Bucks County Gilbert & Sullivan Society
presents
Patience, or Bunthorne's Bride
presents
Patience, or Bunthorne's Bride
Friday, June 14 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 15 at 2:00 & 8:00 pm
Delaware Valley College Student Center
700 East Butler Avenue
Doylestown, PA
(PS - We are still looking for additional singers to fill out our chorus. If you are a singer and good sight reader, we would love to hear from you. Please email us at bucksgands@gmail.com.)
Patience Story line
The story follows the lovesick exploits of a group of village maidens, two aesthetic-minded poets, a regiment of guards, and a fetching milkmaid named Patience. The bawdy tunes further illuminate the story as the village maidens abandon their common guards for the more sensitive bards, but the uncooperative bards are enamored of the lovely Patience. The delightful farce eventually untangles with plenty of satisfying and boisterous Gilbert and Sullivan choruses.
Past Performances of Our Company
"The Pirates of Penzance" (June 2012)
(or, "The Slave of Duty")
One of Gilbert & Sullivan's most popular operettas, it features a rowdy band of not-so-cutthroat pirates, a haughty Major General with a bevy of eligible daughters, a police force of questionable fortitude, and two star-crossed lovers; Frederic, the pirate apprentice hoping to be free from his indenture when he reaches his 21st birthday, and Mabel, the spirited daughter of Major General Stanley. Alas, a quirk of fate (and leap year) appear to conspire against their union! Wonderful music and pithy dialogue make this show a real gem!
"H.M.S. Pinafore" (May 2011)
A concert production featuring a grand cast and 21-piece orchestra, this seafaring yarn tells the tale of young Ralph ("Rafe") Rackstraw, hopelessly in love with Josephine, the daughter of the Pinafore's captain. She has been promised by the captain to Sir Joseph, the otherwise land-lubbing First Lord of the Admiralty; however, Josephine shares Ralph's affections, and they make plans to elope, but their plot is foiled by the Pinafore's treacherous Dick Deadeye. All ends happily, however, with Dick in the drink, and Ralph ascending to a station he had not dared dream.
"The Mikado" (May 2010)
Among Gilbert & Sullivan's most popular productions, our semi-staged version tells the story of "wandering minstrel" Nanki-Poo (in actuality, the son of the fearsome Mikado). Nanki-Poo is in desperate love of the fair Yum-Yum, ward and betrothed of the Lord High Executioner, Ko-Ko. As the Mikado has declared flirting a capital offense, Ko-Ko is queried as to why he has not executed anyone yet. Fearing for his position (not to mention, his life), Ko-Ko searches for a worthy victim. Nanki-Poo, about to kill himself in despair over Yum-Yum, agrees to be Ko-Ko's victim on condition that he allow Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum to marry for one month. The wedding about to take place, the fearsome Katisha intervenes, claiming Nanki-Poo as her own. All ends happily, however, with the punishment fitting the crime!
"Trial by Jury" (April 2009)
Gilbert & Sullivan's shortest operetta, and their only all-musical production, "Trial" tells the story of the jilted Angelina, pursuing her breach of contract of marriage claim against the cad, Edwin. The fetching Angelina catches the eye of judge and jurors alike, much to Edwin's dismay. Seeing a potential settlement, Edwin offers to marry Angelina and his new love, but the law intervenes on such "burglary." The learned judge, seeing no easy way out, settles the case by deciding to marry Angelina himself!
