PBS Fall Arts Festival kicks off with Guthrie’s H.M.S Pinafore

Marianne CombsMarianne Combs Oct 13, 2011
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Starting tomorrow, PBS is presenting its Fall Arts Festival, broadcasting a performance or art-related documentary to the nation each week for nine weeks.

First up: Guthrie Theater’s production of H.M.S. Pinafore.

HMS4.jpg

The cast of the Guthrie Theater’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. PINAFORE

Photo by Michal Daniel

The program starts at 8pm; subsequent Fridays will feature the following:

October 21 – AMERICAN MASTERS “Pearl Jam Twenty”

October 28 – GREAT PERFORMANCES “Miami City Ballet Dances Balanchine & Tharp”

November 4 – Arts from the Blue Ridge Mountains: “GIVE ME THE BANJO”

November 11 – Arts from Chicago: AMERICAN MASTERS “Bill T. Jones: A Good Man”

November 18 – Arts from Cleveland: “WOMEN WHO ROCK”

November 25 – Arts from Los Angeles: GREAT PERFORMANCES “Il Postino from LA Opera” with Plácido Domingo

December 2 – GREAT PERFORMANCES: Andrea Bocelli

December 16 – GREAT PERFORMANCES “The Little Mermaid”

  • Charlie C

    I had the misfortune to see the televised production of HMS Pinafore at the Guthrie. On TV the production looked and sounded great for whatever it was, but Pinafore it was not. Generally production companies tinker with sets and staging but generally leave the music and lyrics alone. However, G and S with a Latin beat? Inserting Queen Victoria? Reminds me of Cosi served up on a train running across Europe, or staged with Hippies in Europe. To borrow a football line “Come on Man.” What’s worse is I don’t think the cast (Pinafore) bought it either. My advice is if it is to be performed again, take out some of the Schlock and restore the music. Sullivan really scored it quite well cha,cha,cha.