St. Anne’s Music and Drama Society
St. Anne’s Music and Drama Society (MADS as they name themselves) is the one group in Toronto that has been performing Gilbert & Sullivan operettas solely and yearly since 1964. MADS has staged all 13 of the surviving G&S operas. For the corporate’s 62nd manufacturing this yr, they are going to be staging a double invoice of Trial by Jury and H.M.S. Pinafore for a powerful seven performances.
LV spoke to MADS Inventive Director & Producer Laura Schatz about this upcoming manufacturing.
Trial by Jury and H.M.S. Pinafore
Trial by Jury was Gilbert & Sullivan’s first collaboration that also survives, written in 1875 as an after piece for Jacques Offenbach’s comedian opera, La Périchole. The quick work is below 40 minutes and is the one G&S opera that incorporates no spoken dialogue. In truth, Trial was the primary manufacturing that MADS did in its inaugural season.
Laura says, “Trial is taken into account by many to be essentially the most completely constructed of all of the G&S operas. It’s a little gem of wit, sentiment and attraction. It incorporates a few of Sullivan’s most glowing music, and the absurdities of a authorized breach of promise of marriage case are an ideal topic for Gilbert’s charming wit.”
H.M.S. Pinafore was the fourth collaboration between Gilbert & Sullivan and their first main success. It’s full or recognizable tunes, which even appeared in The Simpsons and Star Trek. The humour is timeless, poking enjoyable at authority and social class.
Laura explains, “Pinafore turned so fashionable that it was extensively ‘pirated’ by American corporations, who paid no royalties to G&S. That is the explanation that their subsequent opera The Pirates of Penzance was premiered concurrently in England and the USA to ascertain copyright.”
That is MAD’s fifth manufacturing of Trial and sixth mounting of Pinafore, however the first time each operas are carried out collectively as a double invoice. Laura defined that one of many causes she selected to stage these two operas collectively. “We had an inflow of implausible younger singers auditioning this yr and I didn’t have sufficient roles, particularly feminine ones, for the quantity of expertise that we have now accessible to us.”
“We had numerous wonderful sopranos and mezzos audition this yr who’re new to the present, and despite the fact that I couldn’t forged them in leads, numerous them have determined to remain and sing refrain. So, our ensemble this yr is unbelievable.”
The Forged
This yr, the forged is an excellent mixture of over 40 singers who’ve been performing with MADS for years and people who are model new to G&S. A number of the Pinafore leads shall be in Trial’s ensemble, and all the Trial leads are in Pinafore’s refrain. They are going to be accompanied by an 18-piece orchestra.
MADS veterans Marc Potvin and Beth Armstrong-Chauvin, who’ve been in over 10 productions, are forged within the lead roles of Pinafore’s Sir Joseph Porter and Josephine respectively. U of T voice efficiency college students Emma Lavigne and Josh Gibson, who made their G&S and MADS debut in final yr’s The Yeomen of the Guard, are returning as Angelina — the lead in Trial — and Dick Deadeye in Pinafore.
Three newcomers have sizeable roles. Luca McCauley is singing the lead position of Ralph in Pinafore, whereas Lindsay Faulkner and Shriyans Sprint are in Trial because the First Bridesmaid and Usher. A further 10 or so newcomers are within the ensemble. For the younger singers, MADS is a superb place to get stage expertise and have a enjoyable time. “What I’ve the time to do is educate them some primary stagecraft, which they take away with them to any future operatic productions that they do,” in response to Laura.
At all times a household affair, MADS productions are inclined to have multi-generational households concerned collectively. “Now we have the 2 youngsters performing with their dad in Trial collectively. My daughter is within the manufacturing too,” says Laura.
Ultimate Ideas
G&S could also be a dying artwork of kinds, however MADS is retaining its legacy alive. Laura presents, “What G&S must survive is to have folks come out and have a lot enjoyable doing it that they invite their associates, after which extra younger folks come out to see and luxuriate in it, and wish to be concerned.”
St. Anne’s Music and Drama Society presents Trial by Jury & H.M.S. Pinafore January 30 to February 8, 2026 at St. Anne’s Parish Corridor, 651 Dufferin St., Toronto.
- Discover particulars and tickets [HERE].
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Denise Lai is a Physiotherapist and School Professor. She is an alumnus of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and a rusty piano participant.
