Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera “The Pirates of Penzance” will be performed Nov. 13-16 in the Potter Hall Theater at Missouri Western State University. Shows will start at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13, 14 and 15, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for Missouri Western faculty and staff, $8 for students and free for current Missouri Western students with a valid ID. Tickets can be purchased online at mwsutix.com, by phone at 816-271-4452, or in person at the Potter Hall Box Office.
“The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty” tells the story of Frederic, who is released from his apprenticeship to a band of tender-hearted pirates and meets Mabel, the daughter of Major-General Stanley. The two young people fall instantly in love, but their romance is complicated by the news that Frederic’s indenture to the pirates isn’t quite as finished as he thought.
“It’s good, clean, wholesome family fare,” said Don Lillie, director of the show and chair of the Department of Theatre, Cinema and Dance. “We’ve got beautiful women, eccentric pirates, Keystone Cops, and of course the ‘very model of a modern Major-General.’ Audiences are going to love this show.”
“The Pirates of Penzance” is the second of four shows in Missouri Western’s 2013-2014 season. “Three Days of Rain” by Richard Greenberg, directed by student Christian Allison, will be presented Feb. 13-21, 2015. “Urinetown: The Musical,” directed by Tee Quillin, will be produced April 2-12, 2015.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.