NEW HOPE: ‘Pirates of Penzance’ storm school stage

New Hope-Solebury production this weekend

   New Hope-Solebury High School’s theater club, Mask & Zany, will present the Gilbert and Sullivan classic, “The Pirates of Penzance,” on March 13, 14 and 15. Curtain time is 7:30 each evening.
   A fresh take on one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular comic operas, this updated version of “Pirates” took New York by storm when it premiered in Central Park in 1980, headlined by Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.
   Wacky, irreverent and as entertaining today as it was when it first opened in 1879, “Pirates of Penzance” spins a hilarious farce of sentimental pirates, bumbling policemen, dim-witted young lovers, dewy-eyed daughters and an eccentric Major-General, all morally bound to the often-ridiculous dictates of honor and duty.
   The principal actors in the NHS production are Alexa Botelho as Mabel, Ben Yacker as Fredric, Nick Cassidy as the Pirate King, Daniel Furst as the Modern Major-General, Kristina DeGiovanni as Ruth, Ben Natan as the Sergeant, Michael Szymanek as Samuel, Melanie Davis as Katherine, Lauren Hutwelker as Elizabeth, Elena Caroll as Marina, Leigh Ferro as Lydia, Abby Bultemeier as Lillian, and Marley Madding as dance captain.
   The production is also raising money for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, an agency whose goal is for every child to have a permanent home and a loving family.
   Tickets in advance are $5 for students/seniors and $8 for adults. Tickets at the door are $7 for students/seniors and $10 for adults. Reservations can be made by calling 215-862-2028, extension 3117, or by emailing [email protected].