Get your taxes done while helping the Savoyards!

Need some help with your taxes this season? H&R block will donate $20 to the Pittsburgh Savoyards for every new client who uses H&R block and mentions the Savoyards. Here’s how it works:

  • Take this referral form to a participating H&R Block office and give it to your tax professional. To find your nearest H&R Block office, go to hrblock.com.
  • If you’re a new client, our organization will receive $20.
  • Feel good knowing you helped our organization raise money and you received exceptional tax preparation service.

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Meet Casey Ciocco, Assistant Director for Iolanthe

Casey and Cat (by Lauren Stanley) Casey and fairies Casey and Mark Lord Casey Casey and Mark SVC Video

Casey Ciocco
St Vincent College’s Gilbert & Sullivan Society, and Assistant Director for Iolanthe

Casey Ciocco is a young music major from St Vincent College in Latrobe. She applied to direct Iolanthe for Pittsburgh Savoyards last summer, and we were impressed enough to ask her to be Assistant Director. She performed admirably.

I decided to ask about her music and theater life, as well as Gilbert & Sullivan.

I was introduced to G&S because of an act of desperation, actually. The end of my sophomore year at Saint Vincent, one of my close friends (who did theater there – I hadn’t done theater at all up to this point) told me his theater group on campus called the Gilbert & Sullivan Players desperately needed more people for a production of Princess Ida they were doing. I had a voice major in music, and an extensive musical background, so naturally, I said “sure.”

I found out they needed ensemble and small roles, so I auditioned with their student producer and was cast as Sacharissa. When the production team realized I was an actual trained singer with a lower voice, they moved me to play Cyril, one of Hilarion’s pals.

From that point, I stayed in the club and started in leadership positions the very next semester.

Note that Zach Lucchetti also went to St Vincent’s, where he helped found the Gilbert & Sullivan Players. Clearly he gave it enough push to last for years after he left. Casey didn’t know him until this fall, when he sang in Iolanthe. Zach has sung in several Savoyard productions, along with Undercroft Opera, and many other companies. (Don’t look at http:// barihunks.blogspot.com/.)

Now, about those Savoyards…. What’s not to like?? I can’t even begin to talk about how thrilled I was upon learning that there was a local G&S collective that shared one of my biggest passions.

I absolutely adore everyone who’s a part of this group, and I love that the shows are kept traditional. At Saint Vincent, we had to modernize them so they’d have a chance appealing to our audience, and so getting to be a part of the original, unedited operettas is my favorite thing.

The only grievance I have? The long drive (an hour and twenty to the church, and an hour and a half to the music hall). But hopefully that’s changing soon!

My musical training begins at the wee age of 10. I joined 4th grade concert band as a drummer, and absolutely loved it. I continued to drum all through college, and in high school, I spent 3 years on the marching band’s drumline and held leadership positions there as well.

I didn’t start singing until high school, where I was in chamber choir. Upon going to SVC, I declared a music major where I began vocal training. I still was a part of the band there, a drum major for 3 years. I also played drumset in the jazz ensemble.

This is when I began theater. I did both student group’s shows (The Company and The Gilbert & Sullivan Players) and had production roles, acting roles, and administrative roles in both groups. And I performed in the theater department’s shows as well. I worked for the professional equity Saint Vincent Summer Theater for 3 years, one as a student ASM and two as staff costumer.

My favorite G&S operetta is a tie between The Sorcerer and H.M.S. Pinafore. Both shows are very close to my heart, and the music for both is what gets me.

One of my worst shows (from a production viewpoint) was H.M.S. Pinafore. We had every lead but three drop out, and didn’t get a full run completed until opening night. One of our orchestra members had a seizure during the run the night before, and we had to call EMS. We stopped that run to stand still and sing along. Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong, but our audiences told us the show ended up going well.

I have done many shows with Mark Harris, and probably the best thing I’ve seen happen is when he was playing Nanki-Poo in Hot Mikado. His introductory song became a jazz crooner ballad, and he had a tap break in the middle after he played his trombone.

At the end of the song, he had a high, belted note, and on Sunday’s final matinee, he cracked on that note. We still laugh about it, mainly because we think it’s hilarious to hear singers when their voices crack. It was a good time.

We hope to see much more of Casey and Mark in Pittsburgh Savoyards shows.

Interview by Eric Starbuck
All photos from Casey’s Facebook page.

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Meet a Savoyard: Garth Schafer

King Gama in Princess Ida (2013)

King Gama in Princess Ida (2013)

I was introduced to Gilbert & Sullivan through hearing melodies over the years, but I hit the big time when I came to see SCA friends in HMS Pinafore. I knew the melodies for Little Buttercup, before knowing the words.

I had already done some theater. I knew that I could carry a tune without it falling on the floor and crashing into bits.

I started with the Savoyards in the 1994 or 1995 season. First show was Ruddigore in 1997. All the ghosts had to stand behind portraits during most of second act the first week, as the painted portraits were not finished until after the opening weekend. Very difficult to stand sufficiently still.

I will probably do lights for Iolanthe, partly because I do lights for Rocky Horror Show with Stage 62 in November, and want to be sure the lighting grid stays in good shape. Some lighting people really mess the grid up. I often spend extra time fixing lights, changing bulbs, and moving misplaced Fresnels and their electrical circuits.

I would to love to attempt to do Iolanthe special effects with the opening scene completely in the dark, illuminated only by fairies with light-up wings. This would require the orchestra memorize the overture, so it can be played in the dark. That’s how the original Savoy Theater production opened. And an illuminated magic wand for the Fairy Queen.

I never had formal training in music or lighting, though I served a form of apprenticeship. Learned something of acting from Glen Garth, with The Acting Company, in the early 90s, in Lawrenceville. He also showed me much about theatrical lighting and about working on a shoestring budget. It was a 3/4 round stage (audience on 3 sides), with lights hung on trees behind the audience. It had 12 electrical circuits for control, which places serious limits on lighting special scenes. When I started at Savoyards, they had only 12 circuits and many fewer lights than now, but Savoyards have grown to where it is much easier to light artistically.

One of the things I really like is the way Savoyards do the music, how well we re-create it symphonically as well as in singing. When Guy Russo came in, the orchestra started to sound really good. I also love the wit that Gilbert brings to it. The humor makes it very enjoyable. Even in some of the more serious moments it’s never far away.

My favorite Gilbert & Sullivan opera is the second show I did–a most fun time–Pirates of Penzance. Noblemen wanting to be pirates, but don’t have the stomach to kill. Leap year silliness. Closest to a flawless and believable plot.

Pinafore is fun, but there are problems–Rafe & Captain, same age? Looked alike as children? Little Buttercup, an adult when they were children, now marries the Captain. Some directors make Buttercup blind, so it’s clear why the mixup. Some play off it, making the men look radically different so the mixup looks even more impossible.

Iolanthe probably works, but I don’t know any magical fairies.

It is great that the Savoyards are continuing to grow artistically and retain the excellence in music they have been known for. I hope we continue to grow in the box office enough to stay another 100 years.

I did meet my wife, Janette, through the Savoyards. I was producing Iolanthe. Janette auditioned, and fell in love with my hair, which was long and silky at the time. She volunteered for every production meeting that involved tech, despite being poor at tools. “Can I help? Can I spend time with you making a great production?” The rest is history.

By Eric Starbuck

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Announcing our Pirates of Penzance cast!

We are pleased to announce our cast for our Spring 2016 production of The Pirates of Penzance! Be sure to come see them, March 4th-13th!

RolePerformer(s)
Major-General StanleyLeon S. Zionts (3/4, 3/5)
Michael Greenstein (3/6, 3/10, 3/11, 3/12, 3/13)
The Pirate KingJason M. Batchelor (3/4, 3/6, 3/10, 3/12)
Andy Hickly (3/5, 3/11, 3/13)
Samuel, his LieutenantRobert Hockenberry (3/4, 3/6, 3/10, 3/12)
Charlie Schwartz (3/5, 3/11, 3/13)
Frederic, the Pirate ApprenticeAlec Donaldson
Sergeant of PoliceBob Herold (3/4, 3/6, 3/10, 3/12)
Michael Perry (3/5, 3/11, 3/13)
MabelElizabeth Rishel (3/4, 3/6, 3/10, 3/12)
Katie Manukyan (3/5, 3/11, 3/13)
EdithAubree Churilla (3/4, 3/6, 3/10, 3/12)
Mia Bonnewell (3/5, 3/11, 3/13)
KateGwendolyn Schmidt (3/4, 3/6, 3/10, 3/12)
Sarah McCullough (3/5, 3/11, 3/13)
IsabelBrennan A. Bobish (3/4, 3/6, 3/10, 3/12)
Judy Kirby (3/5, 3/11, 3/13)
Ruth, a Piratical Maid of all workCandice Shaughnessy (3/4, 3/6, 3/10, 3/12)
Deborah Greenstein (3/5, 3/11, 3/13)
Chorus of Pirates, Police, and General Stanley's DaughtersAlex Policicchio
Alyson Smith
Amanda Leigh
Carly Patarini
Carolee Kamensky
Carolyn Smith
Casey Ciocco
Don Neuhaus
Eric Starbuck
Gerry Neuhaus
Gina Wilimowski
Jezebele Zbozny-DelPercio
Jordan Speranzo
Kaleia Batchelor
Leslie Clark
Mark F. Harris
Michael Palmosina
Samwise Riley
Stephen D. Kuhn
Takako Kiyota-Petek
Tristyn Batchelor
Vanessa Kettering
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Giving Tuesday

December 1 is Giving Tuesday! It’s a day to support your favorite non-profits.

You can use today as an opportunity to support the Pittsburgh Savoyards in our mission to perpetuate the heritage of Gilbert & Sullivan and provide a hands-on opportunity for interested persons to learn about and experience musical theater. The Pittsburgh Savoyards are a 501 C3 (not-for-profit) organization, making your donation tax deductible. Simply click the button below to get started with your credit card or Paypal account:





Alternatively, we are also happy to accept donations by check. You can mail your donations to the address below, being sure to include your return address so that we can send you recognition of your donation suitable for your tax records.

Pittsburgh Savoyards
P.O. Box 44065
Pittsburgh, PA 15205-4065

Thank you for your support!

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Stage & Vocal Auditions for The Pirates of Penzance

Audition to be a part of our Spring 2016 production – The Pirates of Penzance! With music director Guy Russo and stage director Sean Lenhart. We will be auditioning for lead and ensemble roles.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 from 7:30 pm until 9:00 pm
Wednesday, December 9, 2015 from 7:30 pm until 9:00 pm

Location:
Our Lady of Victory Church Auditorium
1000 Lindsay Road, Carnegie, PA 15106

Before your audition:

Prepare a song that best showcases your voice:
either Gilbert & Sullivan (preferred), standard musical theater, or classical.

No Appointment is necessary; auditions will be conducted in order of arrival.

We now have a digitally fillable audition form. Please fill it out ahead of time and email it to auditions@pittsburghsavoyards.org. Please also bring a printed-out copy if possible, especially if you email it to us on the same day that you’re auditioning (we need a hard-copy for reference at the audition). In case you’re unable to fill out a form ahead of time, forms will also be available on-site to fill out by hand.

Please bring:

  • Sheet music for our accompanist (and a second copy for yourself if not memorized).
  • A printout of your audition form (see above).
  • Resume and head-shot, if available.

Contact

For questions about auditions, email auditions@pittsburghsavoyards.org or call: 412-734-8476 (voice mail).

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Now Accepting Stage Director Applications for The Pirates of Penzance

The Pittsburgh Savoyards are now accepting applications for the position of Stage Director for their Spring 2016 show: Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. It will be performed March 4-6 and 10-13, 2016 at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall.

Resumes and Letters accepted through Saturday, October 3, 2015. Interviews to be held Saturday, October 10, 2015 by Appointment.

Gilbert & Sullivan or other Operetta experience preferred. Send letters of interest, resumes (MS-WORD; PDF; or Text) and contact information to:
directorsearch@pittsburghsavoyards.org

Or Mail to:

DIRECTOR SEARCH – PIRATES
Pittsburgh Savoyards
P.O. Box 44065
Pittsburgh, PA 15205-4065

For additional information or inquiries, email directorsearch@pittsburghsavoyards.org or call 412-734-8476 to leave voice mail.

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Meet the Savoyards! Profile of Lynette Garlan

2015 Gold Pirate Lynette Garlan is treasurer for Pittsburgh Savoyards, Production Manager for Iolanthe, Orchestra Manager and general all-around supporter and helper.

I was introduced to Gilbert & Sullivan by my mother, at a young age, growing up in California. She was a singer, and loved the music and was in several G & S productions. When I moved to Pittsburgh for the second time, I went to see Pirates of Penzance at the Bellefield Theater in Oakland, the last show that Bob Whitley conducted. It was so much fun I asked about playing in the orchestra, and hence started my history with the group. My first show was Ruddigore in 1992. I’ve played in most of the shows since (but not all, there have been a couple I missed). I’ve worked on all the shows except The Grand Duke, and Thespis, of course, since there is no score surviving for that one.

If I were designing costumes for the fairies, I’d do something light and airy, sort of floating. I was in one event where I saw a costume with lights underneath. That would be neat. Oh, and wings, of course. Or, how about green body paint and the fairies can fly! (if we only had a budget for it!).

2015 Pirate full bodyMy musical training started with the accordion at age 5, lessons in that and piano. In junior high I played violin in the school orchestra (I was terrible!). There were periods when I never touched an instrument, but in college, I minored in piano and started picking up American music on the fiddle, playing violin and accordion with a band for folk dancing. Once I moved to Pittsburgh, I took professional violin lessons, and was accepted into the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra. I still play with them. Check them out on the internet! http://edgewoodsymphony.org/. (Plus I’ve soloed with them on accordion (!) a few times and am playing Monti’s Czardas with them in August). I also play ethnic instruments like the cimbalom, the santouri, and various Bulgarian and Macedonian instruments. I have been going to the Balkan Music and Dance Camp since 1979, and play and sing with a folk dance group called “Balkan Babes.”

My favorite Gilbert & Sullivan opera is Pirates of Penzance. It’s hard to pick a favorite; there are bits in each opera that aren’t in the others. I think The Mikado has the best lines and funniest jokes, but the overall funniest is Patience. However, I like Pirates since it has the Cat like Tread song and I like dressing up as a pirate!

It’s amazing how much fun the orchestra rehearsals are. You’d think it would be somewhat dry, playing the music and trying to get it right; trying to figure out how a singer would do a song. Guy Russo (conductor) sings all the parts, really well. I said to him, “You ought to invite people to rehearsals just to hear you sing.” During Tech Week – Guy is busy every minute, directing the orchestra and people on stage. When he goes home, he sends detailed lists of notes to cast and orchestra. He remembers all that stuff! He’ll remember when someone has a problem in the orchestra: “Well, maybe I need to cue you there.” And he does. He remembers dozens of special cues, for several people. Then there is the Guy stare. You REALLY don’t want to be on the receiving end of that. It means you messed something up. He’s a very talented man, I don’t know what we’d do without him. Also, he is a very nice person, besides being super-talented.

2015 Red PiratePittsburgh Savoyards are a great group, and we put together really good shows. We can’t afford to think “It’s going well, we can slack off, because we can always do better”. These shows take many people working together to make it happen and make it good. We can’t relax and coast on that. It takes lots of energy from lots of people to do it. It’s amazing that you can have people care enough about the organization to volunteer and put their hearts and souls into it. My goal is to make people feel appreciated so they come back!

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Don’t miss Fairy Tea tomorrow, August 29!

Come and celebrate the end of Summer with the Pittsburgh Savoyards! The Lincoln Room at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall is the place to be on August 30th, 4pm to 9pm. Meet the cast of our upcoming production of Iolanthe while you enjoy delicious food and drink of both the tea and non-tea persuasions. Want to own a piece of Savoyards’ history? There is going to be a ladies’ costume sale, as well as a fabulous surplus fabric sale! There promises to be many surprises as we bid farewell to summer and kick-off our Fall season! The Lost Chord Trio and Matt Brown, Pianist will be on hand to enchant your ears with musical delights.

Tickets are $20 at the door.

Check out the Facebook event for the latest updates and auction items!

 

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Iolanthe cast is announced

We are pleased to announce our cast for this Fall’s production of Iolanthe:

RolePerformer(s)
Phyllis, an Arcadian Shepherdess and Ward in ChanceryMia Bonnewell
Strephon, an Arcadian ShepherdMark F. Harris
Iolanthe, a Fairy, Strephon's motherJezebele Zbozny-DelPercio (Oct 9th, 11th, 15th, 17th)
Aubree Churilla (Oct 10th, 16th, 18th)
Queen of the FairiesGwendolyn Schmidt (Oct 9th, 11th, 15th, 17th)
Deborah Greenstein (Oct 10th, 16th, 18th)
The Lord ChancellorBrian Primack (Oct 9th, 11th, 15th, 17th)
Michael Greenstein (Oct 10th, 16th, 18th)
Thomas, Earl of TollollerJohn Teresi
George, Earl of MountararatZach Luchetti
Private Willis, of the Grenadier GuardsMyles Zuckerman (Oct 9th, 11th, 15th, 17th)
Gerry Neuhaus (Oct 10th, 16th, 18th)
Celia, a FairySarah College (Oct 9th, 11th, 15th, 17th)
Lindsay McGinnis (Oct 10th, 16th, 18th)
Leila, a FairyBrennan A. Bobish (Oct 9th, 11th, 15th, 17th)
Candice Shaughnessy (Oct 10th, 16th, 18th)
Fleta, a FairyRachel Good
Dance IolantheGreta Gasswint
Dance Fairy QueenLeslie Clark
House of PeersTristyn Batchelor
Steve George
Corey Miller
Don Neuhaus
Samwise Riley
Eric Starbuck
FairiesLeslie Clark
Tricia Hixon
Carolee Kamensky
Marjorie O'Brien
Heidi Pilewski
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