THE (NEW) MIKADO 2016 | Lamplighters Music Theatre

P Coming up next... K

presents

or, The Great Heist Caper Affair... Thing An unlikely crew of misfit criminal specialists plan to steal the one-of-a-kind Bazillion Dollar Coin from the Museum of Money at San Francisco’s Old Mint. And security guard Penny Lincoln thought she had enough on her hands already, with a horde of nerdy coin-collecting enthusiasts in for an all-night event. With the help of some strange exhibits that come to life after dark, can Penny protect the coin – and the economic future of the nation – from disaster?

A full-length original satire, set (mostly) to the music of Sir Arthur Sullivan with a nod to W.S. Gilbert. You'll also have the opportunity to support the Lamplighters at the silent auction, raffle and fund-a-need live auction, and to join the costumed performers after the show for the champagne reception. Don't miss this quintessential Lamplighter art form!

February 3-5 Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco Tickets: 415-978-2787 • ybca.org

February 10-12 Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek Tickets: 925-943-7469 • lesherartscenter.org

February 18-19 Mountain View Center for Performing Arts Tickets: 650-903-6000 • mvcpa.com

Join the aesthete-to-end-all-aesthetes, Reginald Bunthorne, as he pursues the winsome and simple milkmaid Patience while simultaneously enjoying the worshipful adoration of his 20 love-sick groupies; the uproarious confusion of a hapless corps of jilted Dragoon Guard; and the hilarity that ensues with the unexpected appearance of a handsome rival poet!

Lyrics: William S. Gilbert Music: Arthur Sullivan Sunday November 6

Silent Auction at 3pm, Performance at 4pm

Mountain View Center for Performing Arts

Stage Director: Ellen Brooks Music Director/Conductor: Baker Peeples

Tickets: 650-903-6000 • mvcpa.com

Sunday November 13

Silent Auction at 3pm, Performance at 4pm

Herbst Theatre, San Francisco

Tickets: 415-392-4400 • cityboxoffice.com

April 22 at 8pm, April 23 at 2pm Herbst Theatre, San Francisco

Tickets: 415-392-4400 • cityboxoffice.com

April 30 at 2pm Napa Valley Opera House, Napa Tickets: 866-468-3399 • nvoh.org

May 4 at 8pm Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek Tickets: 925-943-7469 • lesherartscenter.org

May 14 at 3pm Menlo-Atherton Center for Performing Arts Tickets: 415-227-4797 • brownpapertickets.com

The story of the artistic collaboration of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan as told in their own words, with musical highlights from all 13 of their comic operas.

Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek - August 5-7 Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts - August 13-14 Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theatre, San Francisco - August 19-21 Bankhead Theater, Livermore - August 27-28

P Cast K

IL DUCATO, THE EMPEROR OF MILAN ........................................................................... Ben Brady, Charles Martin NICCOLÙ, the Ducato’s son, disguised as a wandering minstrel, and in love with Amiam .... Mason Gates*, Patrick Hagen* COCO, Lord High Executioner of Tirmisu ............................................................. F. Lawrence Ewing, Samuel Rabinowitz POOBÀ, Lord High Everything Else ......................................................................................... Charles Martin, Wm. H. Neil PICCIA TUCCIA, a noble lord ..................................................................................... William Neely, Michael Orlinsky* AMIAM, ward of Coco, and object of his affections ........................................................ Erin O'Meally, Patricia Westley* PIZZI, ward of Coco ......................................................................................................... Elana Cowen, Michele Schroeder PIPPA, ward of Coco ........................................................................................................... Autumn Allee †, Allison Spencer CATISCIÀ, an elderly lady in love with Niccolù ....................................................................... Sonia Gariaeff, Anne Hubble

Chorus of Schoolgirls, Nobles, Zanni and Townspeople Kobi Appel-Bernstein*, Simon Banaag, Elijah Berry, Walt Burge, Nicholas Dahlman (Zanni), Giovanni de Leon, Katherine Feller†, George Fernandez, Tim Hart (Onlooker), Veronique Kherian, Jennifer Kiernan, Camille Lake*, Mandy Leung*, Siri Louie*, Daniel Matis*, Douglas Mandell, Flora Mendoza*, Ashley Myers (Zanni), Ben Porter*, Colin Raab*†, Courtnee Rhone*, Alan Roberts, Kathy Rosner-Galitz, Tara Scown*†, Andrew Serrano*, Pete Shoemaker, Mithuna Sivaraman*, Brianna Stutzman, Genie Tjahjadi, Francis Robbins Upton V, Hyunju Yang* (u/s Pippa).

* Lamplighters debut † Summer Music West Graduates

T he Lamplighters Orchestra

Violin I: Pamela Carey (Concertmaster), Lynn Oakley, Josepha Fath, Yasushi Ogura; Violin II: Laurien Jones, Gregory Sykes; Viola: David Bowes, Kathryn Juneau; Cello: Gwyneth Davis; Bass: Carl Stanley; Flute: Lucy Schoening; Flute/piccolo: Mary Hargrove; Oboe: Kathleen Conner; Clarinet: Diana Dorman (Contractor), Michael Wirgler; Bassoon: Kathleen Johannessen; French Horn: Keith Bucher, Alison Sawyer; Cornet: William Harvey; Trombone: Kurt Patzner; Percussion: Norman Peck

Production

& Technical Staff

Stage Director: Ellen Brooks, Music Director/Conductor: Baker Peeples; Script and lyric revisions: Ellen Brooks, Barbara Heroux, Baker Peeples, Rick Williams; Production Managers: Phil Lowery, Nicolas Aliaga; Choreographer: Nicole Helfer; Costume Design: Miriam R. Lewis; Scenic Design: Malcolm Rogers, adapted from a design by Peter Crompton; Lighting Design: Brittany Mellerson; Make-up Design: David Kirby; Wig & Hair Design: Kerry Rider-Kuhn; Stage Manager: Sarah Terman; ASM/Properties Manager: Elisabeth Reeves; Lord High Costume Manager: Judy Epstein; Assistant Costumer: Sibilla Carini; Cutter/Draper/Chief Stitcher: Hannah Velichko; Dance Captains: Nicholas Dahlman, Hyunju Yang; Costume Interns: Eva Carrijo Nunez, Jackie Pedota; Stitchers: Jan Crago, Melinda Hare, Ellen Kerrigan, Shelley Lynn Johnson, Kim Liljequist, Judy Jackson, Jennifer Talbert, Audrey Taty, Melissa Wortman; Hats: Joanne Kay; Crew Chief: Sharon Beltracchi; Supertitles Manager: Joseph Giammarco; Supertitles Operators: Nancy Benson, Judy Epstein, Sarah Vardigans; Graphic Design: Dunn@Dunn Graphic Design, Joanne Kay; Photography: David Allen; Videography: Larry Byler; Publicity/Media Contacts: Joanne Kay, Sarah Vardigans.

If you want to know who we are...

The mission of Lamplighters Music Theatre is to share our enthusiasm and love for the works of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan through productions of their comic operas and of other works of comparable wit, literacy and musical merit. Our company strives to enrich the lives of current and future theatre-goers with productions of the highest artistic quality, and to offer performance opportunities in the unique style of classic music theatre to established and emerging artists alike. Through youth training, programs in schools and community outreach, the Lamplighters aspire to develop young talent and encourage people of all ages to explore the comic appeal and deep musical rewards of this repertoire.

Critically acclaimed artistic successes for the Lamplighters include honors for Best Production and Best Director at the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in Buxton, England and local awards in nearly every performance, direction, and design category. The hallmarks of a Lamplighters production are lavish costumes and sets, live orchestra, excellent comic acting, and gorgeous unamplified singing that showcases the beauty and purity of the human voice.

Board of Trustees

James MacIlvaine, President; F. Lawrence Ewing, Vice President; Mark Fuller, Treasurer; Keith Doerge, Secretary; John J. Vlahos, President Emeritus; Richard Drossler, Leontyne Mbele-Mbong, Anson B. Moran, Baker Peeples, Christopher M. Sunseri, Trustees; Chris Uzelac: Company Representative.

Honorary Trustees

Ann Pool Mac Nab, Orva Hoskinson, Co-Founders; J. Geoffrey Colton, Gini Stephens Frings, Jill R. Thompson, David Barry Whitehead.

In Memoriam: Spencer S. Beman, Dr. Ronald Cape, Jerry D. Gere, Read Gilmore, John Martin Kahl, Dr. Richard E. LeBlond, Adrian McNamara, Gilbert P. Russak, June Wilkins Searcy, Daniel E. Stone, Bernard E. Witkin.

Rick Williams, Artistic Director Baker Peeples, Resident Music Director Barbara Heroux, Artistic Director Emeritus

Staff

Sarah Vardigans, Managing Director; Amy Himes, Development Director; Joanne Kay, Operations Manager; Ellen Kerrigan, Education Director; Phil Lowery, Production Coordinator; Melissa Wortman, Costume Shop Manager; Diana Dorman, Music Librarian; Kissa Mercado, Development Assistant Our administrative offices are located at 469 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 Phone: 415-227-4797 d Fax: 415-896-2844 d info@lamplighters.org d www.lamplighters.org facebook.com/Lamplighters d pinterest.com/Lamplighters d twitter.com/LamplightersMT

P Supporting the Lamplighters K

Lamplighters Music Theatre depends on your generosity to bring in-school performing arts programs, free events for students, teachers, and families, and award-winning light opera to our community.

We are deeply grateful for your support in purchasing a ticket and joining us today. Please take the next step and make a gift to our Education Program, and help the Lamplighters continue to bring the joy of Gilbert & Sullivan to youth in the Bay Area for years to come.

P Musical Numbers K

Overture .............................................................................................................................. The Lamplighters Orchestra

Act I

If you want to know who we are ............................................................................................................................... Men A wand’ring minstrel, I ........................................................................................................................ Niccolù and Men Our great Ducato, virtuous man ................................................................................................ Piccia Tuccia and Men Young man, despair .................................................................................................... Poobà, Niccolù and Piccia Tuccia And have I journeyed for a month .................................................................................................. Niccolù and Poobà Behold the Lord High Executioner ......................................................................................................... Coco and Men As some day it may happen ...................................................................................................................... Coco and Men Comes a train of little ladies ................................................................................................................................... Ladies Three little maids from school are we ...................................................................... Amiam, Pippa, Pizzi, and Ladies So please you, sir, we much regret .................................................................. Amiam, Pippa, Pizzi, Poobà, and Ladies Were you not to Coco plighted .......................................................................................................Amiam and Niccolù I am so proud ................................................................................................................... Poobà, Coco, and Piccia Tuccia With aspect stern and gloomy stride (Finale of Act One) ............................................................................. Ensemble

Act II

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Braid the raven hair ................................................................................................................................ Pizzi and Ladies The sun, whose rays are all ablaze ........................................................................................................................ Amiam Brightly dawns our wedding day ............................................................... Amiam, Pizzi, Niccolù, and Piccia Tuccia Here’s a how-de-do! ............................................................................................................. Amiam, Niccolù, and Coco O Fortuna, velut luna ................................................................................................ Ducato, Catiscià, Ladies, and Men A more humane Ducato ........................................................................................................ Ducato, Ladies, and Men The criminal cried as he dropped him down ........................................................ Coco, Pizzi, Poobà, Ladies, and Men See how the fates their gifts allot .................................................................... Ducato, Pizzi, Poobà, Coco, and Catiscià The flowers that bloom in the spring ............................................................. Niccolù, Coco, Amiam, Pizzi, and Poobà Alone, and yet alive! .............................................................................................................................................. Catiscià Willow, tit-willow ....................................................................................................................................................... Coco There is beauty in the bellow of the blast ......................................................................................... Catiscià and Coco For he’s gone and married Amiam (Finale of Act Two) ............................................................................... Ensemble

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THANK YOU!

h

This production is dedicated to our Resident Music Director, Baker Peeples, i in celebration of 30 years conducting the Lamplighters

P Director's Notes K

The (new) Mikado in the Italian Renaissance

In the powerful Duchy of Milan in the early Renaissance there was a sweet little town nestled in rolling hills. Tirmisu! Bustling, prosperous and giddy with change, the minor nobles and boisterous townspeople fall under a stern edict from their illustrious but eccentric Ducato. The Ducato, in his great wisdom and happy ignorance, issues a decree that anyone who flirts–or even winks–until married, shall immediately be condemned to death and beheaded by the gentle but slightly daft Public Executioner.

With robust imagination and sly wit - the town of Tirmisu confronts the absurd constraints and inspires Niccolù, the Ducato’s own runaway heir, posing as an itinerant musician, to evade the edict - clearing a path for love - and the influence of a new generation.

Transferring The Mikado from its first creative home in Gilbert and Sullivan’s fantasy “Japan” has been nothing short of a revelation. Italian exuberance and joy in life colored every choice we made, bursting through the decorous, imagined life of an exotic, far away island. In the earthy Lombard countryside, Gilbert’s wry and wicked humor, his observation of human foibles and sense of irony are stronger than ever and through this new lens (certainly of Venetian glass) - made even more ridiculous.

A Choice: The early Italian Renaissance offered us a vibrant living canvas on which to paint this Mikado. It was a time of vigorous growth and exploration in the the arts, sciences, politics, religion, social structure, manners, trade and business. As the city-states of Milan, Florence and Venice grew in power, warred and vied with each other for prominence, they also created the very foundation of our contemporary world. This world of behavior and thought spread throughout Europe and is the root of all Western culture.

Welcome to the Italian Renaissance. A time of creative genius when man becomes the center of his universe.

- Ellen Brooks, Stage Director

The Mikado: - A Personal Perspective

My own personal experience with The Mikado goes back almost as long as I can remember. One of my earliest childhood memories is of my father giving me three 78-RPM vinyl recordings, one each of selections from Pinafore, Pirates and The Mikado. The latter, which had the three little maids on the album cover, quickly became my favorite of the three recordings.

Years later in 1966, as a Gunn High School senior in Palo Alto, I was foolhardy enough to produce, cast and direct my own production of The Mikado in a local church hall, just so I could play Ko-Ko (and my girlfriend at the time could play Katisha). Surviving photos suggest the whole affair was a bit––shall we say––amateur. Later that same year, on the advice of fellow high school G&S fanatics, I went to see the Lamplighters perform The Mikado at the Harding Theater in The City (as it was then called), with the original Ann Pool staging. The cast included Gilbert Russak as Ko-Ko, June Wilkins as Katisha, and John Vlahos as Pish-Tush. I clearly remember how blown my mind was by the entire production, but most particularly, by Gilbert Russak’s utterly amazing performance as Ko-Ko. As I have always described it to friends and colleagues thereafter, in his wiry, nervous agility he was like a bouncing rubber ball flying from the floor and off the scenery. Inspired by this, after college and law school I joined the Lamplighters myself. My proudest moment was to perform my first Lamplighters Ko-Ko in the intimidating, challenging but exceedingly exciting position of being double-cast with my own rock-star patterman idol, Gil Russak himself.

As a result of this lifetime with The Mikado, it has unavoidably become an integral part of my own personal life experience. I can feel it deeply imbedded in my memory, my mind and my body.

- Rick Williams, Artistic Director

Marlene Levenson - In Memory of Marshall A. Greene Daniel & Eilat Levitan - In Honor of Talia Levitan Donna Lim Bonnie Lindahl Carol Lloyd Mary M. Logasa Barbara Loomis & Stephen Elspas In Memory of Arthur Sullivan Antonia Lozon Annette & Gilbert Lyle Christine Macomber Mary Malloy Marjorie March Molly Marion Lisa May & Robert Seidel Joseph & Holly McMahon David E. Meders Hal M. Mickelson Rebecca Miller Susan & Larry Miller Elaine Moise & Robert Grodsky John & Barbara Moore Frank W. Morgan, Jr. Mike & Sharon Morris Jeff Noll Judith Norberg Mr. & Mrs. D. Warner North Lynn & Roy Oakley Patricia Pallas Barbara M. & Sterling Parks* Richard Peeples - In Honor of Baker Peeples Joyce Phillips Linda Polsby - In Memory of Nelson W. Polsby Melvin Popofsky Fred & Judy Porta Rich Pryor David Pursley Sean Randolph Ned & Joanne Rankin Jeanne Rasmussen David L. Ratner Marian Rees Susan Reeves Paul & Kay Regan Edward Rehak

Mr. & Mrs. Donald B. Richardson Bill & Ray Riess Sally Riggs Mr. & Mrs. Colby Roberts Emily Roos Deborah Rose - In Memory of Marshall Greene, M.D. Robert Ryon Sarvenaz Saeed Gordon Sakaue & Betty Fisher Connie Sakrison Letitia Sanders & Donn Downing* Ruth & Edwin Satterthwaite, Jr. John & Lucy Schoening Jan Schreiber In Honor of Summer G&S Scenes Program Family Andrew K. Schultz Bob & Edie Shaheen Eileen Sharkey & James Darling Arthur Shulman - In Honor of Marian Colwell Shulman Eleanor D. Silbergh J. Donald Smith Pat Smith - In Memory of Bill Kerr Katharine Snyder & Michael Howard Jane Sokolow* Kristine Soorian & Bryce Ikeda Leonard & Rita Sperry* Coral Freas Monica & Scot Stafford Jane Standing - In Memory of Barry Standing Dr. & Mrs. Monty C. Stanford Susan, Debbie and Lisa Steinberg In Memory of Dan Steinberg Sally Stevens John & Romer Stevenson Alfred & Fran Sugarman James Sullivan Sue & Chas Sutton Beverly & Walter Sykes Jim Tellefson Susan Terrill Lee & Ginny Turner Meri Henriques Vahl Luke & Virginia Vania Juliana Versteeg & John Howes Margaret & Ralph Voorhees

Geoffrey Wadsworth Robert S. Way - In Memory of Carol Michelsen Way Carl & Florence Weber Dr. & Mrs. Eli Weil Carl Wells Ron & Melanie Wilensky Karen Willcox Jay Williams & Holly Holter Michael L. Wirgler & Nancy Taylor Brad Witherspoon Janet Wright - In Memory of Buff Wright Dr. R. P. Yaffe Jay Young Paul Zawilski William Ziebur & Maureen McDarby Mike Zimmerman* Irene & Robert Zubeck Carolynn & Robert Zuparko Anonymous (8)

* Member of the Maybud Club, providing invaluable sustained support

The Dragoon Guards $1 - $99

We also deeply appreciate the 179 members of the Dragoon Guards who have made donations up to $99 this year. Every gift makes a difference. Thank you!

We sincerely regret any omissions or errors. Please contact Amy Himes, Development Director at (415) 227-4797 or ahimes@lamplighters.org if you wish to have a listing corrected or clarified.

Managing Director’s Thanks

A village has been required in the making of the Lamplighters’ new production of The Mikado. We are proud to be leading the way to ensure the continued viability of this masterpiece in today’s diverse cultural environment, but this departure from tradition and our journey to a new land and time would not have been possible without the brilliance, creativity and support of a great many people. My special thanks to: • The Artistic Team of Ellen Brooks, Baker Peeples and Rick Williams, who made the necessary bold decisions in response to pressures which posed an existential threat to our company; • Barbara Heroux for her undying support and superb lyric-writing; • Susanna Peeples for her idea of Milan; • The entire cast and production team of The Mikado – particularly Miriam Lewis, Phil Lowery, Melissa Wortman, and our costume crew – for embracing the sudden change of direction with commitment and enthusiasm; • The Lamplighters’ staff – especially Joanne Kay – without whom nothing would be possible; • The Lamplighters’ Board of Trustees for their support – especially Lawrence Ewing, Jim MacIlvaine and Leontyne Mbele-Mbong; • PR advisors Y’Anad Burrell of Glass House Communications, and Audrey Baker and Dan Cohen of Full Court Press Communications; • Activism advisors Malcolm Gin and Siri Louie; • And, most of all, my thanks to you, our audience, for your trust in our efforts to preserve the genius of Gilbert & Sullivan.

- Sarah Vardigans, Managing Director

Paul Cassinetto J. Geoffrey Colton & Dana Gordon-Colton Mrs. Barbara S. Cox Jan Crago Mr. Copley Crosby Harold Dana Crosby Jr. Trust Dan Deaver - In Honor of Jennifer Ashworth Michael Dederian & Margo Schembre Bob Dockendorff Dave & Ada Dorn* Arthur & Dorothy Foster Margot Fraser Fund Spencer & Rena Fulweiler* Alan Galitz & Kathy Rosner-Galitz* Janet & Ron Giannini Les & Louise Gill Ruth Levine & Steven Goodman Riley Gordinier Lucile Griffiths Steve & Laura Hahn Linda & Mark Hallam Dave & Kathi Hammill John & Isabelle Harper Sean & Anna Harvey Joanna Henrichs Barbara Heroux & Bill Neely* Mrs. David Hodgson Wilma S. Horwitz Kyra & Harold Hubis Doug & Debbie Jalen Shelley Lynn Johnson Margo Kasdan & Martin Fiebert In Memory of Agnes Law Michael & Christine Kasman Joanne Kay Robert S. Klein* James Kleinrath, D.D.S. Ernest & Julie Knell David & Sandra Knudson Lilly & Chris Krenn Michael Lamm Beverly & Jim Lane Paul & Kathleen Larson In Honor of the Baker Peeples Family Ann Lawson Mr. John Lee Martin Lewis & Steve Siegelman William A. & Carol D. Loden Joseph C. Najpaver & Deana Logan Janet & Richard Loughran-Smith Susan L. McCreary Sean McKenna Margaret L. McKinnon Jananne & Mike Mead Kathleen Moss Rod & Freda Motto Deborah & Peter Nelson Ken Odom Paul & Kirby Ortiz de Montellano Kathleen & Bill Owen* Miriam & Charles Palm In Memory of John & Martha Willits Robert & Pamala Pedrazzini Lon Poole & Karin Bliman John & Kate Quick Owen P. Reid, Jr. George & Diana Rhinebeck Ellen Robey Michelle & Eliezer Rosengaus James Ross & Elizabeth Tough

Barbara Ruppenstein Freda Salatino Bruce & King Sams David Schweisguth & Penelope Chua James & Patricia Scofield Alexandra Sessler & Walter Anderson Carol & Larry Sher Ronald Leon Sparks Jonathan Spencer & Victoria Jensen Laurel Sprigg Tracy & Charles Stephenson Andrew Taines C. L. Thomas Jill R. Thompson Steven M. Tonkovich Karen & Leon Traister In Memory of Edward & Marjorie Jones Sarah Vardigans Jennifer Vlahos Kessler & Gabriel Kessler* In Honor of John J. Vlahos Autumn Wagner* In Memory of Jean Ziaja & Will Connolly Arthur & Susan Walenta John Wallace & Ellen Rashbaum* Daniel & Louise Weiler* Paul Werner & Patricia Smith Kathleen Whaley Peter & Ann Whitehead* Michael B. Wisper Nina & Henry Wood George & Betsy Young Anonymous (5)

The Minstrels $100 - $249

Rebecca Adams-Nestor - In Memory of Madeleine Babin Pamela & Ross Adler Raymond & Pamela Aguilar* Berni J. Alder Gerald L. Alexanderson Becky Andersen Diane & Ben Anderson - In Memory of Cecilia Hobin Jerry Arnold Abe & Alice Aronow Peter & Noriko Balint R. Sam Barclay Connie Barnett Michael & Pearl Bender Louise & Charles Benjamin Dorian & George Bikle Vernon Birks Ken Borelli Russell & Ellen Breslauer Winslow & Ann Briggs Pamela Brodie Frances Brodsky Kaaren & Morton Brown Dr. & Mrs. Melvin Brown* Tim & Peggy Brown Alfred & Nora-Lee Buckingham Laura Bueerman Adele Bures Walter Burge & Siri Louie Peter M. Buzanski - In Memory of Christie H. Buzanski Bruce & Mary Jo Byson Louis Caputo Pamela Carey Jacqueline & James Carroll Janice B. Chainey Dennis Chase Natalie Churchill

Robert G. Claesgens Carol C. Clark Jim & Lorene Coconas Mike & Sandy Cook Robert Cook & Blanca L. Haendler Robert J. Cortez - In Honor of Orva Hoskinson & Ann Pool Mac Nab, & In Memory of Jean Ziaja Linda Daniel Gwen Davis Mark & Laura Davis In Honor of Frank & Maxine Davis Margaret De Jong Marge & Jim Dean Kathleen Dederian Joan Dedo Dr. & Mrs. Fred Dias - In Memory of Dr. Leo Tamler Nina & John Dickerson David & Barbara Dobrinen In Honor of Scott & Kitty Hayes Poppea Dorsam, Ted & Gavan Dagnese Jack & Merrilee Dowty Judith & Peter Duncan José Eguia Dan Eisenstein Gretchen Elliott Judith Dara Epstein* Phyllis Faber M. M. Feldman & Rick Morris Jacquelyn Fetrow & Brian Kell In Honor of Kelly Powers & Chris Shuford Ruth M. Finkelstein Chris Focht & Janet Parker Louise Frankel Janet Gabrielson Evelyn Gara Francis Garcia & George Silva Sandra Gilbert Jeffrie Givens Alison & Candido Gomez Terry & Janet Gordon William & Karen Gourdin Alice L. Graham Kate & David Gross Nancy F. Gurley* Brenna & Andrew Gustafson Jeff & Margaret Halliday Carole & David Harris - In Memory of Arthur Sullivan Frank & Sue Hartdegen Mary L. Harvey Ben Hemmen Daniel Hersh David & Laurel A. Hill Amy Himes & George S. Gemette* Maren Hitz Karen Ho & Wayne Torigoe Mr. & Mrs. David B. Hobbs George Hohnsbeen & Janet Walworth Roderick Hong Steven G. Horowitz Joanne Howard Leigh Hurst Beatrice Isaacs Charles & Joan Johnson Kari & Dean Johnson Anne Johnston Reese & Margaret Jones - In Honor of Oliver & Hannah Shirley & Paul Kadden Shirley Kalgaard Audrey Kavka - In Memory of Marshall Greene Mary J. Kelley Josephine Kennedy Sheila & Mark Kenney Jennifer Kiernan* Bruce Kirkpatrick Mary Krenn - In Honor of Martin Lewis Marca Lamore Almon E. Larsh, Jr. Richard Ledon Drs. Hilary Lerner & Yuriria Lobato Michael Lesk

P The Story K

Setting: The Town Square of Tirmisu, a sweet little town not far from Milan. The Renaissance in Italy.

Before the action of the opera begins, Niccolù has fled from the court of his father, Il Ducato, the Emperor of Milan. The Ducato has instituted a system of laws under which “the punishment fits the crime,” and somehow the punishment deemed appropriate to the “crime” of flirting is death. Catiscià, an elderly lady of the court, has accused Niccolù of flirting with her, and his choices are to marry her or be executed. As Coco says, “and yet he fled.” Niccolù has assumed the disguise of a wandering minstrel and fallen in love with Amiam, a maiden of the town of Tirmisu, but he was prevented from courting her because she was betrothed to her guardian, Coco. When Act I opens, Niccolù is returning to Tirmisu because he has heard that Coco is under sentence of death for flirting, and hopes that Amiam might now be free.

To his dismay, Niccolù learns from the noblemen Poobà and Piccia Tuccia that Coco has been reprieved, and is going to marry Amiam this very afternoon. The wily citizens of Tirmisu have enacted a plan whereby they can escape the Ducato’s bloodthirsty policies while appearing to comply with them: Coco has been promoted to the rank of the town’s Lord High Executioner. The rationale is that the person who is next in line for execution “cannot cut off another’s head until he’s cut his own off,” so the citizens feel safe from the blade. Amiam and her friends arrive, and we learn that she returns Niccolù’s feelings (although she has no idea that he is the son of the Ducato), but is powerless to act because she is pledged to marry Coco.

A letter arrives from the Ducato. He is displeased that no executions have recently taken place in Tirmisu, and orders Coco to execute someone within a month, or the entire town will suffer. Coco desperately tries to come up with a suitable victim (other than himself, of course). He comes upon the despondent Niccolù, threatening suicide because he cannot have the woman he loves. They strike a bargain: Niccolù may marry Amiam for a month, and at the end of the month, Coco will execute Niccolù and marry the newly widowed Amiam. As Coco announces this plan to the citizens of Tirmisu, Catiscià arrives, dramatically claiming Niccolù as her own fiancé. She is spurned by the young couple and taunted and mocked by the entire town, and furiously rushes off to the Ducato, swearing terrible vengeance.

Act Two opens with Pizzi, Pippa and other friends helping Amiam dress for her wedding. Coco enters with disturbing news: he has just been checking the laws and found that when a married man is beheaded, his wife must be buried alive! Amiam delicately declines to marry Niccolù under these circumstances, and Coco rejoices - she will be his after all! Then Poobà rushes in to report that the Ducato is on his way. Coco panics - undoubtedly, he is coming to see whether an execution has been carried out. Coco will be put to death if he has disobeyed him, yet he cannot bring himself to kill anyone. Inspiration strikes: why actually execute someone, when you can simply tell the Ducato that you have done so? Faced with the choice of keeping his life or keeping Amiam, Coco hastily tells Niccolù to marry Amiam and go away, and prepares an affidavit swearing that he has executed Niccolù.

The Ducato and Catiscià arrive with much pomp and ceremony. Coco, Poobà and Pizzi go to great lengths to describe the fictitious execution that has supposedly taken place. Catiscià screams when she sees the name on the death certificate - Niccolù! The Ducato condemns Coco and his co-conspirators to death for executing the heir to the throne of Milan.

Their only hope is for Niccolù to “come to life” again, but Niccolù points out that if he is alive, he must marry Catiscià, and he has already married Amiam, so he would be beheaded and Amiam buried alive. Niccolù tells Coco that the only way out is for Coco to marry Catiscià. If Catiscià has no further claim on Niccolù, he can come back to life without fear of being put to death.

Reluctantly Coco woos Catiscià who ultimately agrees to marry him. As the Ducato prepares for the execution, Catiscià approaches him to beg forgiveness for Coco, Poobà and Pizzi. As he considers it, Niccolù returns with his new wife Amiam. After the Ducato’s inital outrage, Coco manages to appease him with some flattering logic and all ends happily.

P Glossary K

With thanks to The Gilbert & Sullivan Lexicon by Harry Benford, here’s a little help with some of the more obscure Victorian references you’ll hear in The Mikado. Mr. Benford’s lexicon is on sale at the Lamplighters store in the lobby along with lots of other fun stuff.

A-trip (“Her anchor’s a-trip”): The anchor is released and ready to be hauled aboard so the ship can sail.

Ablutioner: Ablution is the act of washing oneself.

Blue-bottle: A large bluish fly.

Buffer: Big shock absorber you see on the end of British railroad cars.

Capital (“to flirt is capital”): Here, both wonderful and punishable by death.

was often given tempo by fiddle music.

monarch’s private expenses.

For yam I should get toco: For doing something pleasant, I should be punished.

Protoplasmal: Pertains to the substance from which all life is formed.

Fortune: Fortuna, Ancient Roman goddess of luck.

Puce: A dark or purplish brown.

Gioco: Game, child’s play, joke (Italian).

Groom of the Back Stairs: A household servant.

Ignominiously: In public disgrace.

Capstan: A manually operated reel for hauling in ropes aboard a ship.

Lay aloft: To climb into the rigging, usually in order to raise or lower sails.

Chaffing: Teasing good-naturedly.

Marine Parade: Promenade, boardwalk.

Chippy: Unwell; seedy. Generally used to describe the results of overindulgence.

Master of the Buckhounds: Person in charge of the monarch’s hunting dogs.

Cock-and-a-bull stories: Boastful fictions.

Master of the Rolls: The third most important judge in the English legal hierarchy.

Commissionaire: A uniformed messenger, doorman, or porter.

Compassing: Contriving, bringing about.

Con fuoco: With fervour (Italian).

Condign: Suitable.

Connubially: An adverb implying a state of being married.

Corroborative: Confirming or certifying.

Cut a Dash: Put on a showy display.

Derry down derry: Meaningless expression used as a filler line in folk songs.

Diminutioner: One who reduces something–-or somebody.

Effulgent: Giving off a flood of light.

Equipoise: A counter-balancing factor.

Fiddler swings us round: The work of heaving up the anchor with a capstan

Mystical Germans: Lutheran evangelists who traveled England giving long sermons.

Obdurate: Unyielding.

Ops: Presumed to be the plural of opus.

Parliamentary trains: Slow, uncomfortable trains that stopped at every station.

Perjure: Violate an oath.

Persiflage: Banter.

Pin my heart: Alludes to the custom of pinning to one’s sleeve a token of a love.

Pre-Adamite: The name given by Isaac de la Peyrère to a race of men he thought existed before Adam & Eve. Provinces: Anywhere in the UK outside Greater London (to a Londoner).

Privy Purse: Public revenue for the

Recognizances: A contract entered into by which a person pledges himself, without the posting of any bond, to appear at his trial when summoned.

Rumbelow: Gilbert - “I have no idea what a “rumbelow” may be. No doubt it is some nautical article that is extremely useful on-board ship, for it is so often alluded to in sea-songs.”

Serried (“in serried ranks assembled”): Shoulder to shoulder.

Snickersnee: A long knife or small sword.

Solicitor: Lawyers who can give legal advice, handle business transactions, and take cases before the lower courts.

Squared (“...all these distinguished people couldn’t be squared”): Bribed.

Sway: Rule.

Tocsin: A warning bell.

Told off (to be killed): picked out.

Tom-tit: A bird of the tit family, similar to a chickadee.

Trammels: Constraints.

Tremendous swell: A person whose bearing and attire give evidence of conspicuous consumption and self-esteem.

Tutelary: Guardianship.

Up in dates: Knowledgeable about historical dates.

Versimilitude: The appearance of truth.

Visiting card: Similar to a business card.

The Grand Dukes $2,500 - $4,999

Claire & Kendall Allphin Mark Blattel Gini & Philipp Frings Ellen & Barry Levine Anson & Anita Moran Baker Peeples & Ellen Kerrigan Thaddeus M. Trela David & Rene Whitehead Rick Williams & Judith Dara Epstein

The Major-Generals $1,000 - $2,499

Mr. & Mrs. David J. Allard* Willa B. & Henry Anderson Katie Bauman Dr. Barbara L. Bessey Bill Brice - In Memory of Lee & Max Brice Edith Carlston & Perry Carlston Lanice L. Clark - In Memory of David J. Clark Gretchen & John Clatworthy* Diane & Christopher Davies Peter, Shelly & Sophia de Vries* Drexler Estate Fund Dick Drossler* Barbara & Leslie Edwards Deborah Finch & Martin Isaacs In Memory of Mel Gladstone Debra & Mark Fuller Michele Garside & Robert McCarthy Joseph Giammarco & Claire Kelm Allen & Shirley Ginzburg Scott & Kitty Hayes John F. Heil Mark Hodgson Charles & Ethel Hopkins* Paul S. Jones Peg Kaplan* - In Memory of Bill Kaplan Lee & Margarete Karney Susan Kelley DeGrado & Bill DeGrado In Memory of Arthur Sullivan James & Deborah Koenig Korbholz-Ring Family Fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation Yvonne C. Koshland* - In Memory of William A. Cyr & Daniel E. Koshland, Jr. Mr. Lorrin G. Kroska - Underwriting

Principal Clarinet Chair of Diana Dorman Marguerite Lawrence Fred & Judith Lothrop Jim & Judy MacIlvaine Barbara MacLean - In Memory of Bob Raabe Gus Manning & Rena Kirkpatrick Russell & Karen Merritt Elizabeth R. Milano Thomas O’Brien Jim & Marilyn Palmer

Louise M. Pescetta Roger Pierson - In Memory of Dario Montoya Darla & Kevin Pietschker In Memory of Marshall Greene Kent Rasmussen Winery Adam & Christina Richards Mara Robinson Arthur & Toni Rembe Rock Cary Ann Rosko & Matthew Hancher* Don & Peggy Satterlee Nina D. Schwartz, M.D. In Honor of Mrs. Bunnie Finkelstein Jennifer Shaw David H. Shepard Arie Singer & Lucas Buxman Britta Singer Alan Jay Smith & Helen Lew Ian E. Stockdale & Ruth Leibig Chris Sunseri* Maggie Thompson Paul Toulmin Barbara & Gary Waldeck Marguerite & Gerald Wallace Anonymous

The Fairy Queens $500 - $999

Alvin & Linda Arata Jennifer Ashworth Mr. & Mrs. Steve Bauman James F. Beatty Linda Blum - In Honor of Sarah Vardigans Kathi & David Brotemarkle Virginia L. Brown John Paul Carobus II* Audrey Carstensen & Geordan Rosario Gordon B. Chamberlain Joan & Park Chamberlain Annag & Catherine Chandler Marilyn Berg Cooper Alan Cox & Jacqueline Carson Mary & John Cumberpatch Diane D’Angelo Charlotte Davis* - In Memory of Harold B. Davis Mary & Dan Decious Daniel Drake Lawrence & Helene Edelman Laura Ehrlich F. Lawrence Ewing Lois Carroll Feller Bunnie Finkelstein* In Memory of Art Finkelstein Tiffany & Jeff Fleischmann Elliot Franks Maureen & Don Gardner* Steven Ginzburg & Christl Denecke Carla X. Gladstone Joel Greene In Memory of Dr. Marshall A. Greene Michael A. Harrison & Susan Graham Harrison Laura Hill & Neil Wilhelm Linda Holbrook & John Dusay, M.D. Charmly & Tucker Ingham

Clint Joste Bruce & Nancy Kaufman Jon W. Kirchanski* In Memory of Jaymes Mark Williams Ronald & Sharon Krauss Marston & Anne Leigh Ronit leMon Drobey Jesse M. Levy Philip R. Lowery & Kelcey J. Poe Judith & Walter Miller In Honor of Daniel E. Stone Patricia Minger* Mark Mitchell & Shefali Rajamannar Anon Y. Mouse Laura & Steve Oliphant Ron & Fran Oremland Helene Pier Kelly Powers Martin & Mary Ratner Carla & Philip Reed Ruth M. Rosengaus In Memory of Gregorio Rosengaus Adrienne & Ted Savetnick Konstantin & Natalia Shchuka Renee M. Shepherd* In Honor of David Morgenstern Paul Sinasohn & Denise Gutierrez Sosebee Family Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay Anita Stapen & Richard Granberg Dorothy Stivers Daniel L. Rabinowitz & Ann F. Thomas M. Christine Torrington Chris Uzelac Mark & Jan Volkert Christopher Walkey Ed & Patti White John R. Williams Cheryl & Steve Wilske* - In Honor of

Jean Williams & Norman Gibbons John Ziaja Fritz & Susan Zimmer Anonymous*

The Yeomen $250 - $499

Robert C. Anderson David & Barbara Anger Mauna Arnzen & Nick Tarlson Scott Baines & Carmen Wassmer-Baines Mary S. Baxter Ruth Beering Rick & Carlene Belles Nancy Benson Patty & Joe Beyer James Blume & Kathryn Frank Ann Bornstein Bill & Nora Brauer - In Honor of Ellen Leslie Ellen & Howard Brown Adelaide & Thomas M. Brunner Miguel & Sandy Buchwald Melissa Butcher Katherine Caddes Ann Moller Caen - In Honor of Anson Moran Alison Campbell Edith & David Cassel

P Contributors To The Lamplighters K

The Lamplighters are deeply grateful to our donors. This list reflects gifts made in the 12 month period ending July 1st, 2016.

We sincerely regret any errors or omissions; please contact us if you have questions or wish to make a change to your listing.

Lamplighters Music Theatre is sponsored in part by generous grants from:

with additional support from

The Al Garren Fund The Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation Center for Cultural Innovation Alexander S. Foss Memorial Foundation Lost Tree Arts

The Gladstone Family Fund for Artistic Excellence The Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation

Microsoft The Bernard Osher Foundation Silicon Valley Bank Foundation Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Sing For America Foundation The Skoll Foundation Xilinx Community Fund‡

‡Corporate advised funds of Silicon Valley Community Foundation

The Lamplighters receive employer matching gifts from Apple Matching Gift Program, Chevron Humankind, CSAA Insurance Group, EMD Millipore Corporation, Franklin Templeton Employee Engagement Fund, Genentech Matching Gift Program, Google Matching Gift Program, Microsoft Employee Giving Program, IBM, Intuit “We Care & Give Back” Program, Itron, and Veeva Systems

as well as gifts through AmazonSmile, Benevity, and iGive.

The Illuminators

The Illuminators are those individuals and families who have demonstrated their belief in the value of the Lamplighters for future generations by making a gift to the Endowment Fund or by including the Lamplighters in their estate plans. For information on how to make a tax-deductible gift to the Lamplighters in your will or through stocks, annuities, insurance policies, bequest, or other forms of planned giving, please contact Development Director Amy Himes at ahimes@lamplighters.org.

In Memory of Michael Avalos Connie Barnett Tom Barrett Spencer S. Beman, III Barbara L. Bessey & Kevin J. Gilmartin Bill Brice Melvin & Anna Brown Dr. & Mrs. Ronald Cape & Family Bruce Carlton & Richard McCall Peter & Shelly de Vries Joan P. Dedo Estate of David B. Felch Michael & Patricia Flynn Francis K. Geballe Charitable Trust In Memory of Read P. Gilmore Estate of Marguerite Griffith Estate of James E. Harrold, Jr. Donald T. Harvey, Sr. Memorial

Barbara E. Heroux Daniel B. Howard Estate of John Thomas Howell, Jr. Michael C. Huckins Inverlochy Foundation/Daniel E. Stone Fund

- In Memory of Robert Kahn In Memory of Lewis G. Jacobs, M.D. William and Margaret Kaplan Jon W. Kirchanski Estate of Richard E. LeBlond, Jr. In Memory of Walter Novas In Memory of Sebastian Pallat Estate of Gladys Perez-Mendez Karl Pister and Roger Renn Estate of Helen Pollack Estate of Lawrence W. Reinecke Estate of Charles Lincoln Rose Theodore Savetnick Renee Shepherd Estate of Fred Schildmacher Arthur Sullivan Andrew Taines Estate of Connie Ruth Thompson Jill R. Thompson Estate of Emmanuel Uren Sarah Vardigans John & Martha Vlahos Autumn Wagner Marguerite & Gerry Wallace Rick Williams & Judith Dara Epstein John & Jean Cardin Ziaja

The Mikados $10,000+

D. Michael Cullivan The Fieldwood Fund Joan & David O’Reilly Emmanuel Uren Trust

The Pirate Kings $5,000 - $9,999

Keith Doerge Edith Gladstone David Cole & Emily Gladstone Cole Tom McEachern Trust Lynn & Joan Seppala - In Honor of John Smyth Marion & Emmett Stanton John & Martha Vlahos Anonymous

P Meet The Lamplighters K

NICOLAS ALIAGA (’98) Production Manager. Nicolas is glad to return to the Lamplighters. He has been the Production Manager at Pocket Opera for the last eight years, and has been a director there as well. He was the assistant director for Les Pêcheurs de Perles at Michigan Opera Theatre and has worked as an assistant director at San Francisco Opera Center and Opera San Jose. In 2013 he directed Gianni Schicchi for Sacramento Opera.

AUTUMN ALLEE (’08) Pippa. Autumn, soprano, is performing her first principal role with the Lamplighters.

Previously, she was an Apprentice Artist with Kentucky Opera, where she covered the roles of Musetta in La Bohème and Mary in the world premiere of The King’s Man. Other roles include Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the title role in Suor Angelica, Edith in The Pirates of Penzance, Madame Lidoine in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, Esmeralda in The Bartered Bride, and Florinda in Into the Woods.

KOBI APPEL-BERNSTEIN (Debut) Chorus. Kobi has had a wonderful experience working on this show. He has previously been in nine shows with Berkeley YMTC. Favorite past roles include Motel (Fiddler on the Roof ), Archie (13), and Paul (Company). Kobi will be a freshman at Sarah Lawrence College in the fall. Thanks to my community for indulging the strange schedules that go along with theater, and as always to my parents for their love and support.

SIMON BANAAG (’01) Chorus. During an internship for KCRA, Simon realized he had a public speaking requirement.

Terrified, he found he could fill this with Cal State’s Drama Dept and the rest is history. Favorite roles include Harry Beaton (Brigadoon), Arab (West Side Story), Prince Dauntless (Once Upon a Mattress) and Paul (Company). This is Simon’s fourth Mikado with the Lamplighters and is dedicated to his nephew Richie whose love and encouragement sparked the passion to perform again.

ELIJAH BERRY (‘15) Chorus. Elijah is back at the Lamps, doing what he loves best (hamming like a true barnstormer).

Seen recently in Tom Lehrer’s Tomfoolery (Piedmont Players), as Scaramba in Souza’s El Capitan (Lyric), and Ruddygore (Lamplighters). You’ll see him soon as Franzy in Edith Stein (Tabbard). Eli wishes to express his extreme gratitude to the cast (as there are too many names to mention); Ellen, Baker, and Kat Feller among them, for his inclusion and their friendship during this production.

DAVID BOWES (’81) Viola. David marks his 35th season with the Lamplighters, and 20-plus years of happy musicmaking with stand-partner Katy Juneau! David attended the Manhattan School of Music and the SF Conservatory.

He became a member of Philharmonia Baroque in 1982 and was with the American Bach Soloists from 1991-2011. David is in training to be a Feldenkrais Practitioner. Dividing his time between SF and Santa Rosa, he and his hubby coddle cats and train tomatoes.

BEN BRADY (’14) Il Ducato. Ben is delighted to be back with the Lamplighters in this fantastic and imaginative production. Other Lamplighters roles include Martin in Candide and and The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance. He studied vocal performance at the University of Michigan and regularly performs all over the Bay Area. Recent roles include Mephistopheles in Verismo Opera’s Faust, Tonio in Pocket Opera’s I Pagliacci and Plunkett in Pocket Opera’s Martha.

Ben also plays with a rock band, Suits of Steel.

ELLEN BROOKS (‘00) Stage Director. Ellen has enjoyed over four decades in the theater as director, lighting designer and actress, recently portraying the outrageous Florence Foster Jenkins (the worst singer in the world) in Glorious!, the Republican matriarch Polly Wyeth in Other Desert Cities and Julia Morgan in the premiere of Arches, Balance and Light. She received BATCC nominations as best featured actress for the in-domitable Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret and for the quirky Berthe in 6th St.Playhouse’s Boeing, Boeing. Her directing credits include our own Mikado in 2004, Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill (2015), Oh Coward, A Doll’s House, The Infernal Machine, Spoon River Anthology, Starlite, America The Movie, On Golden Pond, Afternoons with Sappho, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Hamlet, Saint Joan, The Medea and Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well… among many others. She was also Lamplighters’ lighting designer from 20002008. Ellen spent 21 years performing Japanese Kyogen (classical comedy) and Noh as a company member of Theatre of Yugen, San Francisco, for whom she adapted/directed both Chekov’s The Bear and Internment of the Heart, based on haiku from the Japanese internment camps. She was an actress in the commedia dell’arte era of the San Francisco Mime Troupe and holds a Masters in Directing from San Francisco State University.

KEITH BUCHER (’77) French Horn. Keith was delighted to return to the Lamplighters in 2000 after having spent 12 years in his hometown of South Bend, Indiana. He studied at Northwestern University, the SF Conservatory of Music, and started his musical career in the US Marine Band. From 1978-87 he was a fixture in the pit orchestras for major San Francisco musical theatre productions and is currently a freelance musician who performs with organizations from the Bay Area to Sacramento.

WALT BURGE (’13) Chorus. Walt is overjoyed to join the chorus of The Mikado, having been a chorus member in Ruddygore (’16) and Die Fledermaus (’13). His two most noteworthy prior performances include: singing his wife down the aisle and performing an American gospel solo for Pope John Paul II. PAMELA CAREY (’91) Violin I/Concertmaster. Pamela is Director of Music at Saint Hilary Parish where she also teaches music in their elementary school. She is on the faculty at Dominican University. Pamela is a freelance violinist performing throughout the Bay Area. She has several dogs and 2 cats named Gilbert & Sullivan.

KATHLEEN CONNER (’73) Oboe. Kathleen has performed with Monterey, Santa Rosa, Berkeley and Napa Symphonies and Pocket Opera. She coaches woodwind ensembles at Benjamin Franklin Middle School and is artist-in-residence at School of the Arts. She is on the faculty at both the Capp St. and Richmond branches of the Community Music Center.

ELANA COWEN (‘15) Pizzi. Elana, mezzo-soprano, has performed with many companies internationally including on the West Coast: Opera San José, Philharmonia Baroque, LA Philharmonic, Bay Area Children’s Theater and San Francisco Lyric Opera to name a few. She has performed roles in musical theater and opera alike. Operatic roles performed include Olga in Eugene Onegin, Dido in Dido and Aeneas, Lidio in L’Egisto and Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti. Recently, Elana performed the roles of Ganymede in My Fair Galatea with Pocket Opera and Baroness von Krakenfeldt in The Grand Duke with the Lamplighters.

NICHOLAS DAHLMAN (’12) Chorus/Dance Captain.

Nicholas has played a role (mostly of the chorus bass/baritone variety) in thirteen of the last sixteen Lamplighters productions. Before 2012, he performed in dozens of shows in Amherst, Massachusetts. He now lives in Walnut Creek, where he works for Netblaze Systems.

GWYNETH DAVIS (’88) Cello. Gwyneth has played with most of the regional orchestras and opera companies in the Bay Area, and, as a member of the Eloquence String Quartet, provided music for hundreds of weddings in the Napa and Sonoma valleys. She lives in Sebastopol with her partner and Labradoodle. A former pastry chef, she now enjoys performing on viola da gamba and baroque cello with her early music group, the Alphabet Baroque Club.

GIOVANNI DE LEON (‘14) Chorus. Giovanni is excited to return to the Lamplighters. His favorite roles include Dido and Aeneas with SOTA, CATS with YPTMTC, and performing the music of Karl Jenkins at Carnegie Hall.

Giovanni is a senior at the San Francisco School of the Arts where he is double majoring in Classical Voice and Musical theatre. During his free time, he enjoys playing guitar, dancing and writing music.

DIANA DORMAN (‘72) Clarinet/Music Librarian. Since joining us for our first Ernest in Love, Diana has played principal clarinet in all our productions. She also performs with Berkeley Symphony and Pocket Opera, has performed with SF Opera, including the video recording of R Strauss’ Capriccio for London/Decca and has performed and toured nationally with Western Opera Theater since 1989. As librarian Diana restored the Broadway orchestra parts for our 2008 production of The Secret Garden.

JUDY EPSTEIN (’92) Costume Manager. Judy joined Lamplighters on the stage as a fairy in Iolanthe. She has performed in many productions, including most of the G&S canon as well as Candide and My Fair Lady, and has also enjoyed working on the costume crew. She’s proud to be a part of this new and exciting Mikado. When not sewing, knitting or looking for fabric while traveling with her husband, Rick Williams, Judy likes to write, sing and spend as much time as she can with her grandkids.

F. LAWRENCE EWING (’89) Coco. Over the years with the Lamplighters, Lawrence has had the great opportunity to play many roles from the G&S canon – several in multiple productions. He is thrilled to be performing the role of Coco (formerly known as Ko-Ko) in this “new” production. Other favorite roles include Lord Chancellor (Iolanthe), Sir Joseph Porter (HMS Pinafore), Major-General Stanley (The Pirates of Penzance), Bunthorne (Patience) - for which he received a BATCC nomination for best actor, Robin Oakapple (Ruddygore), Cornelius Hackl (Hello Dolly!), Charley (Where’s Charley), as well as a variety of roles in Lamplighters’ own Gilbert & Sullivan: Straight Up With A Twist. As a professional dancer, Lawrence toured nationally and internationally with Dance Through Time, an SF-based historical dance company. He has set choreography for productions at ACT, Marin Theatre Company (BATCC nomination for best choreography for Syncopations), Pocket Opera, SF Opera’s Opera à la Carte, and for several Lamplighter productions. Lawrence also enjoys performing as part of Lamplighters’ Education Outreach program, Get On Board, which provides assembly performances in schools throughout the Bay Area. Lawrence serves as VP of the Lamplighter Board of Trustees, and is the Executive Director of Marin Ballet in San Rafael.

JOSEPHA FATH (’90) Violin I. Josepha is so happy (Modified, Rapture!) to be a violinist with the Lamplighters.

She currently performs with the California Symphony, SF Opera’s Merola, and can be seen and heard in many other symphony orchestras in and around the Bay Area. Josepha teaches at both the SF Community Music Center, and the French American International School. She is an avid chamber music player, with both the Fath Chamber Players, and the Liberty Street Trio.

KATHERINE FELLER (’10) Chorus. Katherine, aka Kat, is a native San Franciscan who grew up with music surrounding her. In this environment, she discovered her immense passion for singing and has dedicated her life to it. Some favorite roles have been Mademoiselle Silberklang (The Impresario), Adele (Die Fledermaus), and Valencienne (The Merry Widow). She has been a Lamplighter since 2010.

GEORGE FERNANDEZ (’96) Chorus. George returns to the Lamplighters always learning and understanding the world of Gilbert & Sullivan. He always considers himself a student of musical theatre. He completed the Musical Theatre Conservatory at Notre Dame de Namur University in 2013.

Besides music, he studies ballroom dancing and Argentine Tango.

SONIA GARIAEFF (‘03) Catiscià. Sonia made her Lamplighters company debut in 2003 as the title role in Iolanthe. Since then, she has performed extensively throughout the Bay Area and United States. Other Lamplighters roles include Little Buttercup, The Duchess of Plaza-Toro, Katisha and the Fairy Queen. Additional career highlights include the role of Nicklausse with Virginia Opera, her Young Artist Apprenticeship with Portland Opera, and her Bay Area professional opera debut as a roller-skating Cherubino with Berkeley Opera. She was a three time Metropolitan Opera Regional Finalist.

MASON GATES (Debut) Niccolù. A Bay Area native, Mason received his Bachelor of Music from Brigham Young University, Utah, and his Masters from SF Conservatory of Music. A two-time recipient of the encouragement award from the Met Opera National Council Auditions,

WBO’s Die Zauberflöte. She would like to thank her family for their support, and her grandparents for first taking her to see Lamplighters shows.

GREGORY SYKES (’93) Violin II. Gregory has been studying violin and making music since elementary school. He holds a Bachelor in Music from UC Berkeley and has studied privately with Mariko Smiley, Charles Meacham, Elizabeth Gibson, and voice with Erin Neff. Gregory has performed with Berkeley, Napa, Oakland East Bay, Santa Rosa and Vallejo Symphonies and has accompanied musical theater productions for numerous troupes, most especially the Lamplighters! Thanks for all the memories!

SARAH TERMAN (‘14) Stage Manager. Sarah previously stage managed Lamplighters’ 2014 production of Candide and last year’s Gala.

She has also staged managed several productions at West Bay Opera and Lyric Theatre, including almost the entire G&S repertoire. She holds a BA in Drama from Stanford University.

GENIE TJAHJADI (’14) Chorus. Genie is currently singing in the Bay Area after completing her undergraduate degree in music (voice/piano) from Point Loma Nazarene University. Most recently she was awarded 2nd Place in the Art Song Division and 4th Place of the Aria Division of the 2014 San Francisco NATS Competition. Some of her recent roles performed include Suzuki, Dorabella, Daphnis, Medea, and Ramiro.

Genie currently studies with Sheri Greenawald and Susanne Mentzer.

FRANCIS ROBBINS UPTON V (’15) Chorus. Francis is studying at CSU East Bay and will achieve a BA in Music. He has been in many productions including The Threepenny Opera (Mr. Peachum), Sweeney Todd (Mr. Fogg/ensemble), and Beauty and the Beast (Mon. D’Arque). This is Francis’ third show with the Lamplighters and he’s thrilled to be a part of it.

SARAH VARDIGANS (’06) Managing Director. For 27 years Sarah worked as Company and Touring Manager for numerous performing artists from all over the world, including Luciano Pavarotti, Boston Ballet and Rudolf Nureyev, the Bolshoi Ballet, the Moscow Circus, Astor Piazzolla, and 10 years with the San Francisco Ballet. She has also managed international touring Broadway productions of A Chorus Line, Evita, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, and The American Dance Machine.

Sarah currently moonlights as Stage Manager for the Music at Kohl Mansion Chamber Music series and the New Century Chamber Orchestra.

HANNAH VELICHKO (’11) Cutter/Draper/Chief Stitcher.

Hannah first worked with the Lamplighters building costumes for HMS Pinafore, and has spent countless hours since in the costume shop. She holds a BA in Technical Theatre (Costume Design) from SFSU and an AS in Fashion Design from Cañada College. She has designed for Pocket Opera and The King’s Academy, and has constructed costumes for several companies including ROLT, LAYT, Angels on Stage, and The Bracebridge Dinner.

PATRICIA WESTLEY (Debut) Amiam. Patricia is a New Zealander-American Soprano who has relocated to San Francisco. She is thrilled to be making her debut with the Lamplighters. Patricia holds her MM Opera Fellowship and BFA in vocal performance from Carnegie

Mellon University and the University of Oklahoma. Recent roles include Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Morgana (Alcina), Sandrina (La finta giardiniera), Laurie (The Tender Land) and Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro). This year, Patricia was selected as a finalist in the ‘Grand Concours’ competition for excellence in French singing and won the Encouragement Award in the District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2014.

RICK WILLIAMS (’78) Artistic Director. Rick has performed every Gilbert & Sullivan patter role with the Lamplighters, often multiple times. He won a Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award for Ko-Ko (The Mikado) and appeared as King Gama in our award-winning Princess Ida. He performed Henry Higgins (twice) in My Fair Lady and Fredrik in A Little Night Music, for each of which he was nominated for BATCC Awards. Other roles with the Lamplighters include Old Adam in Ruddygore, Dick Deadeye (HMS Pinafore), Baron Zeta and Njegus (The Merry Widow), Pangloss (Candide), Andy (Show Boat), Frosch (Die Fledermaus), Horace (Hello, Dolly!), Spettigue (Where’s Charley?), Lutz and Toni (The Student Prince) and George Grossmith in Gilbert & Sullivan à la Carte. Rick is the winner of three other BATCC Awards for Best Actor in a Musical, for the title role of Man of La Mancha and twice for John Adams in 1776, all with the Willows Theatre Company, as well as the 2010 Arty Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama (Dodge in Buried Child, with Bay Area Stage). He has appeared with the Shotgun Players, Ross Valley Players, 42nd Street Moon, West Bay Opera, Pocket Opera, Berkeley Contemporary Opera, Peninsula Civic Light Opera, Piedmont Light Opera Theater, Hayward Little Theater, and the Palo Alto Players.

MICHAEL WIRGLER (’79) Clarinet. Michael is a retired music teacher from Oakland Public Schools where he taught for more than thirty years. He is currently the conductor of The Golden Gate Park Band and the Alameda Community Band. He joined the Lamplighters as a clarinetist in 1979, and it has been an important part of his life ever since.

MELISSA WORTMAN (’80) Costume Shop Manager. In addition to designing 30+ shows for the Lamplighters, Melissa has also designed costumes for ACT, Circus Circus Hotels, KITKA, Abydos Theater, Dance Through Time, Marin Ballet, and numerous private clients. She is the resident costume designer for Bracebridge Dinner Theater created by Ansel Adams, and held annually in Yosemite. Melissa is the recipient of the 2015 TBA Award for best costumes for Candide, plus 5 BATCC nominations, 2 BATCC awards, and 2 Drama Logue Awards. She designed the nationally featured PJ for Pajama Walks for Breast Cancer Cure, and worked in costume construction for Lucasfilm’s Return of the Jedi, Frank Zappa, Oakland Ballet, Gumps Holiday windows, and Beach Blanket Babylon.

HYUNJU YANG (Debut) Chorus/u/s Pippa/Dance Captain.

Hyunju is delighted to be a part of Lamplighters Music Theatre’s The Mikado having just graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a BFA in Musical Theatre.

University credits include Lady Thiang in The King and I, Enid Hoopes in Legally Blonde, Cecco in Peter Pan, Bird Girl in Seussical, Tituba in The Crucible, Witch Sister in Macbeth, Ensemble in On The Town and in Annie. Love to her supportive family and friends.

Marcello in La bohème, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, and, with the Lamplighters, as Strephon in Iolanthe, and Frank in Die Fledermaus.

ELISABETH REEVES (’13) ASM/Props Manager. Elisabeth has a degree in Chemistry but would quickly go crazy if she didn’t surround herself with good music. She works as the Company Coordinator for Hot Rod Shop in Alameda and sings with the Vocal Art Ensemble in Davis, CA. She has worked on the crew of several Lamplighters shows - in particular Die Fledermaus (‘14), Candide (‘15) and Ruddygore (‘16).

COURTNEE RHONE (Debut) Chorus. Courtnee graduated from Dillard University in New Orleans, LA with a BA in Vocal Performance. She then moved to California to further purse her career and will be attending CSU East Bay this fall for her MA in Music. She performs with the Diablo Choral Artists and the Pacific Masterworks Chorus.

Recently, Courtnee made her debut with Verismo Opera as the role of Nella in Gianni Schicchi. She currently resides in Vallejo.

ALAN ROBERTS (’12) Chorus. Alan sang his first solo at the age of ten. He has been involved with multiple musical theatre troupes and has performed in productions of The Mikado (his Lamplighters debut in 2012), Amahl and the Night Visitors, Die Fledermaus, Iolanthe, The Three Penny Opera, Les Mamelles de Tirésias, The Grand Duke, and Princess Ida, to name a few.

KATHY ROSNER-GALITZ (’12) Chorus. Kathy debuted with the Lamplighters in The Sorcerer and is delighted to perform with them again. She also was in Die Fledermaus, Candide, HMS Pinafore and the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Galas.

This year she won first place in the SF Bay Area NATS Competition, Late Bloomer Category. Previously she sang 8 seasons with Sacramento Opera and other choirs before moving to the Bay Area. When not having great fun with the Lamps, she works in finance.

ALISON SAWYER (’15) French Horn. Alison is a professional horn player, music teacher, and new mother. She has been freelancing on the horn throughout areas such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and the Bay Area since 2003, and teaches music with the Berkeley Unified School District.

Alison is a 2003 graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and holds a masters degree in horn performance from Northwestern University as well as a masters in teaching music from USC. LUCY SCHOENING (’74) Flute. Lucy was principal flute for the Artea Chamber Orchestra and has performed with the San Francisco Symphony, Pocket Opera, the San Francisco Chamber Players, Oakland Opera and many chamber music groups. She teaches fifth grade and is the mother of two sons.

MICHELE SCHROEDER (’09) Pizzi. Mezzo-soprano Michele is thrilled to play the role of Pizzi in The Mikado.

Other performances with the Lamplighters include: Lisa (The Grand Duke), the title role in Iolanthe, Edith (The Pirates of Penzance), Melissa (Princess Ida), Cousin Hebe (HMS Pinafore), Phoebe Meryll (The Yeomen of the Guard), and Paquette (Candide). Michele received her Bachelor of Music at San

Francisco State University (2010) where she performed the role of Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte). In 2012 Michele attended BASOTI where she performed La Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica), and opera scenes as Dame Quickly (Falstaff), Angelina (La Cenerentola), and Carmen (Carmen).

TARA SCOWN (Debut) Chorus. Tara is a San Francisco native currently majoring in music at UC Berkeley. She has enjoyed singing in the US premiere of Karl Jenkins’ The Bards of Wales at Carnegie Hall and performing Beethoven’s 9th under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel.

Tara is thrilled to be in her first show with Lamplighters!

ANDREW SERRANO (Debut) Chorus. Andy is very excited to be performing in his first production with the Lamplighters. Andy holds a Minor in Music from CSU Northridge and has also performed with several other regional theaters including Hillbarn, Los Altos Theater Company, West Coast Round-Up and the Dicken’s Christmas Fair with Her Majesty’s Royal Opera.

PETE SHOEMAKER (’14) Chorus. Pete has had a diverse theatrical career that includes leading roles in plays, musicals and ballets. He is “back in the saddle” now that his kids are grown and is delighted to be working with the Lamplighters for the third time, having been in The Pirates of Penzance and HMS Pinafore the last two years.

MITHUNA SIVARAMAN (Debut) Chorus. Mithuna has performed such roles as First Spirit (The Magic Flute) and Gretel (Hansel and Gretel), and is currently a roster singer with Opera on Tap SF and Phènix Opera Company. She is also member of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus.

In her “other life,” she works in the field of international tax – she was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2013.

ALLISON SPENCER (’14) Pippa. Allison is happy to return to the Lamplighter’s stage after her time in The Pirates of Penzance. She received her Bachelor of Music from Sonoma State University where she studied under Ruth Ann Swenson. She recently got back from Le Chiavi, the Institute of Bel Canto Studies, where she learned to master the art of bel canto. Other roles include Eurydice from Heroines, Silvia from L’Isola Disabitata, and chorus member in Riders to the Sea. CARL STANLEY (’73) Bass. Carl performs professionally with orchestras and theater groups throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. He first played bass with the Lamplighters Orchestra in the mid 1970s. He currently serves as Orchestra Personnel Manager and Education Coordinator for the Oakland East Bay Symphony. He was an instrumental music teacher in the Berkeley Unified School District for many years.

BRIANNA STUTZMAN (’14) Chorus. Brianna has a BA in Music and was a participant at the American Institute of Musical Studies opera studio program in Graz, Austria, and the Berkshire Choral Festival in Massachusetts. This is her second production with the Lamplighters, and she is excited to be working with such an amazing company! Recently, she appeared in

Mason was also a festival artist at Utah Festival, and a Vocal Fellow at the Music Academy of the West. Recent operatic roles include the title role of Albert Herring, Basilio/Don Curzio (Le nozze di Figaro), El Remendado (Carmen), The Man with Old Luggage (Postcard from Morocco), Spoletta (Tosca), Grigori (Boris Godunov), Rodolfo (La Boheme), Ferrando (Cosi fan tutte), Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte), and the Defendant (Trial by Jury). He has most recently been seen performing with Livermore Valley Opera, West Bay Opera, Opera San Jose, and Utah Opera. Mason has also been a featured soloist with Sacramento Philharmonic, Mount Diablo Symphony, Masterworks Chorale, and Utah Symphony Orchestra, performing such works as Handel’s Messiah, Berlioz Roméo et Juliette, and Mozart’s C Minor Mass and Requiem.

JOSEPH GIAMMARCO (‘05) Supertitles Manager. Joe has performed numerous supernumerary roles with SF Opera over the past 17 years, where he was seen in the role of the Foreman in their 2014 Show Boat. His Lamplighters debut was as the Headsman in The Yeomen of the Guard, in which his wife, Claire Kelm, played Elsie Maynard. Joe also appeared as William in Lamplighters’ The Secret Garden in 2008. Joe creates, and often runs, the supertitle projections seen at Lamplighters performances.

PATRICK HAGEN (Debut) Niccolù. Patrick, a lyric tenor originally from Northern New Jersey, has been lauded for his “rich, sweet tone” and “expressive” vocalism.

He received a Bachelor of Music with Honors from the Pennsylvania State University studying under Richard Kennedy and completed his Masters at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Barbara Honn. Patrick has been seen in a multitude of operatic productions, including Menotti’s The Consul (The Magician) Puccini’s La Boheme (Rodolfo) and Tosca (Spoletta), Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (Don Basilio), Copland’s The Tender Land (Martin), and Britten’s Albert Herring (Albert). Patrick is currently performing with the San Francisco Opera Chorus, performs educational outreach throughout the Bay Area and looks forward to collaborating with Lamplighters Music Theatre on this groundbreaking new production of The Mikado.

MARY HARGROVE (‘90) Flute/Piccolo. Mary is principal flute with Nederlander Broadway productions in San Jose as well as the Masterworks and Stanford Chorales.

She plays flute and piccolo for Opera San Jose, Ballet San Jose, and the San Francisco Opera Merola program.

TIM HART (’85) Chorus. Tim was Dick Deadeye in last year’s HMS Pinafore. He was very active with us in the ‘90s, appearing in 13 shows and 10 galas. Favorite roles include his award-winning Pooh-Bah, and Arac in our Princess Ida which triumphed in England! He dedicates his performance to his son, Ben. WILLIAM HARVEY (’95) Cornet. William has been tootling on the Cornet-a-pistons with the Lamplighters for two decades. He also serves as Principal Trumpet with both Oakland Symphony and Opera San Jose, and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley. William lives in Oakland with his wife, fellow Lamplighters musician Josepha Fath and their little cat Charlie.

Much of his time is enjoyably spent on home renovations.

NICOLE HELFER (Debut) Choreographer. Recent choreography credits include Mountain Play’s West Side Story and Peter Pan. Additional credits include Miss Saigon, Kiss Me Kate (BATCC nominee), West Side Story (TBA Award winner), and In the Heights (TBA Award winner) for BBB; the West Coast premiere of School of Rock with Oakland School for the Arts; Lizzie with Ray of Light (BATCC nominee); Dogfight for OMG; Tarzan for CCMT (Shellie nominee); RENT for Pacific Coast Rep; Measure For Measure and A Chorus Line for SF State; You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (Shellie nominee) for Willows Theatre; Click Clack Moo and Pinkalicious for Bay Area Children’s Theater. Currently, Nicole teaches at the Ballet School in Walnut Creek and is theatre faculty at Oakland School for the Arts. She would like to thank her friends and family for their love and support.

AMY HIMES (’12) Development Director. Amy is a Certified Fundraising Executive who has provided fundraising leadership and support for Bay Area cultural organizations for over a decade. She is also a singer and theatrical director, and holds a BA and MA in Theatre Arts from Florida State and San Jose State Universities, respectively.

She lives in San Jose and enjoys taking the train to work.

ANNE HUBBLE (’84) Catiscià. Anne debuted with the Lamplighters as Lady Jane (Patience). During the next few years she performed regularly with the troupe: Dame Hannah (Ruddygore, twice!), Dame Carruthers (Yeomen), The Duchess of Plaza-Toro (Gondoliers), as well as many Galas.

Following professional advice Anne advanced her vocal studies, and transitioned into the Dramatic Soprano Fach. She performed professionally with various companies, both domestic and international. In recent years she retired from professional pursuits, and acted as her father’s caregiver.

She is happy to be “returning to the fold” in the role of Catiscià.

KATHLEEN JOHANNESSEN (’77) Bassoon. A Bay Area native, Kathleen is a freelance musician. She received a BA in Music from College of Notre Dame and an MA in Musical Performance from CSU Humboldt. Her interest in Gilbert & Sullivan began when she saw her piano teacher as Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance.

LAURIEN JONES (‘90) Violin II. Laurien has performed with Diablo Ballet, Pocket Opera, Western Opera, Masterworks Chorale, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and California Symphony. She is a chamber musician and soloist.

KATHRYN JUNEAU (’87) Viola. Katy received her BM from the SF Conservatory of Music. She enjoys playing with a myriad of music groups in the Bay Area including orchestra, chamber music, music theatre and opera. Katy comes from a family tradition of music and Gilbert & Sullivan. In 2011, the tradition was extended as her daughter played flute for a G&S production in Sacramento, and her son joined the Lamplighters’ chorus.

ELLEN KERRIGAN (’70) Education Director. Ellen began her performing career singing G&S in high school, and thereafter joined the Lamplighters, where she sang nearly all the soprano leads. An active arts education consultant, she serves as artistic coordinator of the SF Opera Guild’s in-school Opera à la Carte, which brings a reduced version of a standard

opera to over 130,000 students yearly, as Program Director for the SF Conservatory’s G&S Scenes Program, and as Education Director for Lamplighters, creating the educational assembly program for HMS Pinafore and the mini-residencies of Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance.

VERONIQUE KHERIAN (’14) Chorus. Vero is thrilled to perform in her fourth Lamplighters show! Past credits include: Livermore Valley Opera, La Traviata (ensemble); West Edge Opera, La Bohème (ensemble); and San Francisco Opera, Nixon in China (supernumerary). By day, she is a food blogger and photographer at Miss Cheesemonger.

She studies voice with Dr. Julia Nielsen.

JENNIFER KIERNAN (‘88) Chorus. Jen attended Lamplighters shows as a child in the 1970s, and joined the company as soon as she was able, as a dresser, a makeup artist/designer, and eventually as a member of the cast. She sings with the choir at the Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo, and spends as much time as she can with her awesome teenagers, Ben, Rachel, and LJ. DAVID KIRBY (‘98) Makeup Designer. David paints faces for several theatre and opera companies in the Bay Area, most recently Madama Butterfly with West Bay Opera, The Serenade with Lyric Theatre of San Jose, and Ruddygore with the Lamplighters. During the day, he sells whoopee cushions.

CAMILLE LAKE (Debut) Chorus. Camille has been studying music for the last twelve years, starting with local Jazz shows before moving on to musical theater, where she most recently played the role of Pop in Chicago. She is thrilled to expand her horizons as part of Lamplighters alongside so many talented singers.

MANDY LEUNG (Debut) Chorus. Mandy recently appeared as Eileen in WVLO’s Nice Work If You Can Get It, Tuptim in Tri-Valley Rep’s The King & I, and Mary Sunshine in CCSF’s Chicago. She also appeared as Star-To-Be in Annie and as a featured soloist in Italian Family Festa San Jose, Sondheim in Concert and Sing For Your Supper, and in Funny Girl, Woodside’s The Sound Of Music, The Sorcerer and Oklahoma!

PHIL LOWERY (’94) Production Manager. Phil has enjoyed a decades-long affiliation with the Lamplighters as director, production/stage manager, Lord High Janitor, and occasional performer. He directs operas, operettas and musicals for other Bay Area companies; teaches middle school theatre at Children’s Day School, and is a Resident Artist with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, where he appears in this summer’s Free Shakespeare in the Park production of The Winter’s Tale.

DOUGLAS MANDELL (’05) Chorus. Douglas has been singing for as long as he can remember. He is the tenor section leader at St. Stephen’s Church, Belvedere, and has performed with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Chorale.

Douglas has appeared in productions ranging from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas to Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti. Among his favorite roles are Mack the Knife in The Threepenny Opera, Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte, the Magician in The Consul, and the Governor in Candide.

CHARLES MARTIN (‘97) Poobà/Il Ducato. Charles first appeared with the Lamplighters as Pish-Tush in our 1997 Mikado, and has since performed many bass-baritone roles with the company including Private Willis, Arac, Senator Jones, Horseman War, Sir Despard Murgatroyd, Dick Deadeye, the Mikado, the Sergeant of Police, Jigger Craigin, the Pirate King, the Usher, and the Zombie Rapper in our 2010 Gala. He has also appeared with CCMT and Pocket Opera. Charles studies voice with Baker Peeples, and enjoys the romance of travel and the occasional extreme athletic event.

DANIEL MATIS (Debut) Chorus. Daniel, aka “Dan the Plumberman” was most recently seen as Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof, and the Apostle Paul in The Road to Damascus.

Before taking 25 years off from theatre he was seen in such musicals as Oklahoma, Carousel and The Pirates of Penzance.

BRITTANY MELLERSON (‘15) Lighting Designer. Recent design credits include lighting design for Occupy+Menace at Dance Mission; Absolutely Fabulous! with the Royal British Theater Co and US Drag at The Dragon Theatre. Other credits include Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Legally Blonde, My Fair Lady (Asst. Lighting), and The Little Mermaid (Sound Design/A1). Up next! : On The Verge at The Dragon Theatre.

Area such as Cinnabar, Berkeley, Livermore, West Bay, North Bay and Pocket Operas, in such roles as Sweeney Todd, Man of La Mancha, Don Giovanni, Voltaire/Pangloss, Scarpia, Count Almaviva, Sharpless, Escamillo, Ford and Malatesta. Bill teaches his online music appreciation course, Adventures in Classical Music at Udemy.

LYNN OAKLEY (’80) Violin I. Lynn also plays with Villa String Quartet, Villa Sinfonia and Villa Chamber Orchestra, Marin Oratorio and other groups. She and her husband Roy are founders of the Villa Sinfonia Foundation, a non-profit music organization for students of all ages and abilities. The Villa Sinfonia has performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall (twice), the Washington DC Kennedy Center, toured Europe and Hawaii and will tour to Budapest and Vienna in 2017.

YASUSHI OGURA (’09) Violin. Yasushi is concertmaster of Napa Valley Symphony and Pocket Opera. He often performs for Broadway shows in San Francisco, acts as guest concertmaster with various regional orchestras, and was concertmaster/soloist with Diablo Ballet. He is frequently called to record film soundtracks. Yasushi has been working as head coach of the Napa Valley Youth Symphony since its inception and is a tireless educator, teaching numerous private students as well.

ERIN O’MEALLY (’15) Amiam. Erin is a lyric soprano from the Jersey Shore and has performed in a wide variety of genres. Her most noted performances are Cherubino in a concert version of Le nozze di Figaro with Concerts at the Presidio, Drusilla in L’incoronazione di Poppea at SFCM, #2 in Conrad Susa’s Transformations, and “La Chatte” in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortileges at the Boston Conservatory, where she completed her undergraduate degree. Erin has performed title roles in many scenes including Rose Maybud in Ruddygore, Ophelia from Thomas’s Hamlet, Lakmé from Delibes’s Lakmé, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Dame Doleful from Too Many Sopranos, Catalina from Los Diamantes de la Corona, Petra from A Little Night Music, and the second lady in Die Zauberflöte. Achievements include spending a summer performing at OperaWorks Advanced Artist program in 2013, and placing first in the regional Classical Singer Competition in 2011. She is currently studying with the lovely Jane Randolph. While performing is her passion, she also enjoys working as a voice teacher.

MIRIAM R. LEWIS (’04) Costume Designer. Miriam has worked in theater as long as she can remember; she has costumed many shows for the Lamplighters, including Yeomen, Gondoliers, The Grand Duke, and Pirates, and, for other companies, A Little Night Music (Goat Hall), The Paris Letter, Salomé, Dance for Me, and Sagittarius Ponderosa (NCTC), Floyd Collins and City of Angels (SFSU), Sweeney Todd and Rocky Horror Show (Ray of Light), She Rode Horses Like the Stock Exchange and Truck Stop (Crowded Fire), and Harry Thaw Hates Everybody (Shotgun Players). She received her MFA in Theatrical Design from San Francisco State University, where she now also lectures in costume. Miriam is excited to be in the thick of Lamplighters’ groundbreaking production of The Mikado.

ASHLEY MYERS (’15) Chorus. Ashley is pleased to return to the Lamplighters and looks forward to future collaborations. She has studied at San Joaquin Delta College and San Francisco State University. When not on stage, Ashley is an Administrator Extraordinaire for several companies within California.

MICHAEL ORLINSKY (Debut) Piccia Tuccia. Michael, Baritone, has performed over 50 roles in his steadfast career. He has sung roles with many companies in the Bay Area; including West Edge Opera, Livermore Valley Opera (LVO), West Bay Opera, Opera San Jose, Solo Opera, Contemporary Opera Marin, the San Francisco Opera Guild (SFOG) and more. With Main Street Opera in Chicago, he sang the roles of Figaro in (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Enrico Lucia di Lammermoor, and The Father (Hansel and Gretel). Michael works often with New Music as a composer and performer. He has composed a Requiem. Michael earned his Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance at North Park University in Chicago.

SIRI LOUIE (Debut) Chorus. Nationality: Canadian, eh?

Highest Elevation Impromptu Solo Performance: Here Comes The Sun, around 19,100 feet on Mt. Kilimanjaro’s crater rim, to celebrate the sunrise warmth, the view, and the fact that she hadn’t tripped and fallen in. Siri feels elated to join the Lamplighters.

WILLIAM NEELY (’78) Piccia Tuccia. Last seen with the Lamplighters as King Hermann Augustus (Candide), Bill has sung most of the baritone roles in the Gilbert & Sullivan repertoire, as well as Dr. Falke (Die Fledermaus), Danilo (Merry Widow) and Carl-Magnus (A Little Night Music). He has also performed with many groups around the Bay

WM. H. NEIL (’65) Poobà. If Bill had not already had a family of his own, he would have found a delightful surrogate in the Lamplighters. In what other opera company could he have seen families begun and generations grown up on the same stage? And the audience as part of the same family? Not in any history he knows of. And so. Even if his tal-

FLORA MENDOZA (Debut) Chorus. Flora, mezzo soprano, is thrilled to be in her inaugural production with the Lamplighters. She relocated to the Bay Area last year, leaving behind her old stomping grounds of New York City. She misses the pizza, but not the weather!

ents decline to the point where his last role is as Bunthorne’s solicitor, he will still take the same pure pleasure in the company as ever.

KURT PATZNER (’77) Trombone. Originally from Palm Springs, Kurt has performed with every major orchestra in the Bay Area, is currently a member of the Santa Rosa, Berkeley, and Marin Symphonies, and is on the faculty at The College Preparatory School in Oakland. He has a wife and three sons, all of whom are musicians.

NORMAN PECK (’77) Percussion. Norman currently holds the Principal Percussion Chair with Santa Cruz Symphony and West Bay Opera. He plays jazz with a big band every Monday night when he isn’t working, teaches a large class of private students, and provides instrumental contracting services to a variety of clients. When he’s not working, Norman is passionately fond of science fiction, cooking, and his cat Alex. In January 2016, he and his wife Lynda celebrated their 34th Anniversary.

BAKER PEEPLES (’75) Music Director/Conductor. Baker has sung almost all the Gilbert & Sullivan tenor leads, as well as Eisenstein/Alfred (Fledermaus), Tassilo (Countess Maritza), Paris (La belle Hélène), Karl Franz (The Student Prince), and the Defendant in our KQED performance of Trial by Jury. Baker has conducted every Gala since 1986, as well as hundreds of performances of G&S and other operettas and musicals. He sang onstage with the San Francisco Ballet in Balanchine’s Liebeslieder Walzer. A favorite of Pocket Opera audiences, he has also appeared with numerous other Bay Area opera companies, symphonies, ballets, and choral groups. Baker was voted best male singer in the 1995 and 1997 International G&S Festivals for his portrayals of Hilarion and Alexis, respectively. Baker and his wife Ellen Kerrigan oversee the San Francisco Opera Guild’s Opera à la Carte program, which takes live opera to 130 Bay Area schools. He is also the music director for the Lamplighters/SF Conservatory G&S Scenes program, and maintains an active voice studio in San Francisco.

BEN PORTER (Debut) Chorus. Ben is pleased to make his Lamplighters debut in this production of The Mikado.

This is his first foray back onto the theatrical stage after years of performance with barbershop quartets and choruses. His successes there include winning competitions at the division and district levels and finishing in the top ten at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s International competition COLIN RAAB (Debut) Chorus. A participant in the G&S Scenes Program since 2013, Colin is delighted to debut in The Mikado chorus. Past shows include Stanford Savoyards productions of HMS Pinafore, The Sorcerer, and The Mikado, as well as Anything Goes and West Side Story at the Hillbarn Conservatory. Colin attends Menlo School, studies voice with Pierce Peter Brandt, and dance at Dance Arts Center.

SAMUEL RABINOWITZ (’13) Coco. Samuel graduated from Haverford College with a BA in Political Science and received his Master’s from Manhattan School of Music. Recently he has performed with the Lamplighters as Robin Oakapple in Ruddygore and Maximilian in Candide, and as a member of the chorus for San Francisco Opera in Don Carlos, Die Meistersinger, and Les Troyens. Other credits include the title role in Don Giovanni, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet,