The Aspen High School theater department will present its spring musical production of “The Pirates of Penzance” Thursday through Sunday at the Aspen District Theatre.
Performances will commence at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with a matinee on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students and Roaring Fork Valley teachers.
Packed with sentimental pirates, blundering policemen and absurd adventures, “The Pirates of Penzance” is a family friendly show. The musical runs under two hours and includes an intermission.
Written by librettist William Schwenck Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, “The Pirates of Penzance” first premiered at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City in 1879. It debuted in London a year later at the Opera Comique, where it ran for over 300 performances.
The comic opera has gone on to be recognized as one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most famous shows. It follows the rollicking, funny tale of a band of soft-tempered pirates. The story centers on the handsome Frederic, who was mistakenly apprenticed to a pirate (instead of a pilot) by his nursemaid in his youth and now, at 21 years old, abandons his profession and group of fun-loving pirates to instead “lead a blameless life henceforth.”
Shortly after leaving the pirates, Frederic meets the daughters of the Major-General and falls in love with one of them, named Mabel. They encounter conflicts and run-ins with his former clan of pirates, and just as Frederic is ready to lead a band of policemen in taking out the Pirate King and his men, a secret is uncovered that will change his fate forever.
Naturally, though, all comes out right in the end.
The AHS production of “The Pirates of Penzance” will be directed by Vanessa Strahan, with assistant director Jennifer Johnson, music director Dory Light and choreography by Luke Ryan. It features a cast of 14 high school students.
Cast members include: Bow Williams, Charlie Cox, Clare Williams, Eleanor Carroll, Gia Henrichon, Henry Carlin, Isabella Poschman, Jessica Vesey, Linda Greene, Natalie Stephens, Paige Strecker, Sylvia Buck, Willow Poschman and Zel Loeb.
The AHS theater program operates in partnership with Theatre Aspen Education, which provides performing-arts curriculum for Aspen middle and high school students.
For more information or to purchase show tickets, visit theatreaspen.org.