Lakeshore Light Opera (LLO) is an amateur community theatre group that performs

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

operas in

Pointe-Claire Pointe-Claire (, ) is a Quebec local municipality within the Urban agglomeration of Montreal on the Island of Montreal in Canada. It is entirely developed, and land use includes residential, light manufacturing, and retail. As of the 2021 ce ...

, Quebec, Canada.Schwartz, Susa
Lakeshore Light Opera helps hospital buy new equipment
The Gazette February 7, 2011 The company produced its first show in 1955. Early in its history, the group was directed by former

D'Oyly Carte Opera Company The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company that, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Th ...

member Doris Hemingway, and briefly conducted by her husband, former D'Oyly Carte conductor

Harry Norris Harry Norris (12 June 1888 – 15 December 1966) was an Australian architect, one of the more prolific and successful in Melbourne in the interwar period, best known for his 1930s Art Deco commercial work in the Melbourne CBD. His designs were ...

. The group was known as St Paul's Operatic Society until 1980, when it changed its name to Lakeshore Light Opera. For over 35 years, proceeds from its annual production have been contributed to the Lakeshore General Hospital.

History

Early years

In 1955, a few members of the Men's Club of St. Paul's Anglican Church in Lachine, Quebec, in conjunction with the church choir, presented

's ''

Trial by Jury A jury trial, or trial by jury, is a legal proceeding in which a jury makes a decision or findings of fact. It is distinguished from a bench trial in which a judge or panel of judges makes all decisions. Jury trials are used in a significant ...

'' in Montreal. The production led to the creation of a permanent operatic society dedicated to productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operas in the traditional style.Whitehead, J. Rennie
''Memoirs of a Boffin''
, Chapter 8: Multinational, 1995 In 1957, St Paul's Operatic Society was formed. Its first Music Director was Arthur Gough, the church organist, and the first Stage Director was Doris Hemingway, formerly of the

.Stone, David
"Doris Hemingway"
''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company'', September 1, 2014, accessed September 16, 2016 She and her husband, music director

, a former D'Oyly Carte conductor, were already well known to Montreal Gilbert and Sullivan audiences through their association with the Lyric Opera Company, Montreal West Operatic Society and various other musical groups. In 1972, the society was incorporated as a non-profit corporation under the name of St. Paul's Operatic Society Inc. In 1965, Leonard Langmead became stage director of the St. Paul's Operatic Society and served as stage director for nearly 35 years. Marian Siminski has been the company's music director since 1984.

Later history

In 1980, after the dissolution of ties with St. Paul’s Church, the name of the company was changed to Lakeshore Light Opera Inc. – La Société d'Opérette Lakeshore Inc. For over 35 years, proceeds from the annual production have been contributed to the Lakeshore General Hospital, through the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation. The annual donations, reaching as high as $171,000,"Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience gets the LLO treatment"
''

The Suburban ''The Suburban'' is the largest English language weekly newspaper in the province of Quebec. It is a community newspaper based in Montreal's Saint-Laurent borough which publishes three geographically based editions containing some shared and s ...

'', February 24, 2016 are used by the Hospital to purchase equipment not covered by its budget or by Provincial grants. In 2005, LLO celebrated its 50th anniversary with a production of '' The Pirates of Penzance'' together with ''Trial by Jury'', and since then it has continued to produce the Savoy operas. In 2015, LLO celebrated its 60th anniversary with another production of ''Pirates''.

Theatre, membership and board

Lakeshore Light Opera performs at the Louise Chalmers Theatre at

John Rennie High School John Rennie High School (JRHS) ( French: ''École secondaire John Rennie)'' located in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada, is an English-language secondary school that opened in 1955. The school was named after John Rennie (1904–1952), the Union Na ...

, in

, Quebec.

All actors, understudies, backstage, ushers, front of house people and Board of Directors are all volunteers. The membership consists of a wide range of ages.Amend, Elsie
LLO back with a new show
The Chronicle, February 26, 2008 Over the years, LLO has bestowed life-time membership on individuals who have made a lasting impact on the Society.

Past productions

*1955 – ''

'' *1957 – ''

The Sorcerer ''The Sorcerer'' is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot of ''The Sorcerer'' is based on a Christmas story, ''An Elixir of Lo ...

'' *1958 – ''

H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which ...

'' *1959 – '' The Pirates of Penzance'' *1960 – ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...

'' *1961 – '' Patience'' *1962 – ''

Iolanthe ''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...

'' *1963 – ''

The Yeomen of the Guard ''The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid'', is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888 and ran for 423 performances. This was the eleventh ...

'' *1964 – '' The Gondoliers'' *1965 – ''The Mikado'' *1966 – ''

Ruddigore ''Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse'', originally called ''Ruddygore'', is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy Operas and the tenth of fourteen comic operas written tog ...

'' *1967 – ''The Pirates of Penzance'' *1968 – ''H.M.S. Pinafore'' *1969 – '' Merrie England'' *1970 – ''

The Geisha ''The Geisha, a story of a tea house'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts. The score was composed by Sidney Jones to a libretto by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank. Additional songs were written by Lionel Monckton and James Ph ...

'' *1971 – ''The Gondoliers'' *1972 – ''Iolanthe'' *1973 – ''The Yeomen of the Guard'' *1974 – ''The Pirates of Penzance'' *1975 – ''Patience'' *1976 – ''The Mikado'' *1977 – ''Trial by Jury / H.M.S. Pinafore'' *1978 – ''The Gondoliers'' *1979 – '' Princess Ida'' *1980 – ''Iolanthe'' *1981 – ''Ruddigore'' *1982 – ''The Pirates of Penzance'' *1983 – ''The Mikado'' *1984 – ''The Yeomen of the Guard'' *1985 – ''

Cox & Box ''Cox and Box; or, The Long-Lost Brothers'', is a one-act comic opera with a libretto by F. C. Burnand and music by Arthur Sullivan, based on the 1847 farce '' Box and Cox'' by John Maddison Morton. It was Sullivan's first successful comic opera ...

/ H.M.S. Pinafore'' *1986 – ''The Gondoliers'' *1987 – ''Patience'' *1988 – ''Ruddigore'' *1989 – ''The Pirates of Penzance'' *1990 – ''Princess Ida'' *1991 – ''Iolanthe'' *1992 – ''The Mikado'' *1993 – ''The Yeomen of the Guard'' *1994 – ''The Gondoliers'' *1995 – ''Trial by Jury & H.M.S. Pinafore'' *1996 – ''The Pirates of Penzance'' *1997 – ''Patience'' *1998 – ''Ruddigore'' *1999 – ''The Mikado'' *2000 – ''Iolanthe'' *2001 – ''Princess Ida'' *2002 – ''The Gondoliers'' *2003 – ''The Yeomen of the Guard'' *2004 – ''H.M.S. Pinafore'' *2005 – ''Trial by Jury / Pirates of Penzance'' *2006 – ''Patience'' *2007 – ''The Mikado'' *2008 – ''Ruddigore'' *2009 – ''The Gondoliers'' *2010 – ''Iolanthe'' *2011 – ''The Sorcerer'' *2012 – ''H.M.S. Pinafore / Cox & Box''Fabio, Carmen Marie
Lakeshore Light Opera sets sail with H.M.S. Pinafore
''The Chronicle'', March 7, 2012 *2013 – ''Princess Ida'' *2014 – ''The Yeomen of the Guard'' *2015 – ''The Pirates of Penzance'' *2016 – ''Patience'' *2017 – ''Ruddigore'' *2018 – ''The Mikado''

References

External links

* {{Authority control Musical groups from Quebec Pointe-Claire Musical groups established in 1955 Gilbert and Sullivan performing groups 1955 establishments in Quebec