Ticket prices are from $71 to $86, with a rate of $24 to $31 for students age 25 and younger and a $5 discount for seniors. The first performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 16, followed by matinees at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and May 18. The final production will be given a simulcast for a fee of $30. City Box Office has created a single Web page for all performances, including the simulcast option.