The IU Jacobs School of Music Opera Theater is performing opera H.M.S. Pinafore at 7:30 p.m. on April 15, 16, 22 and 23.
This comedy, written by William Schwenk Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, features themes of love and classism.
It tells the story of Ralph, a sailor on the Pinafore, who falls in love with the captain’s daughter, Josephine. Trouble arises when Josephine is meant to marry Sir Joseph Porter, and the captain does not approve of Ralph.
“It’s a look at British class structure if we look at how it relates to our struggles,” Michael Shell, stage director and associate professor at the Jacobs School of Music, said. “It shows love is the unifying factor between people no matter how much money they have or who they are.”
This production is the second time Shell has directed H.M.S. Pinafore, the first being in 2014.
“He’s got a very clear vision of what he wants things to look like,” Lucas Newman-Johnson, a master’s student playing Sir Joseph Porter, said.
Shell said this process has been different than the first time he directed H.M.S. Pinafore.
“The big ideas are still there,” Shell said. ”It just has different personalities to bring new things to it.”
This production will be performed at the Musical Arts Center with streaming available on IUMusicLive! on April 15-16.
Tickets are available for purchase online.
