Gilbert & Sullivan’s popular operetta, The Pirates Of Penzance (Or The Slave Of Duty), will be landing on stage in St. Augustine courtesy of First Coast Opera (FCO). This funny and delightful show will be performed on March 29, 30 and April 4, 5 and 6, 2008 at the Pedro Menendez Performing Arts Center on State Road 206, St. Augustine. This all-time favorite is perfect for the whole family and is filled with all of the songs, pirates, police, beautiful maids, topsy-turvy plot twists and Modern Major-Generals you know and love. If you liked FCO’s recent productions of HMS Pinafore, Trial By Jury and The Mikado, then you will love Pirates! Advance tickets can be purchased by calling FCO’s ticket line at 904-417-5555.

Following the smash success of FCO’s January production of Master Class, The Pirates Of Penzance is again being directed by Jean Rahner, a local theatre favorite for the past thirty years and co-founder and former Artistic Director of Limelight Theatre. Her previous directing credits include Hot’l Baltimore and Vanities at Flagler College; The Boys Next Door for Theatre Jax; Greetings and other numerous Limelight Theatre productions; Inherit The Wind for A Classic Theatre Company; and, for First Coast Opera, HMS Pinafore and Amahl And The Night Visitors.

Sam Clein is music director for Pirates, after having impressed audiences with his performance in Master Class as Manny the Accompanist. He will be conducting a nine-piece orchestra for this production. Joe Colsant is the production’s chorusmaster.

The all-star cast of The Pirates Of Penzance is filled with familiar First Coast Opera performers along with a host of fresh new talent. Walter Hook headlines the show in the ever-popular role of Major-General Stanley. Mr. Hook has been seen on Broadway, network television, and in numerous operas and musicals throughout the country. This will be his fourth Gilbert & Sullivan production with FCO, having also been in HMS Pinafore, Trial By Jury and The Mikado.

Front: Eric Bronner (Frederic), Jessica Slatkoff Arteaga (Mabel), Walter Hook (Major General), Erin Gawera (Kate)
Back: Adam Mayo (Samuel), Anne Richie (Ruth), Randall Delone Adkison (Pirate King),
Sara Horton (Edith), Joseph Murray (Sergeant)

Eric Bronner of Rhode Island, will be traveling down to play the romantic lead, Frederic, in Pirates. Like Walter Hook, Mr. Bronner has been in all four of First Coast Opera’s Gilbert & Sullivan shows. This prestigious singer has performed in operas internationally and has been featured on NPR, PBS and the BBC.

Jessica Slatkoff Arteaga will play the female lead, Mabel, one of the Major-General’s many daughters and romantic interest for Frederic. She is also coming off of raves for her performance as Sophie in Master Class. This talented young singer has sung in numerous operas around the country, including roles in Puccini’s La Rondine, Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffman, and Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci.

The role of The Pirate King will be filled by Randall Delone Adkison of Jacksonville. Mr. Adkison is a musical theatre veteran with many roles of note in shows like The Phantom Of the Opera, Grease, Fiddler On The Roof, Guys & Dolls and more. He has often performed locally at Alhambra Dinner Theatre, Theatre Jacksonville and Players By The Sea.

Anne Richie, a wonderful mezzo-soprano from Jacksonville, will play the comical role of Ruth, Frederic’s hard-of-hearing nursemaid. She’s sung roles in Madama Butterfly, Le Nozze di Figaro, Hansel and Gretel, Cavalleria rusticana and many more operas around the southeast. Like Mr. Adkison, this will be her first performance with First Coast Opera.

Also playing roles in The Pirates Of Penzance are FCO veterans, including Adam Mayo (Samuel), seen in Master Class, Cabaret Parisien, Babes In Toyland among others; Sara Horton (Edith), seen in The Mikado; and Stephanie Colsant (Isabel), seen in The Magic Flute, Hansel And Gretel and more. Rounding out the cast are the talented newcomers Joseph Murray (Sergeant of the Police), and Erin Gawera (Kate). Add in a terrific chorus of pirates, police and daughters, and the cast of The Pirates Of Penzance totals twenty- singers!

Professional set designer and artist, Fred Novak, is directing the construction of the sets and scenery for The Pirates Of Penzance. First Coast Opera is excited to have someone with his experience and talent designing for this show. Mr. Novak has previously designed sets for the Opera Gala Guild of the Florida Symphony Orchestra Society in Orlando, Florida and many theatre groups. He is being assisted by an impressive team of contractors and scenic artists and painters. The sets for Pirates should be of the highest quality yet seen in an FCO production!

The First Coast Opera is in its eighth season of providing Northeast Florida with professional performances of opera, operetta, cabarets and more. The company was founded by Barbara Norris and Anthony Fast and is located in the historic city of St. Augustine, Florida. Past productions have included Madama Butterfly, The Magic Flute, Amahl and the Night Visitors, HMS Pinafore, Babes in Toyland, The Mikado and many concerts and cabarets. FCO’s productions for the 2007-2008 season include Cabaret Parisien, Master Class, Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates Of Penzance, and Addio: A Farewell Concert For Barbara Norris. First Coast Opera is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation and is partially funded by the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council.

The First Coast Opera will present The Pirates Of Penzance on March 29, 30 and again on April 4, 5, 6, 2008 at the Pedro Menendez Performing Arts Center at Pedro Menendez High School, 600 State Road 206 West, St. Augustine (just off of exit 305 on Interstate 95). Show time on Friday and Saturday nights is 7:30 pm, with doors opening at 6:45 pm. The Sunday shows are 2:30 pm matinees with doors opening at 1:45 pm. Tickets are $25 at the door, $22 in advance, and $15 for students. Groups of 10 or more can attend at a special group rate of $20 per person. To purchase advance tickets, call FCO’s ticket line at 904-417-5555