Plans for the Lamplighters Music Theatre 2019–2020 Season have now been finalized. All four of the events will have performances in San Francisco, and there will be subscription rates available for the two full-length productions that will be presented in the Blue Shield of California Theater at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The first of those productions will be one of the most familiar, while the second is less frequently encountered. Specifics are as follows:
The partnership of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan began in 1875 when it was enabled by Richard D’Oyly Carte; and its first result was the one-act “Trial by Jury.” That success led to the full-length The Sorcerer, which was just as successful, if not more so. This was followed by the operetta that now counts as one of the “Big Three” productions, H.M.S. Pinafore; and next month this will be the production that will launch (connotation intended) the 2019–2020 season. Always on the lookout for taking a fresh approach to the familiar, the staging will include new men’s costumes to establish a historically accurate vision of the operetta’s setting. The staging will be by Ellen Brooks, and the conductor will be Music Director Baker Peeples.
This production will be given two matinee performances at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 17, and Sunday, August 18, and one evening performance at 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 17. The theater is located at 700 Howard Street on the northwest corner of Third Street. Premium Orchestra tickets are $72, those in Center Terrace and the remainder of the Orchestra are $62, and those in the Side Terrace and Boxes are $57. Tickets may be purchased in advance online through City Box Office event pages. Each performance has a separate Web page, which may be reached through the hyperlinks attached to the above dates. The subscription rates for the two productions will be $112, $96, and $88. Here, again, there will be separate City Box Office event pages for matinees on Saturday and Sunday and the evening performances on Saturday.
One of William Russell Flint’s illustrations for Princess Ida, created for the 1909 book Savoy Operas (public domain, from Wikipedia)
The other production available through subscription will be Princess Ida. The text was written as a satire on feminism, women’s education, and Darwinian evolution in 1883, a time when all of those topics were controversial. The staging will be by Barbara Heroux, and the conductor will again be Music Director Baker Peeples. The two matinee performances will again be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 1, and Sunday, February 2; and the one evening performance at 8 p.m. will be on Saturday, February 1. Hyperlinks have again been attached for online purchase through City Box Office.
The season will also include two special additional events, both taking place in the Veterans Building but each at the different venue. The fall event will be the annual Champagne Gala, which is the primary fundraiser for the season. Traditionally, this includes the performance of a complete, original comedy set to Sullivan’s music in a setting that includes auctions (silent and live) and raffle prizes. This year’s performance will follow up on the success of “Trial by Jury Duty” with a script that will serve up a new look on Downton Abbey.
The performance will begin at 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 20, taking place in Herbst Theatre whose entrance is on the ground floor of the Veterans Building. Admission will be through a ticket to the performance; and the ticket prices will be $97 (front Orchestra), $80 (rear Orchestra and front Dress Circle), $70 (boxes and side Dress Circle), and $50 (Balcony). Once again, City Box Office has created an event page for online purchase. The silent auction will take beginning at 2 p.m.; and the remaining events will take place following the performance. The Veterans Building is located at 401 Van Ness Avenue, on the southwest corner of McAllister Street. There will also be a second fundraising event in the spring entitled Too Music Happiness. It will take place on May 17, and details have not yet been finalized.
The second additional event will be a sing-along performance of Pirates of Penzance. 2020 is a leap year, meaning that this will be an occasion to celebrate Frederic’s birthday. All who attend are invited to come in costume and sing along with Lamplighters vocalists, the orchestra, and special guests from the educational outreach programs. The festivities will get under way at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 29. The venue will be the Taube Atrium Theatre, which is on the fourth floor of the Veterans Building. General admission will be $45 with a $20 rate for students and children. Tickets may again be purchased through a City Box Office event page.
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