The Pittsburgh Savoyards continue their 86th season with Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe, or: the Peer and the Peri. Performances will be held October 13-15 and 20-22, 2023 at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in Carnegie, PA (directions and parking). Livestream recordings of our October 20th and 21st performances are now available until November 27!
Click here for Livestream Recording tickets
Performance dates and times are as follows:
- Friday, October 13 at 7:30 pm
- Saturday, October 14 at 7:30 pm
- Sunday, October 15 at 2:30 pm (CC)
- Friday, October 20 at 7:30 pm (Livestream, CC)
- Saturday, October 21 at 7:30 pm (Livestream)
- Sunday, October 22 at 2:30 pm
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Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe, or: The Peer and the Peri (originally produced 1882) presents a conflict between two very different worlds. On one hand, we have the world of the immortal fairies – all female, somewhat trippy and chaotic, and ruled by a queen; on the other, we have the world of British parliamentary peers – all male, stodgy and precise, and subject to the law as interpreted by the Lord Chancellor. The operetta presents a political satire wrapped around a love story: the fairy Iolanthe’s half-human son Strephon loves the Lord Chancellor’s ward Phyllis, but the Lord Chancellor wishes to marry her to a peer – namely himself. The fairies come to Strephon’s aid, install him in parliament, and cast a spell on the other members of parliament to make them pass any law Strephon proposes. Along the way we get any number of satirical digs at the British system of law and government (lampooning, among other things, the intellectual fitness of members of the House of Lords and the honesty and honorableness of lawyers).
More Information
Preview: Live Music: Iolanthe, Pittsburgh Savoyards – Saturday Light Brigade
Preview: Pittsburgh Savoyards – Iolanthe – WQED-FM Voice of the Arts
Preview: What to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Oct. 13-15 – 90.5 WESA
Review: Welcome to Fairyland – The Pittsburgh Savoyards Stage an Enchanting Iolanthe or The Peer and the Peri – Dave Zuchowski, Pittsburgh Owlscribe
Review: Iolanthe and Lord Chancellor – Who Knew? – a Review of “Iolanthe” – Claire DeMarco, ‘Burgh Vivant
Director – Michael McFaden
Music Director – Guy Russo
Production Manager – Lynette Garlan
Production Stage Manager – Andrea Lisiak
Technical Director – Robert Hockenberry
Lighting Designer – Garth Schafer
Costumes – Robin Kornides
| Role | Performer(s) |
|---|---|
| Phyllis, an Arcadian Shepherdess and Ward in Chancery | Katie Manukyan (Oct. 13, 15, 21) Alex Aks (Oct. 14, 20, 22) |
| Strephon, an Arcadian Shepherd | Andrew Mours (Oct. 13, 15, 21) Ben Nadler (Oct. 14, 20, 22) |
| Iolanthe, a Fairy, Strephon's mother | Savannah Simeone (Oct. 13, 15, 21) Sarah Nadler (Oct. 14, 20, 22) |
| Queen of the Fairies | Sarah Austin (Oct. 13, 15, 21) Sally Denmead (Oct. 14, 20, 22) |
| The Lord Chancellor | Logan Newman |
| Thomas, Earl of Tolloller | Paul Yeater |
| George, Earl of Mountararat | Sean Lenhart |
| Private Willis, of the Grenadier Guards | William Carter (Oct. 13, 15, 21) Eric Schaffer (Oct. 14, 20, 22) |
| Celia, a Fairy | Tiffany Meyers (Oct. 13, 15, 21) Bridget Johnston (Oct. 14, 20, 22) |
| Leila, a Fairy | Katie Kirby (Oct. 13, 15, 21) Hannah Balash (Oct. 14, 20, 22) |
| Fleta, a Fairy | Chelsie Clydesdale * (Oct. 13, 15, 21) Jordan Hightower (Oct. 14, 20, 22) |
| Fairy Queen Attendant | Veera Sinha |
| House of Peers | Adam Birch Christopher Carter Leslie Clark Zhen Yu Ding Nicholas Graef (u/s Tololler) Don Gudenburr Phil Hayes (u/s Lord Chancellor) Bob Herold (u/s Mountararat) Myles Zuckerman |
| Fairies | Denise Allen Deborah Geary Caitlin Kapoor * Inara Manzetti Tamara Marlise Manzetti Kathryn Morosky Shelby Nester Katherine Ohliger Erin Ritson Sarah Schultz Brienne Sharo Carolee Shearer Marichristine Storch Kira Varela |