Lamplighters Music Theatre is a semi-professional musical theatre company based in

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

. Founded in 1952 by Orva Hoskinson and Ann Pool MacNab, the Lamplighters specialize in

light opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

, particularly the works of

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 ...

, as well as such works as ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...

'', ''

Die Fledermaus ' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874. Background The original ...

'', ''

Of Thee I Sing ''Of Thee I Sing'' is a musical with a score by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The musical lampoons American politics; the story concerns John P. Wintergreen, who runs for President o ...

'', ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...

'', ''

Candide ( , ) is a French satire written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, first published in 1759. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled ''Candide: or, All for the Best'' (1759); ''Candide: or, The ...

'', and ''

A Little Night Music ''A Little Night Music'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film ''Smiles of a Summer Night'', it involves the romantic lives of several couples. ...

''.Martinfield, Seán
"''H.M.S. Pinafore'' sails the Lamplighters Music Theatre into 55th Season"
''San Francisco Sentinel'', August 2, 2007, accessed April 21, 2010

History

Lamplighters' first production was a revival of ''

Patience (or forbearance) is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience may involve perseverance in the face of delay; tolerance of provocation without responding in disrespect/anger; or forbearance when under strain, especially when faced ...

'' by

in March and April 1958. ''

The Mercury News ''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidiar ...

'' praised the casting in the troupe's 2011 version of ''

The Yeoman of the Guard The King's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard is a Sovereign's Bodyguard, bodyguard of the British monarch. The List of oldest military units and formations in continuous operation, oldest British military corps still in existence, it was ...

''. Later in 2011, it put on a production of ''

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, whic ...

''. They put on the same opera with a new cast in 2019. In 2013, the troupe put on ''

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 ...

'' and later that year ''

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 ...

''. In 2014, it performed a new translation of ''

'' at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore. Also in 2014, they put on ''

''. as well as in 2015. In 2016, the troupe's revised version of ''

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 ...

'' was well-received by critics, who judged that the retelling of the tale in Milan instead of Japan removed elements that have made the original controversial in recent years. The production was named ''The New Mikado – Una Commedia Musicale''. A "sampler" show of elements of multiple comic operas by Gilbert and Sullivan was presented in early 2017, receiving a mixed review by ''

'', which praised the performance but called the adaptation, created by the director, overlong at three hours. In 2017, their touring performance of ''The Yeomen of the Guard'' was given a positive reception by ''The Mercury News''. Co-founder Orva Hoskinson died in 2017, after serving in the troupe for years as a director and performer;"Lamplighters Music Theatre Mourns the Death of Beloved Co-Founder Orva Hoskinson"
''

Broadway World BroadwayWorld is a theatre news website based in New York City covering Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, N ...

'', BWW News Desk (January 27, 2017) the same year, the troupe announced Dennis Lickteig as artistic director. Gilbert and Sullivan's ''

The Gondoliers ''The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria'' is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances (at that time the ...

'' was put on in 2018. In 2019, the Lamplighters produced a spoof: ''

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 ...

Duty'', paired with ''

Thespis Thespis (; grc-gre, Θέσπις; fl. 6th century BC) was an Ancient Greek poet. He was born in the ancient city of Icarius (present-day Dionysos, Greece). According to certain Ancient Greek sources and especially Aristotle, he was the first pe ...

''. Later the same year, Nicolas Aliaga Garcia directed ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 ...

''.

Production style and venues

The company's season usually comprises four productions: a fully staged production in January/February; a staged concert in the spring; a fully staged production in July/August; and a full-length original

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

, presented as a champagne gala fundraiser and silent auction, in November. The company also creates educational programs for schools. The Lamplighters' artistic director is Dennis Lickteig, and its musical director is Baker Peeples. The Lamplighters performed at

Harding Theater The Harding Theater is a historic movie theater located at 616 Divisadero Street in San Francisco, California, completed in 1926. In 2017, the Emporium Arcade Bar opened in the space. History The Harding Theater was built in 1926 by local theater ...

from 1961 to 1968 and then at the

University of San Francisco The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Jesuit university in San Francisco, California. The university's main campus is located on a setting between the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. The main campus is nicknamed "The Hil ...

's until 1995. Since then, it has performed at San Francisco's Novellus Theater at

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) is a multi-disciplinary contemporary arts center in San Francisco, California, United States. Located in Yerba Buena Gardens, YBCA features visual art, performance, and film/video that celebrates local, natio ...

, Lesher Center for the Arts in

Walnut Creek A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, ''Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true bo ...

and several other Bay Area theaters.

Critical reception

The ''Mercury News'' said that "Lamplighters Music Theatre knows the works of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan backwards, forwards, upside down and inside out."revives early Gilbert & Sullivan farce — and adds a sequel"
''

'', Sam Hurwitt, March 27, 2019 Since its founding, it has "been chiefly devoted to the works of Gilbert and Sullivan," and has also produced musicals, for example ''

'' by

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...

in early 2019. The ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...

'' review called the company's 2010 production of Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Patience'', "a splendid and loving production", commenting that the performance "used the company's long experience of the Savoy operettas to fine effect. At their best, the Lamplighters' productions take an approach to this material that is mindful of tradition without ever seeming musty or warmed over." ''Talkin' Broadway'' called the company's ''

Princess Ida ''Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant'' is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was their eighth operatic collaboration of fourteen. ''Princess Ida'' opened at the Savoy Theatre on 5 January 1884, for a ru ...

'' "a gorgeous production. ... The singing of the principals is superior. ... The chorus work as usual is superb, and the full orchestra is brilliant. The sets and costumes are breathtaking".Connema, Richard
"Lamplighters Presents a Beautiful Production of Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida''"
''Talkin' Broadway'', February 16, 2003, accessed April 22, 2010

References

External links

Lamplighters official website
{{authority control Theatre companies in San Francisco Performing groups established in 1952 1952 establishments in California Gilbert and Sullivan performing groups California opera companies South of Market, San Francisco