Programme 1965 – Pirates of Penzance

C.H.B. RAINBOW QUEEN CARNIVAL
20 MARCH – 24 APRIL 1965

PRINCESS DIANE

PRESENTS

THE HASTINGS LIGHT OPERA COMPANY

In a Gala Performance

of Gilbert & Sullivan’s

“PIRATES of PENZANCE”

Municipal Theatre, Waipukurau
8 p.m. Wednesday 14th April, 1965

PRODUCER

SADIE BROWN

Sadie Brown is well remembered for her fine singing and acting ability in many of Hawke’s Bay’s past productions and her wide experience in Theatre has enabled her to bring a high standard to this production. The success we enjoyed with our two previous Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas, “The Mikado” in 1963 and “Iolanthe” in 1964 were largely due to her. In this “the Pirates Of Penzance” she has instilled all the charm, colour, and delicate satire of G. & S. operas in true Savoy tradition. For the long hours of work and her untiring efforts in this production we express our grateful thanks.

“Hail!, Poetry, thou heaven born maid!
Thou gildest e’en the Pirate’s trade;
Hail flowing fount of sentiment
All hail, All hail! Divine Emollient.

HASTINGS LIGHT OPERA COMPANY
(Incorporated )
A member of the New Zealand Federation of Operatic Societies

Officers 1965

Patron:
HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR OF HASTINGS, R. V. GIORGI

President:   D. REEFMAN (acting)

Vice-President:   O. KIRKER

Hon. Secretary:   ELIZABETH LOWE   Hon. Treasurer:   D. FEAR

Committee:
MRS. B. GAMBLE, MRS. A. STAINER, MRS. S. REAY, N. OLIVER, J. LINDSTROM
Hon. Auditor:   S. CUSHING

Previous Productions –
1961   PATIENCE
1962   THE GONDOLIERS.
1963   THE MIKADO
1964   IOLANTHE

A Paradox, a paradox,
A most ingenious paradox.
Pirate King, Frederick, and Ruth.

MUSICAL DIRECTOR

ARTHUR YOUNG

Mr. Young, once again Musical Director, has acted in this capacity for all our previous productions. He was a foundation member of the company, and has contributed in no small measure to the success we have enjoyed in the past, and to the development of the company. Once again in this “The Pirates of Penzance” we express our sincere appreciation, not only for his capable guidance, but also for the great pleasure it gives us to work with him.

“The Pirates of Penzance”

A MELODRAMATIC BURLESQUE.

Because of American piratings of “HMS Pinafore”, the opera which followed it in the Savoy series had a first single English performance to establish the copyright in Britain and one day later, on December 31, 1879, “The Pirates of Penzance” opened under D’Oyly Carte management in New York. Thus the Americans were unable to pirate “The Pirates”.

The English season for “The Pirates” extended to 363 evening performances. It opened at the Opera Comique on April 3, 1880, and soon became soundly established in public favour. Even if it is not the greatest work of the unique Gilbert and Sullivan partnership, it is nevertheless a gay and lively burlesque embellished with Gilbert’s obvious love of nonsense and paradox and musically full of charm and freshness, even beauty.

The fact that a young man might early in life be apprenticed into piracy as a calling is typical Gilbertian whimsy. Other flights of his fancy, tender-hearted pirates who are sympathetic to orphans, being all orphans themselves and a major-general who falsely claims to be an orphan and who later sheds tears in expiation of his lie, make for delightful nonsense that has a universal and lasting appeal.

The principal quality that was to give the Gilbert and Sullivan light operas a longevity not to be dreamed of in the authors’ lifetime – absolute cohesion, in spirit and style, of libretto and music – is here admirably illustrated.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

MAJOR-GENERAL STANLEY   Peter Mackie
THE PIRATE KING   John McKeown
SAMUEL (Pirate Lieutenant)   Owen Kirker
FREDERIC (the Pirate Apprentice)   Pat Gillespie
SERGEANT OF POLICE   Doug Wilson
MABEL (General Stanley’s Daughters)   Dawn Unsworth
EDITH (General Stanley’s Daughters)   Maureen Brady
KATE (General Stanley’s Daughters)   Jill Williams
ISABEL (General Stanley’s Daughters)   Barbara Bristol
RUTH (a Pirate maid of all work)   Betty McDonald

CHORUS OF GENERAL STANLEY’S DAUGHTERS:
Sue McKay, Colleen Bishop, Marie Hebley, Sue Lindstrom, Mary Brown, Elizabeth Smith, Penny Waddell, Sara Holderness, Phillipa Moore, Margaret Perry, Elizabeth Lowe, Jill Caulton, Angela Houlahan, Marjorie Bewley, Anita Stainer, Lynne MacGregor, Jennifer Louie, Alysson Wood, Juliet Knowles, Rachel Barcham, Heather McKay.

CHORUS OF PIRATES:
Andrew Easton, Cedric Catton, Norman Oliver, Nick Wolf, Bob Murray, David Reefman, John Lindstrom, Peter Brown, Michael Koorey, Alan Ovenden, David Williams, Neville Kirkby, Jim Lawson, David Bacon, Bill Ruffell, Ian Gordon, Bruce Pattullo, David McDonald.

CHORUS OF POLICE
Peter Brown, Alan Ovenden, Jim Lawson, Andrew Easton, Bill Ruffell, Norman Oliver, Cedric Catton, David McDonald, Bruce Pattullo.

PIRATE BALLET:
Glenda Smith, Sue Webb, Karen Thompson, Shona Thompson, Cheryl Rodgers, Alison Earl.

PROMPT:   Bobbie Gamble.   CALL BOY:   Bruce Murray.

MEMBERS OF THE ORCHESTRA

CONDUCTOR:   Arthur Young.  PIANO:   MARY BELL.
VIOLINS:   Enid Dunn, Anna Wilson, George Wade, Norma Horsefield.
FLUTE:   Enid Hocking.   OBOE:   Jane Oldroyd.  CELLO:   Rona Woodcock, Joan Palmer.
CLARINETS:   Owen Knight, Patricia Davidson   TRUMPET:   Percy Beswarick.
BASS:   Leon Speakman.   TYMPANI & DRUMS:   John Seton.
FRENCH HORN:   Mr. Winter.

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE

by
W. S. GILBERT and ARTHUR SULLIVAN

SYNOPSIS OF MUSICAL NUMBERS

ACT 1
OVERTURE
1.   OPENING CHORUS OF PIRATES & SOLO – Pour, oh pour, the pirate sherry.
2.   SONG (Ruth) – When Fred’ric was a little lad.
3.   SONG (Pirate King & Chorus) – Oh, better far to live and die.
4.   RECITATIVE & DUET (Ruth & Frederic) – Oh! false one, you have deceived me.
5.   CHORUS OF GIRLS – Climbing over rocky mountain.
6.   RECITATIVE (Edith, Kate, Frederic & Chorus) – Stop, ladies pray!
7.   ARIA. (Frederic & Chorus of Girls) – Oh! is there not one maiden breast.
8.   AIR (Mabel & Chorus) – Poor wand’ring one.
9.   (Edith, Kate and Chorus of Girls) – What ought we to do? gentle sisters, say!
10.   DUET (Mabel & Frederic & Chorus of Girls) – How beautifully blue the sky.
11.   (Frederic and Girls and Pirates) – Stay, we must not lose our senses.
12.   RECITATIVE. (Mabel, Major-General, Samuel & Chorus) – Hold, monsters!
13.   SONG (Major-General and Chorus) – I am the very model of a modern Major-General.
14.   FINALE – ACT I. (Mabel, Edith, Kate, Frederic, Samuel, King, Major-General, Ruth and Chorus) – Oh! men of dark and dismal fate.

ACT 2
1.   INTRODUCTION. Solo (Mabel & Girls) – Oh! dry the glist’ning tear.
2.   RECITATIVE (Frederic and Major-General) – Then Frederic, let your escort lion-hearted.
3.   CHORUS, WITH SOLOS (For Mabel, Edith and Sergeant) – When the foeman bares his steel.
4.   RECITATIVE AND TRIO Now for the pirates’ lair.
5.   TRIO (Ruth, Frederic & King) – When you had left our pirate fold.
6.   TRIO (Ruth, Frederic & King) – Away, away, my heart’s on fire!
7.   RECITATIVE AND DUET (Mable & Frederic) – All is prepared! your gallant crew await you!
8.   DUET (Mabel and Frederic_ – Stay Frederic, stay!
9.   RECITATIVE (Mabel etc. Chorus of Police). No, I’ll be brave!
10.   SONG (Sergeant and Chorus) – When a felon’s not engaged in his employment.
11.   SOLO (Sergeant and Chorus of Pirates and Police) – A rollicking band of pirates we.
12.   SOLO (Samuel and Chorus of Pirates) – With cat-like tread,
13.   (Frederick, King, Major-General, Police and Pirates) – Hush! hush! not a word.
14.   SONG (Major-General and Chorus of Pirates and Police) AND FINALE – Sighing softly to the river.

THE STORY
ACT 1.
A Rocky Seashore on the Coast of Cornwall.
There is revelry amongst the pirates for FREDERIC is out of his indentures as a Pirate Apprentice. This strange occupation has been his since the age of eight years, through a mistake of RUTH, his nurse, who being hard of hearing had mistakenly apprenticed him to a pirate instead of a pilot. A life which, according to the PIRATE KING however, is comparatively honest.
For this error Frederic has forgiven her, but when General Stanley’s beautiful young daughters appear he realises Ruth has been deceiving him about her beauty, (and is in fact plain and old), he denounces her and appeals to the girls to rescue him from his unfortunate position.
They in turn reject him except MABEL who is satisfied with his explanation to renounce piracy and lead a blameless life.
The pirates then re-appear and seize the girls with matrimonial intent, upon which, the MAJOR-GENERAL arrives and pleads with the pirates to have mercy on his family as he is an orphan and would be quite alone if his daughters were to marry.
This reduces their tender hearts, for being orphans themselves they never molest anyone in a similar circumstance of dark and dismal fate.
The act concludes happily, heralding the coming wedding of Mabel and Frederic.

ACT 2
A Ruined Chapel by Moonlight.
A remorseful Major-General is deploring the fact that he has brought disgrace upon his ancestors, for he is not really an orphan at all.
Frederic, no longer a pirate, tries to comfort him and has enlisted the aid of the police to rout his erstwhile piratical friends.
The situation complicates when the King and Ruth enter and tell Frederic in Leap Year on the 29th February, he has only really had five birthdays and therefore has not completed his apprenticeship though he has lived twenty-one years.
Frederic, a Slave of Duty, returns to his former associates to fulfill his contract leaving a tearful Mabel to urge the SERGEANT and quaking constabulary to do their duty also.
Pirates and Police meet in battle, with the pirates being triumphant. The tables are turned when the Sergeant urges the pirates to yield in the name of their Queen, and humbly they do, but are in turn saved by Ruth, who discloses their real identity.

PRODUCTION PERSONNEL

PRODUCER   Sadie Brown
MUSICAL DIRECTOR   Arthur Young
CHORUS MISTRESS   Mary Bell
PRODUCTION MANAGER   John Lindstrom
BALLET MISTRESS   Joan Leonard
WARDROBE MISTRESS   Frances Murray assisted by Penny Waddell, Naomi Jagger, Mrs. Lawson, Margaret Perry, Mrs. D. Hamilton.
PROPERTIES MISTRESS   Sybil Reay
STAGE MANAGER   Colin Spence
HOUSE MANAGER   Jack Hannon
MAKE UP   Peter Trask, Lorraine Mildon, Brenda Reay, Judith Webb, Denise Jeffs, Helen Robertson.
ELECTRICIAN   John Henderson
PROGRAMMES   John Lindstrom
LIBRARIAN   Norman Oliver
ADVERTISING   Russell Kirkby and John Lindstrom assisted by members of the Company.
FRONT OF HOUSE STAFF HASTINGS –   Rachel Morgan, Lois Reefman, Bobbie Gamble, Marie Robertson, Anne Symonds, Dorothy Boxall, Lynley Hooper, Frank Melling, Eric Reay, Valda Beattie, Esmae Douglas, Valerie Geddes, Julie Singer, Sandra Longworth, Anne Campbell.
STAGE PERSONNEL   Cedric Wright, Colin Spence, John Henderson, B. MacDonald.

Poor wand’ring one. If such a love as mine,
Can help thee find, true peace of mind.
Why take it, it is thine.
Mabel and Frederick.

“I am the very model of a modern Major General.”
I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral.
The Major General

The Pirate Ballet

He is telling a terrible story.
Which will tend to diminish his glory
Edith, Isabel, Mabel, Major General and Kate

CHORUS MISTRESS.
MARY BELL

Mrs. Mary Bell was responsible for training the chorus in our 1962 production “The Gondoliers”. She is well known in musical circles throughout Hawke’s Bay, and has been Chorus Mistress for the Hastings Musical Comedy Co., for many of their past productions.
She recently travelled overseas to the United States of America as Official Pianiste with the Maori Te Arohanui Concert Party.
Training a chorus is no easy task and we are indebted to her for the efforts she has made to achieve a high standard.

BALLET MISTRESS
JOAN LEONARD

Joan Leonard in private life Mrs. D. McVicar is a member of the London Academy of Dancing, and has been for many years a teacher of dancing in Hawke’s Bay. She was a member of the Napier Frivolity minstrels for eleven years and has been associated with many amateur Hawke’s Bay productions, including our 1964 G. & S. operetta Iolanthe. In welcoming her again to our midst, we express the hope that in the years to come she will continue to contribute to our productions her wide experience in the dancing field.

Pour, oh pour the Pirate sherry.
Fill, oh fill the pirate glass.
Samuel and chorus of Pirates.

When constabulary duties to be done.
A policeman’s lot is not a happy one.
Sergeant and chorus of police.

Resume you ranks and legislative duties,
And take my daughters, all of whom are beauties.
Major General and full company.
Finale.

FORTY YEARS AGO ! ! !

A PAGE FROM THE PAST

Older Waipukuruvian’s will remember the:-

WAIPUKURAU AMATEUR OPERATIC,
MUSICAL & DRAMATIC SOCIETY

and whilst welcoming to Waipukurau for the first time the

HASTINGS LIGHT OPERA COMPANY.

we look with nostalgia at a programme of 1928 in which productions for several years previously, are detailed, which shows that Gilbert and Sullivan Operas were favourites with our Society. The Cast for the 1925 Production of “The Pirates of Penzance”
Reads:-

CAST
Major-General STANLEY   Mr. C. F. Smedley
The PIRATE KING   Mr. E. Haldane
SAMUEL (Pirate Lieutenant)   Mr. J. J. East
JAMES   Mr. J. E. Hall
FREDERIC (The Pirate Apprentice)   Mr. J. Boyce
SERGEANT OF POLICE   Mr. F. V. Ward
MABEL   Mrs. A. P. Spackman
EDITH   Miss L. Jones
KATE   Mrs. W. G. Bryce
ISABEL   Miss M. Polhill
RUTH   Miss C. Grosvenor

MUSICAL DIRECTOR:   Mr. J. U. Whitehead.
PRODUCER:   Mr. C. F. Smedley.
STAGE MANAGER:   Mr. J. K. Lee.
PRESIDENT:   C. Saunders Esq.
SECRETARY-TREASURER:   Mr. H. N. Murray.

Thank You, Hastings, for bringing back such wonderful memories!