- The Pirates of Penzance (or The Slave of Duty)
- By Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert
- Featuring Deborah Voigt, Hunter Parrish, Phillip Boykin, Douglas Hodge, Julia Udine, Montego Glover, and Betsy Wolfe
- Conducted and Directed by Ted Sperling with Orchestra of St. Luke's
- October 15-16, 2015 at 8pm at New York City Center
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MasterVoices kicks off the 2015-2016 season with The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Dutyon October 15-16, 2015 at 8pm at New York City Center, 131 W. 55th Street, New York City. Following the success of our 2012 Mikado at Carnegie Hall, MasterVoices' semi-staged presentation of The Pirates of Penzance will feature a cast of stars from the Broadway and opera worlds, along with Orchestra of St. Luke's performing Arthur Sullivan's original orchestrations under the direction of Artistic Director Ted Sperling. Single tickets are $30-$130 and are available at NYCityCenter.org.For more information visit: www.mastervoices.org/#citycenterseries.
The concert will feature Metropolitan Opera star Deborah Voigt, Hunter Parrish ("Weeds"; Godspell), Phillip Boykin (Tony Award Nominee, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess), Douglas Hodge (Tony Award Winner, La Cages aux Folles;Showtime's "Penny Dreadful"), Julia Udine (ThePhantom of the Opera), Montego Glover (Tony Award Nominee, Memphis), and Betsy Wolfe (The Last Five Years). Choreography/Associate Direction by Gustavo Zajac, Set by David Korins, Lighting by Frances Aronson, and Sound by Scott Lehrer.
For tickets, visit NYCityCenter.org; and for more information, visit mastervoices.org. For a limited time, become a MasterVoices Member for 20% off tickets for The Pirates of Penzance and Dido and Aeneas at New York City Center. Visit http://www.mastervoices.org/city-center-series/ for more information.
MasterVoices' Gala, including pre-concert cocktails and dinner and a performance of The Pirates of Penzance is Thursday, October 15, 2015 at 5pm at Le Parker Meridien; concert at 8pm at New York City Center. For more information, call 646-202-9623.
Roger Rees
The Pirates of Penzance performances will be dedicated in loving memory to MasterVoices' Artistic Associate Roger Rees. Roger was a longtime colleague and friend, a relationship that began with his role as Narrator of Weber's Oberon under Maestro Bass at Carnegie Hall in 2002. That first project grew into a collaboration that explored the interplay of words and music in projects directed by Mr. Rees including "An Evening of Kurt Weill" with Bebe Neuwirth, Scott Joplin's Treemonisha, Bernstein and Lerner's A White House Cantata and Weill's The Firebrand of Florence among others. Mr. Rees was ever ready to lend his talents as auctioneer, actor and author whenever called upon. He was a Renaissance man with a heart of gold and will be sorely missed. We were privileged to know him and are honored to remember him with this dedication.
The 2015-2016 Season continues with:
- The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing
An Evening Exploring the Creation of a New American Opera by Justine F. Chen and David Simpatico
Presented by the American Lyric Theater
October 17, 2015 at 7pm at Merkin Concert Hall
- Mahler's Symphony No. 2
Conducted by Zubin Mehta, presented by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
November 5, 2015 at Carnegie Hall
- Dido and Aeneas
By Henry Purcell and Nahum Tate
With a World Premiere companion work by Michael John LaChiusa
Featuring Kelli O'Hara and Victoria Clark
Conducted by Ted Sperling with Orchestra of St. Luke's
April 28, 2016 at 7pm at New York City Center
April 29, 2016 at 8pm at New York City Center
- Mahler's Symphony No. 2
Conducted by Joshua Gersen, presented by the New York Youth Symphony
May 29, 2016 at Carnegie Hall
- Bridges
The 2015-2016 season will conclude in June with a program featuring a World Premiere work composed by Marisa Michelson developed for the launch of MasterVoices' new community outreach program, "Bridges". The location and date of this program will be announced at a future date.