THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE Concludes the 2008 Woodminster Season

Updated Comic Opera Features
Swashbuckling Heroes, Romance, and Song

August 20, 2008 - Oakland, CA – Producers Associates, Inc. announces that The Pirates of Penzance will conclude the 42nd season of the Woodminster Summer Musicals. The classic comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan will be performed on September 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14. All performances are at 8 p.m. in historical Woodminster Amphitheater, in Oakland’s Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Blvd.

The Pirates of Penzance was the only Gilbert and Sullivan opera to have its official premiere in New York, which took place on December 31, 1879. At the time, American law offered no copyright protection to foreigners. Gilbert and Sullivan were suffering already because a number of unauthorized productions of their earlier H.M.S. Pinafore had deprived them of royalties in America. By mounting their next opera in New York, Gilbert and Sullivan avoided "piracy" by establishing the official production in America before others could copy it.

In 1980, to commemorate the centenary of The Pirates of Penzance, Joseph Papp mounted a souped-up, modernized version of the opera with the New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park. The show was a sensation, and Papp transferred it to the Broadway stage, where it ran for over 800 performances. Though controversial with Gilbert & Sullivan purists, it won Tony Awards for Best Revival, Best Director, Wilford Leach, and Best Actor, Kevin Kline, and Linda Ronstadt was nominated for Best Actress in a Musical.

Tickets for Woodminster shows range from $23 to $38, with children and seniors receiving a $2 discount. Groups of 25 and more can purchase blocks of seats for half price, providing an affordable outing or a delightful fundraiser for a church or service group, neighborhood association, or any other group. In addition, Woodminster’s Kids Come Free program allows children 16 and younger to attend for free with paying adults (limitations apply.) One adult can bring one child or teen 16 or younger to any show at Woodminster for free. For details about the Kids Come Free program or information about tickets, check www.woodminster.com or call 510-531-9597.

The Woodminster Summer Musicals is winner of Oakland Magazine’s 2008 Readers’ Choice Award for best Theater Company. The shows are performed under the stars at Woodminster Amphitheater, an open-air performance facility in Joaquin Miller Park high in the Oakland Hills. The park's spectacular views and serene woodsy environment made it the perfect setting for the amphitheater, cascades, reflecting pool, and paths that were originally built as a WPA project in 1939-40. For many East Bay families, it is a long-standing summer tradition to enjoy a picnic in the park and then see a musical at Woodminster.

Producers Associates, Inc. was founded in 1967 by James and Harriet Schlader to provide affordable live summer family entertainment in the East Bay, and to foster a love of live theatre. For the last 42 years, the organization, in partnership with the Oakland Park and Rec Department, has been producing summer musicals at Woodminster Amphitheater. Today the Woodminster Summer Musicals sell more tickets per year than any other resident performing arts group in the city. Over 27,000 ticket holders passed through the Woodminster gates for the 21 performances of the 2007 season, including 3,000 children who attended for free under the organization’s Kids Come Free program. For more information about the 2008 season or history of the organization, visit www.woodminster.com.

- end press release -

Background information here.

Cast here.

Photos here soon.

John Walbolt as Frederic and *Arlene Thomas as Ruth in Woodminster's The Pirates of Penzance. More publicity photos here.

NEW! Dress rehearsal photos here.

*indicates membership in Actors' Equity Association.
Photos by Kathy Kahn.

DESCRIPTION:
Woodminster Summer Musicals concludes its 42nd season with a fresh take on one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular comic operas, The Pirates of Penzance. This updated version took Broadway by storm when it premiered in 1980, performed by the New York Shakespeare Festival and produced by Joseph Papp. This hilarious farce is as wacky, irreverent, and entertaining today as it was when it first opened in 1879. The whole family will enjoy the comic misunderstanding, swashbuckling pirates, and beautiful music.

The Pirates of Penzance will be performed on September 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 14. ALL performances are at 8 p.m. in historical Woodminster Amphitheater, in Oakland’s Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Blvd.

Kids Come Free! Each adult paying full price may bring one child or teen 16 or younger, for free! Check www.woodminster.com for restrictions and details.

The Woodminster Summer Musicals is winner of Oakland Magazine’s 2008 Readers’ Choice Award for best Theater Company. The shows are performed under the stars at Woodminster Amphitheater, an open-air performance facility in Joaquin Miller Park high in the Oakland Hills. The park's spectacular views and serene woodsy environment made it the perfect setting for the amphitheater, cascades, reflecting pool, and paths that were originally built as a WPA project in 1939-40. For many East Bay families, it is a long-standing summer tradition to enjoy a picnic in the park and then see a musical at Woodminster.