Washington Savoyards

Washington Savoyards, Ltd. is the only professional light opera repertory performing company based in Washington, DC. [http://www.savoyards.org/about.htm Official "about us" page of the Savoyards] ] Founded in 1972, the company annually produces three fully-staged works of light opera, operetta, and musical theatre, including at least one Gilbert and Sullivan production each year. It performs at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

Description of the company

The company was formed as the Montgomery Savoyards but changed its name in 1981, since its performers, musicians and patrons are drawn from all over the Washington, DC metropolitan area. [http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_id=WASHSAVOYS Kennedy Center's profile of the company] ] For many years, the company performed primarily the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan and was based in the Duke Ellington School for the Arts. In recent seasons, the company has broadened its repertory to include other works of light opera, operetta and musical theatre. In late 2006, the company moved to its new home, the Atlas Performing Arts Center. ["Roll Call", "HILL TALK", October 19, 2006] The company has also performed at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage and at the Arts Club of Washington, among other venues.

The company attracts its singers from among opera and theatre professionals based in the Washington area, as well as from music, theatre, and opera students at local universities. In 2004, the company was accepted into residency at Flashpoint, Washington's arts incubator run by the Cultural Development Corporation of Washington. The company's President is Kathleen Mitchell, and its artistic director is N. Thomas Pedersen. [ [http://www.savoyards.org/NThomasPedersen.htm Pederson's profile] ] Audrey M. Shipp directed all of the Savoyards' productions from 1973 until 1995. In recent years, its stage directors have included Catherine Huntress-Reeve, Hal Simons and Scott Kenison. Its music directors include Richard Fazio, Michael Rossi, and Pedersen.

The company receives support from charitable foundations, such as the Fund for Maryland's Future, the Sprenger-Lang Foundation, MARPAT Foundation, the Meyer Foundation, the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and individual donors, as well as from ticket sales and program advertising. The company's name is a reference to the Savoy Theatre in London, where the original Gilbert and Sullivan operas were presented in the 1880s and 1890s by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and to aficionados and performers of the Savoy operas. In 1986, Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist (later Chief Justice of the United States) joined the Washington Savoyards as "the Solicitor" in its production of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Patience". [cite news |first=Guy D. |last=Garcia |title=People |url=http://205.188.238.109/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961521,00.html |publisher=Time |date=1986-06-02 |accessdate=2007-08-17 ]

Recent seasons

During its 2006-07 season, the Washington Savoyards produced "Patience", "Kiss Me, Kate" (as part of the Shakespeare in Washington Festival), and "The Merry Widow". It also performed "The Condensed Mikado", an adaptation of "The Mikado", during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. In its 2007-08 season, among other events, the company presented Victor Herbert's "Babes in Toyland", "The Pirates of Penzance", [Battey, Robert. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/28/AR2008022803500.html "Ahoy! Washington Savoyards' Ship Comes In With 'Penzance'",] "The Washington Post", February 29, 2008] its annual presentation of "The Condensed Mikado", and "Man of La Mancha". [Weisman, Leslie. [http://dctheatrescene.com/2008/04/22/man-of-la-mancha/#more-1309 "Man of La Mancha",] "DC Theatre Scene", April 22, 2008] The 2008 season includes productions of "The Music Man" and "Iolanthe".

References

External links

* [http://partners.guidestar.org/controller/searchResults.gs?action_gsReport=1&partner=networkforgood&npoId=27546 Information about Washington Savoyards]
* [http://www.savoyards.org/index.htm The company's official website]
* [http://205.188.238.109/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961521,00.html Time magazine report of Justice Rhenquist's performance with the company]
* [http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=880 2007 review of the company's "Kiss Me, Kate"]