GILBERT & SULLIVAN MAKE A TRIUMPHANT RETURN
TO THEATER AT MONMOUTH
Monmouth, Maine – Theater at Monmouth opens A Celebration of Gilbert & Sullivan featuring Cox & Box as their Fall show following their Brave New Worlds Summer Season. The celebration begins with a curtain raiser of Cox and Box, a Comic Triumveretta, composed by Arthur Sullivan and written by F.C. Burnand. Cox and Box is the hilarious tale of two men who unknowingly rent the same room (one by day, the other by night), the landlady who rents it to them, and what happens when one of them unexpectedly gets the day off from work. Then, after the interval, journey through Gilbert & Sullivan’s musical catalogue with an Original Revue written by Adam P. Blais, including songs from your favorite operas, such as The Pirates of Penzance, Patience, Ruddigore, H.M.S. Pinafore, and more; and an Original Medley of songs arranged by John Neal. Join us in celebrating one of theater’s most dynamic musical duos Thursday, September 14th at 7:30 p.m. through Sunday, September 24th at 1:00 p.m.
Though originally from England, there are strong ties between Gilbert & Sullivan and Monmouth, Maine with Cumston Hall having been the Summer performance home of the American Savoyards from 1953 to 1958. As Director Adam P. Blais points out, “They returned to Monmouth each summer performing a different Gilbert & Sullivan show each week (Six evenings, Two matinees, and no Sunday performances) for ten consecutive weeks”. In his research preparing for the show, Blais also discovered that “It is believed that The Grand Duke made its North American professional debut in Cumston Hall.”
A Celebration of Gilbert & Sullivan featuring Cox & Box features Patrick Brady* Box/Man 2, Quinn Corcoran* as Cox/Man 1, and Michelle Seipel* as Mrs. Bouncer/Soprano. Directed by Adam P. Blais and Music Direction by John Neal, Set Design by Rew Tippin, Costume Design by Michelle Handley, Lighting Design by Jim Alexander, with Stage Management by Meg Lydon*, Lighting and Production Assistance by Erin Fauble. (*) Denotes members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
Performance Calendar: PREVIEW 9/14 at 7:30 p.m.; OPENING 9/15 at 7:30 p.m.; additional performance dates 9/16, 9/21, 9/22, 9/23 at 7:30 PM; 9/16, 9/17, 9/23, and 9/24 at 1:00 PM.
