Lamplighters to Launch New “Pirates” Staging

courtesy of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

The next production of a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta by Lamplighters Music Theatre will offer a new perspective on an old favorite. The performance will feature the first production staged by director Nicolas Aliaga Garcia, and he has chosen to introduce himself through The Pirates of Penzance. His approach will be to view this old favorite through a modern lens, presenting the daughters of “modern Major-General” Stanley as spunky, resourceful, and equal to the challenges posed by the pirates (who were never particularly bright bulbs in the operatic Christmas tree). Garcia’s perspective is actually quite consistent with feminist ideals that emerged during the late nineteenth century through the concept of the “New Woman.” Other concepts, such as Frederic’s absurd perspective on duty and the muddled mathematics of birthdays are expected to remain intact. This first production of the 2018–2019 season will be conducted by Music Director David Drummond.

As in the past, San Francisco performances will take place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) in the YBCA Theater, which is located at 700 Howard Street on the northwest corner of Third Street. There will be three performances, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 18, and Sunday, August 19, and at 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 18. Orchestra tickets are $64.50 and those in the Terrace are $54.50. Seniors (aged 62 or older) are entitled to a $5 discount in both sections; and there is a $25.50 rate for students, also in both sections. The Box Office can be reached by telephone at 415-978-2787. A single Web page has been created with hyperlinks for purchasing tickets for each of the three performances. The Box Office is closed on Mondays and opens at 11 a.m. on all other days. It closes at 8 p.m. on Thursdays and closes at 6 p.m. on the remaining days. The Box Office also opens 90 minutes prior to each performance.