Sail the Seven Seas with Gilbert & Sullivan's HMS Pinafore

Stormy weather forced Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan opera company to cancel its Kasschau Band show of HMS Pinafore in June, but it'll be smooth sailing for the rescheduled date.

The totally new production of W.S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan's lauded HMS Pinafore with a decidedly modern twist will be held in the library's auditorium on Tuesday, August 9.

"It's something of a Shakespearian comedy," performer Danielle Marchand said in an interview with Patch. Blending love, social satire and political situations, Marchand said everything is topsy-turvy and nothing is what it seems. 

"We've totally reworked it—it has a more modern appeal than a normal kind of production," she told Patch in June.

Marchand, who plays "Cousin Hebe," Sir Joseph's Captain and right-hand woman in the Queen's Navy, studied at the prestigious Westminster Choir College.

The rest of the company, founded in 1937, is no slouch either, the soprano said. "The cast and crew have really tremendous backgrounds. My director David Claypoole has done wonders," she said in August.

Among the cast are two key players from summer of 2010's banner year. The non-profit company was invited to participate in the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Gettysburg, PA with a performance of The Grand Duke. Kerstin Anna Stewart, of Wyckoff, received an award for Best Female Performance while Jim Biddlecome was honored as Best Musical Director. Stewart won again in 2011 as Best Actress, while Biddlecome was tapped runner-up as Best Musical Director.

Both are back for the HMS Pinafore, with Stewart playing the role of "Little Buttercup". An alum of The Manhattan School of Music, lead actress Samantha Dango, a soprano ingenue, sings for the Susan G. Kommen Foundation and is perhaps just as well known for her renditions of the National Anthem at New Jersey Devils games. Dango in 2011 was awarded the runner-up as Best Female Singer.

Although 2010 brought accolades and good crowds, 2011 has been even more of a success.

"We're extending the show into the fall, so we're looking for bigger venues and donations. It's never happened where the productions were so successful that they've been pushed into the next season," Marchand said. "It's really different and special."

Concert-goers can expect a heaping of sweet sounds and salty characters, the performer said. "It's a side-splitting feast for the eyes and ears. We have new costumes, a new set and even completely new characters."

"We're representing Ridgewood so we're very excited to be playing at home."

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Ridgewood Public Library. The free performance is sponsored by Park West Tavern.

Donations to G&S are always welcome and should be sent to:

Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company
P. O. Box 307
Ridgewood, NJ 07451-0307

Check out more information on G&S's website and friend them on Facebook.