‛Pirates’ opening tonight

Cassie Lomison

Reporter

Milligan College and East Tennessee State University will present the popular Gilbert and Sullivan musical The Pirates of Penzance April 1, 2, and 3 at 7:30 p.m., and on April 4, at 2 p.m., on the stage of the VA Theatre on the Mountain Home VA facility.

The production includes a cast of 27, an orchestra of 34, a crew of 15 and an artistic staff of 12. Richard Major, chair, area of performing visual and communicative arts, professor of theatre and director of Pirates, said that this production is "one of the largest musicals ever mounted in Johnson City," and that the entire production team has "high expectation for this venerable, crowd-pleasing, Gilbert and Sullivan classic."

"All of the artists are among the best and brightest in our region. Working with them has been delightful," Major said. "This is one production that you don't want to miss."

The hero of the play, Frederic, is a young man whose accidental indenture to a band of kind, orphaned pirates is about to expire on his 21st birthday. He decides to leave and dedicate his life to ridding the seas of his comrades, though he loves them. Along the way Frederic meets the Major General and falls in love with Mabel, one of the General's unwed daughters. With the help of dimwitted policemen Frederic seeks out the Pirate King and his pirates. However, Frederic's ambitions are curtailed when he is reminded that his recent birthday was only his fifth since he was born on a leap year. The realization of this truth wreaks silliness and havoc in everyone's plans.

Milligan students in the Pirates cast include freshmen Robert Kitchens and Hannah Beth Potter, juniors Missie Mills and Crystal Van Meter, and seniors Annie Tipton and Paige Wassel. Crew members include sophomore Tina LeJeune, junior Josiah Potter and senior Michele Dietz. Orchestra members include, freshmen Kathryn Shanks, Rachael Vines and Billy Gibson, sophomore Gina Jury and Chris Byrd and junior Rebekah Abbott. Assistant Professor of Music Kellie Brown is the director of strings and will also be playing in the orchestra during the run of the musical. Associate Professor of Music John Wakefield is the music director for the principal characters in Pirates.

"We've been working hard the past few months, and with the mix of Milligan, ETSU and the community, the play is going to turn out wonderfully," Hannah Beth Potter said.

Byrd, a string bass player in the orchestra, said that after seeing the cast's acting and singing during rehearsal, he believes that the production is worth going to see.

Reservations for tickets may be made by phone at (423) 439-7576 or by e-mail to theatre@etsu.edu. The Sunday afternoon performance of The Pirates of Penzance will feature interpreting for the deaf or hard of hearing. Tickets on reserve must be picked up no later than 15 minutes prior to curtain and payment may be with check or cash.